Buddhist views on evolution

Buddhism is generally accepting of scientific explanations for the origin and development of life and the universe, including modern scientific theories of evolution and cosmology. Many Buddhist scholars and teachers view evolution as consistent with the principles of change and causality emphasized in Buddhist philosophy. Some early Buddhist texts, such as the Aggañña Sutta, can be read as broadly compatible with evolutionary concepts. Buddhists show some of the highest acceptance rates of evolution among religious groups. In The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, the 14th Dalai Lama supports evolution but expresses philosophical concerns about random mutation as a complete explanation: "From the Buddhist's perspective, the idea of these mutations being random events is deeply unsatisfying for a theory that purports to explain the origin of life."

Religious Differences on the Question of Evolution (United States, 2007)
Percentage who agree that evolution is the best explanation for the origin of human life on earth
Source: Pew Forum
Buddhist
 
 81%
Hindu
 
 80%
Jewish
 
 77%
Unaffiliated
 
 72%
Catholic
 
 58%
Orthodox
 
 54%
Mainline Protestant
 
 51%
Muslim
 
 45%
Hist. Black Protest.
 
 38%
Evang. Protestant
 
 24%
Mormon
 
 22%
Jehovah's Witnesses
 
 8%
Total U.S. population
 
 48%

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mowe, Sam (2011-03-24). "Buddhists and Evolution". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  2. 1 2 "Religious Groups' Views on Evolution". Pew Research Center. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  3. ↑ Berzin, Alexander; Lindén, Matt. "Buddhism and Evolution". Study Buddhism. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  4. ↑ Allendorf, Fred W. (September 2018). "Zen and deep evolution: The optical delusion of separation". Evolutionary Applications. 11 (8): 1212–1218. Bibcode:2018EvApp..11.1212A. doi:10.1111/eva.12620. ISSN 1752-4571. PMC 6099813. PMID 30151034.
  5. ↑ Religious Groups: Opinions of Evolution Archived 2010-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Pew Forum (conducted in 2007, released in 2008)