ABSTRACT
The scientists’ attitudes to religion had to some extent been shaped by religious and philosophical apologetics, most of which were available in English, so that there was an interesting parallel between their attitudes as expressed in the interviews and whatever religious or anti-religious literature was in circulation. Tambiah’s approach to Buddhism not only recognises the dynamic nature of both its historical and contemporary manifestations, but is framed in cosmological terms which make it particularly significant for the natural sciences. The choice of campuses for the investigation was determined to a large extent by a consideration of factors which might have made findings based on a single university atypical. Information about the Mahidol Buddhist Association was obtained secondhand. Many Association members seemed to derive their teaching and vipassana instruction from monks at local wats and meditation centres.
