Tao of Physics

I dreamed of becoming a theoretical physicist when I was a science high school student. I used to spend my two hour bus rides to my home in Cavite - only twenty kilometers away but notorious for its legendary traffic - discussing physics concepts with my best friend James. I selected Physics with Computer Engineering as my first choice at the Ateneo and I would have probably finished that course had I decided to go there instead of UP. This fascination for science was partly responsible for my atheism back then, and my skepticism towards anything mystical or supernatural. It would take years, the wisdom gained from living a decade more of real life, and the influence of my wife before I overcame my aversion towards reading books like the Tao of Physics by Frank Capra.

As I read about Buddhism and other forms of Eastern Mysticism, I began to realize how arrogant I was to think that the Western rational scientific paradigm was the supreme and only legitimate way of looking at things. As one digs deeper into quantum physics, common sense notions of space and time almost become meaningless. Probability waves, rather than definite positions and velocities, define reality. These concepts seem far removed from Newtonian mechanics and are better explained by Eastern mysticism.

I find a lot of solace in Buddhism. The ability to meditate, to find moments of stillness in the middle of the drama of others at work who create a false sense of urgency, is something I treasure. It grounds me and gives me perspective. It is, therefore, especially satisfying to find a book that is attuned with both hard core physics and the great teachings of the Eastern sages.