Buddhism and Science: No Contradiction

We could scrutinize the contradiction between Buddhism and science through examining the distinction between “conditioned phenomena” and “unconditioned phenomena” stated in the Diamond Sutra.

Things that arise and cease are called “conditioned phenomena.”

The beginningless and endless conditions are called “unconditioned phenomena.” Human intelligence is capable of studying and comprehending conditioned phenomena, but it can only make conjectures about unconditioned phenomena.

The Buddha in the Diamond Sutra points out that “all sages and highly respected scholars are different in one aspect, and that is the way they understand or appreciate the permanent nature of eternity”. We realize from this selection that different religions maintain different views on their understanding of the eternal or permanent state. It is impossible for them to reach any conclusions or consensus.