e
BU
DDHANET'SBOOK LIBRA
RY
E-mail: bdea@buddhanet.net
Web site: www.buddhanet.net
Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.
Dr Granville Dharmawardena
Scientific Acceptability
of Rebirth
i
ii
ili
Scientific
Acceptability
of
Rebirth
Dr. Granville Dharmawardena
Ph.D. (Cambridge), M.I.Chem.C, C..Chem, FIAutoE
An appreciation
This is to inform that all members of
The Foundation For Buddhist Research
convey their heartfelt appreciation to
Reverend Banagala Upatissa, the
Chief Sanga Nayaka for Sri Lanka in Japan and
the Deputy Chief Incumbent of the Maha Bodhi
Aggra Srawaka Maha Vihara in Sri Lanka
For contributing by bearing all the expenses for
printing this valuable book with a view to assisting
the Foundation to build up its initial funds.
CONTENTS
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Foundation For Buddhist Research . . . . . . . 7
Scientific Acceptability of Rebirth . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Science and Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Classical Science (17th–19th centuries) . . . . . 12
The Birth of Modern Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Scientific Acceptability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
The Phenomenon of Rebirth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Scientific Examination of Rebirth . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Spontaneous Recall of Past Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Past Life Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Child Prodigies & Others who can use
Past Life Knowledge and Experiences . . . 38
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Preface
Scientists and people who are educated in science
refuse to accept this phenomenon. It is mainly be-
cause they are familiar only with classical science,
which cannot perceive a possible mechanism by
which it can happen.
In this book Dr. Granville Dharmawardena, who is an
eminent scientist referred to in