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我做這個研究的原因是因為在我自己一生之中，就經歷過兩個世界：東方和西方；佛教和美國。但也因為自二次世界戰末存留下來相當多的歷史看法，認為是「東西方之會；亞洲與美國之會」也許會成為現代最重大的事件。二次世界大戰末羅素（英國哲學家）的話可以說明這一點：「我們要安居於世的話，在我們的思想中應當對亞洲等同視之；不只在政治上，也要在文化上等同視之。這會引起什麼樣的變化呢？我也不知道。但我深信這變化會是深遠而重大的。」
最近有一位歷史學家叫亞瑟‧維斯維爾斯，他剛出一本書，名為〈美洲超凡主義與亞洲宗教〉。此書就這題目將五、六個主要的歷史觀點拼在一起，並說：「不管人們有多少認識，東西方的傳統宗教與哲學之會；佛教、基督教、印度教、回教的思想之會，都會是我們這時代最非凡的相會。」
歷史學家湯恩比曾經寫過：「西方所有的歷史變革之中，最重要的，並且最罕為人知的就是佛教與西方之相會了。如果我們以社會模式和運動的觀點來看我們社會，毫無疑問，東西方的沖激——最古老的這些文化與我們現代社會的融匯——將比我們在強調政治經濟的今日，所能想像得到的佔有更為重要的歷史地位。」
這並不是獨家孤論，許多許多人都有這個思想。回顧美國歷史，我們會發現這種影響是有其深遠的歷史根源的。當我剛剛開始做研究的時候，我以為我只是研究一個存在於五、六十年代的現象。人人都知道在那個時代興趣高漲，特別是對我們所稱的「比特」（beat），由此而有「比特佛教」。然後在六七十年代隨著移民法的改變，以及眞正的亞洲人師父的來美，興趣更高。但是如果回顧一下，你可以追溯到很遠很遠，一直到庫騰‧馬攝，到班傑明‧富蘭克林，到盧梭與艾默生，美國與亞洲之間的雙相興趣和影響是可以追溯到很早很早的。所以作為一個美國的西方歷史學者，我們總是以西方殖民主義，以基督教傳教運動，以科學技術和軍事角度來看待西方對東方的影響。但是就思想的影響；尤其是在宗教哲學思想方面，東方對西方正在產生的影響更為微妙深遠。這教室裡許多同學們都對東西方這種的相遇有不同程度的體驗，這也是為什麼你們會到這裡來的原因。
所以，我現在要問一個問題：「東西方這種相遇的本質是什麼？」這個問題就問入主題了。因為我感到這種東西方相遇的性質觸及了人類生存的三層空間；我指的是社會、心理、自然這三個層面。這些是屬於社會科學的問題，但是我相信還有更多層面。若將此三層面闡明，第一層面——社會，是指人與人之間的關係；自然——是指人與自然之間的關係；心理——是指自己與自己之間的關係。佛教對於這三層面有著極深遠和激烈的挑戰和沖擊。
今晚，我只想講其中的一個層面——自然，或可說是科學層。雖然其他兩層面講起來也很精彩，只是時間不允許三個層面全講。
對於這個現象我想引用其他的一些看法，因為當我開始做這一方面的研究時，我意識到是在上一世紀末，佛教對西方產生過一次重大的影響。那是1983年在芝加哥舉行的一次世界宗教大會，是一次與芝加哥世界（貿易）博覽會相關的一次大集會。這是首次自亞洲來的僧尼與芝加哥的西方神學家、科學家等等共同參加的公開討論論壇。
待續
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The reason I did this research is because those were the two worlds I have personally experienced in my lifetime: East and West; Buddhism and America. But it is also because, since the end of World War II, there has been extant a notable amount of historical opinion suggesting that this encounter between East and West, between Asia and the U.S., is probably going to be the most significant event of the modern era. Here is a quote from Bertrand Russell at the end of World War II to illustrate: "If we are to feel at home in the world, we will have to admit Asia to equality in our thoughts, not only politically, but culturally. What changes this will bring, I do not know. But I am convinced they will be profound and of the greatest importance."
Recently a historian by the name of Arthur Versluis, who just came out with a new book entitled American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions, pieced together five or six major historical views on this subject and presented this quote, "However much people today realize it, the encounter of Oriental and Occidental religious and philosophical traditions, of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Islamic perspectives, must be regarded as one of the most extraordinary meetings of our age.
Arnold Toynbee once wrote that, "Of all the historical changes in the West, the most important and the one whose effects have been least understood, is the meeting of Buddhism and the Occident. And when and if our society is considered in light of larger societal patterns and movements, there can be no doubt that the meeting of East and West—the mingling of the most ancient traditions in the modern world—will form a much larger part of history than we today, with our political-economic emphasis may think."
This is not a singular opinion. Many, many people have this idea. And if you look throughout American history, you will see the influences going way back. When I first began my research, I thought I would be studying a phenomenon that basically happened in the 1950's and 1960's. Everyone knows there was a flowering of interest at that time, especially with the Beats—what we call "Beat Buddhism"—and then into the 1960's and 1970's with the change of immigration laws and the coming to America of genuine Asian teachers. However, if you look into this, you will find it goes way, way back; it goes back to Cotton Mather, to Benjamin Franklin, and to Thoreau and Emerson. There has been a long, long history of interest and influence between the U.S. and Asia. As an American—a Western historian—we always see the impact of the West on the East, in terms of colonialism, in terms of the Christian missionary movement, in terms of science and technology and the military. But it's a far more subtle and probably more influential movement that is taking place with the influence of ideas, specifically religious and philosophical, from East to West. Many of us in this room have already had encounters along those lines to various degrees, which is probably why some of you are here tonight.
And so the question I was asking then is, "What is the nature of that encounter?" This gets into the topic, because I feel that the nature of that encounter touches all three dimensions of human existence. By that I mean the social, the psychological, and the natural. These are social-science kinds of categories, though I am sure there are more dimensions. But to state these three, the social refers to the relationships of humans to humans; the psychological refers to the relationship of an individual human being with his or her self; the natural refers to the relationship of humanity with nature. These three dimensions of existence are profoundly and radically challenged and impacted by Buddhism.
Now, tonight, I am only going to deal with one of these three, and that is the natural, the scientific, although the other two are just as fascinating, but there is simply not enough time to discuss all three here.
I would like to quote to you some people who have commented on this phenomena, because when I started my research, I realized that Buddhism made its first major impact on this culture around the turn of the last century. This was a spin-off of the first world gathering of religions that took place in Chicago in 1893, the World Parliament of Religions. This was held in conjunction with the Chicago World's Fair. That was the first time that Asian representatives—monks and some nuns from Asia—actually came and participated in an open forum and discussion with Western theologians, scientists, and so forth, in Chicago.
To be continued
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