Process
Philosophy and
Buddhism
Dr. Jay McDaniel
Ecological Civilization
International
What is this Power Point
About?



For twenty five years scholars in different parts of
the world have been drawing parallels between
Whitehead’s “Process Philosophy” and ideas in
Buddhism.
I offer list of twenty-five parallels, each of which
could become an article or book-length study.
My hope is that some among these ideas might
be helpful to scholars and practicing Buddhists in
China who are interested in learning about
process philosophy and perhaps using it as a
framework for research and practice.
Where Can I Get this Power
Point?
 This
Power Point can be downloaded
online and used freely:
 http://www.worldwideprocess.org/proces
s-philosophy-and-buddhism-powerpoint.html
Experience
Both emphasize experience as that starting
point for wisdom
Wisdom and Compassion
Both believe that wisdom and compassion
are complementary virtues that enrich one
another.
Momentariness
Both emphasizes that life unfolds momentby-moment and that moments are the very
building blocks of reality.
Impermanence
Both recognize that, as life unfolds, the
subjective immediacy of each present
moment passes away and cannot be
regained.
Karma
Both believe that as our lives unfold, the
decisions we have made in the past
influence us, as do things that have
happened in the lives of other people. We
are “causally influenced” by the past.
No-Self
Both recognize that the human self is not a
skin-encased ego cut off from the world or
an enduring substance, but rather the reality
of the present moment, lived from the
inside. There is no “substantial” self.
Inter-Being
Both recognize that each moment of a
person’s life is connected with every other
moment in the universe. The universe is a
vast network of inter-being or interdependence or inter-penetration, in which
all entities are present in all other entities.
Buddha-Nature (I)
Both recognize that there is something like
creativity or intrinsic value within each and
every living being: human, plant, animal,
crystal.
Buddha-Nature (II)
Both recognize that each and every living
being aims at, or seeks, satisfaction in life.
Each being has a kind of enlightenment or
fulfillment which is the completion of its
subjective aim.
Suffering (Dukkha)
Both recognized that much of life unfolds in
a spirit of suffering or dukkha: an absence of
ease or peace of mind. This dis-ease comes
from suffering and missed potential. Many
human activities – religion, art, philosophy –
are attempts to deal with, to make
something meaningful, of this suffering.
Realms of Rebirth
Both believe that we live in a multidimensional universe, of which threedimensionality is only one form. Both are
open to the possibility that there may be
“realms” other than the three dimensional
realm and that other kinds of entities can
dwell in these realms.
Rebirth (I)
Both believe that it is possible that the
human stream of consciousness continues
after death in an ongoing journey until
wholeness is realized. Both believe that it is
possible that, in the present moment,
humans can remember past lives.
Rebirth (II)
Both believe that, even if there is no life
before or after physical death, that this very
life is an ongoing process of death and
rebirth, moment by moment. An old self
dies and a new one takes its place with
every breath.
Breathing Meditation
In both perspectives “breathing meditation”
makes sense as a way of calming the mind
and taking nourishment from the process of
breathing itself, as experienced in the mode
of causal efficacy. In these moments the
mental pole of our experience subsides and
we become our breathing.
Many Forms of Meditation
Both recognize that “consciousness” is only
the tip of the experiential iceberg and that
there are multiple states of awareness and
feeling into which we can enter, many of
which may be related to the activity of
seeking wholeness or enlightenment. There
are many valuable forms of meditation and
“samadhi” in addition to breathing
meditation.
Bodhisattva Vow
Both recognize that there dwells within the
human heart an impulse to become the
best person one can be, growing in wisdom
and helping others, even if the help does
not bear fruit. In Whitehead’s philosophy this
impulse is called the initial aim. It is an
indwelling lure to become a Bodhisattva
Guan Yin
Mahayana Buddhists and Whitehead
recognize that there dwells within the very
heart of the universe a loving presence
whose outstretched hands reach into the
hearts of all living beings, sharing in their
sufferings and guiding them toward
wholeness. Whitehead calls this God; many
Mayahana Buddhists call this Guan Yin.
Learning from Body to Mind
Both Whitehead and Buddhists recognize
that learning unfolds in a person’s life, not
simply from mind to body but also from
body to mind. We learn by doing. This is an
aspect of what Whitehead calls the wisdom
of the body.
Koans
In Whitehead as in Buddhism, the mental
pole of experience can become overly
rigid, trapped in ideologies that stifle
creativity and obstruct compassion. Koans
function as roadblocks to the rigidified
imagination, opening up new possibilities for
wisdom and compassion, understanding
and empathy.
Enlightenment
In a Whiteheadian context the experience of
Enlightenment can be understood in two ways:
the self-awakening of the universe within a single
moment of experience or the awakening of the
true self to the fact that there is no self other
than the universe. In either case, enlightenment
is only the beginning of a journey. It never
ceases and there is always more to
enlightenment than a person knows. Even the
Buddha grew in enlightenment during his
lifetime. It is a journey
The Eightfold Path
Process Philosophy and Buddhism
emphasize that we learn, not only by
reading and talking and discussing, but also
by practicing and by more active forms of
doing. Right speech, right livelihood, right
association – these are forms of learning
Here-and-Now
Both Whitehead and Buddhism, especially
Ch’an Buddhism, recognize that the hereand-now is the only “time” when subjective
immediacy occurs. If we cannot find
wisdom and compassion in the here-andnow, we cannot find it at all. The present
moment is holy ground.
Mindfulness
Process philosophy and Buddhism recognize
that “consciousness” is a unique form of
experience that can, at its best, be relaxed
and focussed, in an undistracted way, on
what is happening. It is deep listening, with
the eyes and heart as well as the ears. It is
mindfulness, one of the most important steps
in the Eightfold Path.
Socially-Engaged Buddhism
Thich Nhat Hahn tells us that the wisdom of
compassion does not stop with being kind to
others in a one-on-one way; instead it is
actively engaged in helping make the world
a better place through social service. It
seeks to help improve pollution of the mind
and also pollution in the air. It is socially
engaged.
Eco-Buddhism
The Buddha attained enlightenment under a
Bodhi tree. Tradition tells us that, when he was
challenged by Mara, the Earth came to his
support. These and other traditions in Buddhism
invite us to recognize that a healthy Buddhism
for the future will be an eco-Buddhism, in which
the earth is recognized as the context for our
lives, and other beings respected in tenderness
and love.