Later came the experience of the Dance of Shiva which I have tried to capture in the photomontage shown in Plate 7. It was followed by many similar experiences which helped me gradually to realize that a consistent view of the world is beginning to emerge from modern physics which is harmonious with ancient Eastern wisdom. I took many notes over the years, and wrote a few articles about the parallels I kept discovering, until I finally summarized my experiences in the present book.
This book is intended for the general reader with an interest in Eastern mysticism who need not necessarily know anything about physics. I have tried to present the main concepts and theories of modern physics without any mathematics and in non-technical language, although a few paragraphs may still appear difficult to the layperson at first reading. The technical terms I had to introduce are all defined where they appear for the first time and are listed in the index at the end of the book.
I also hope to find among my readers many physicists with an interest in the philosophical aspects of physics, who have as yet not come in contact with the religious philosophies of the East. They will find that Eastern mysticism provides a consistent and beautiful philosophical framework which can accommodate our most advanced theories of the physical world.
As far as the contents of the book are concerned, the reader may feel a certain lack of balance between the presentation of scientific and mystical thought. Throughout the book, his or her understanding of physics should progress steadily, but a comparable progression in the understanding of Eastern mysticism may not occur. This seems unavoidable, as mysticism is, above all, an experience that cannot be learned from books. A deeper understanding of any mystical tradition can only be felt when one decides to become actively involved in it. All I can hope to do is to generate the feeling that such an involvement would be highly rewarding.
During the writing of this book, my own understanding of Eastern thought has deepened considerably. For this I am indebted to two men who come from the East. I am profoundly grateful to Phiroz Mehta for opening my eyes to many aspects of Indian mysticism, and to my T’ai Chi master Liu Hsiu Ch’i for introducing me to living Taoism.
It is impossible to mention the names of everyone—scientists, artists, students, and friends—who have helped me formulate my ideas in stimulating discussions. I feel, however, that I owe special thanks to Graham Alexander, Jonathan Ashmore, Stratford Caldecott, Lyn Gambles, Sonia Newby, Ray Rivers, Joël Scherk, George Sudarshan, and—last but not least—Ryan Thomas.
Finally, I am indebted to Mrs Pauly Bauer-Ynnhof of Vienna for her generous financial support at a time when it was needed most.
London, December 1974 Fritjof Capra
This book was first published seven years ago, and it originated in an experience, as described in the preceding preface, that now lies more than ten years in the past. It seems thus appropriate that I should say a few words to the readers of this new edition about the many things that have happened in those years—to the book, to physics, and to myself.
When I discovered the parallels between the world views of physicists and mystics, which had been hinted at before but never thoroughly explored, I had the strong feeling that I was merely uncovering something that was quite obvious and would be common knowledge in the future; and sometimes, while writing The Tao of Physics, I even felt that it was being written through me, rather than by me. The subsequent events have confirmed these feelings. The book has been received enthusiastically in the United Kingdom and the United States. Though it had only minimal promotion or advertising, it spread rapidly by word of mouth and is now available, or being published, in a dozen editions around the world.
The reaction of the scientific community, predictably, has been more cautious; but there, too, the interest in the broader implications of twentieth-century physics is increasing. The reluctance of modern scientists to accept the profound similarities between their concepts and those of mystics is not surprising, since mysticism—at least in the West—has traditionally been associated, quite erroneously, with things vague, mysterious, and highly unscientific. Fortunately, this attitude is now changing. As Eastern thought has begun to interest a significant number of people and meditation is no longer viewed with ridicule or suspicion, mysticism is being taken seriously even within the scientific community.
The success of The Tao of Physics has had a strong impact on my life. During the past years, I have travelled extensively, lecturing to professional and lay audiences and discussing the implications of the ‘new physics’ with men and women from all walks of life. These discussions have helped me tremendously in understanding the broader cultural context of the strong interest in Eastern mysticism that arose in the West during the last twenty years. I now see this interest as part of a much larger trend which attempts to counteract a profound imbalance in our culture—in our thoughts and feelings, our values and attitudes, and our social and political structures. I have found the Chinese terminology of yin and yang very useful to describe this cultural imbalance. Our culture has consistently favoured yang, or masculine, values and attitudes, and has neglected their complementary yin, or feminine, counterparts. We have favoured self-assertion over integration, analysis over synthesis, rational knowledge over intuitive wisdom, science over religion, competition over cooperation, expansion over conservation, and so on. This one-sided development has now reached a highly alarming stage; a crisis of social, ecological, moral and spiritual dimensions.
However, we are witnessing, at the same time, the beginning of a tremendous evolutionary movement that seems to illustrate the ancient Chinese saying that ‘the yang, having reached its climax, retreats in favour of the yin.’ The 1960s and 1970s have generated a whole series of social movements which all seem to go in the same direction. The rising concern with ecology, the strong interest in mysticism, the growing feminist awareness, and the rediscovery of holistic approaches to health and healing are all manifestations of the same evolutionary trend. They all counteract the overemphasis of rational, masculine attitudes and values, and attempt to regain a balance between the masculine and feminine sides of human nature. Thus, the awareness of the profound harmony between the world view of modern physics and the views of Eastern mysticism now appears as an integral part of a much larger cultural transformation, leading to the emergence of a new vision of reality that will require a fundamental change in our thoughts, perceptions and values. In my second book, The Turning Point, I have explored the various aspects and implications of this cultural transformation.
The fact that the current changes in our value system will affect many of our sciences may seem surprising to those who believe in an objective, value-free science. It is, however, one of the important implications of the new physics. Heisenberg’s contributions to quantum theory, which I discuss in great detail in this book, imply clearly that the classical ideal of scientific objectivity can no longer be maintained, and thus modern physics is also challenging the myth of a value-free science. The patterns scientists observe in nature are intimately connected with the patterns of their minds; with their concepts, thoughts and values. Hence, the scientific results they obtain and the technological applications they investigate will be conditioned by their frame of mind. Although much of their detailed research will not depend explicitly on their value system, the larger framework within which this research is pursued will never be value free. Scientists, therefore, are responsible for their research not only intellectually but also morally.
From this point of view, the connection between physics and mysticism is not only very interesting but also extremely important. It shows that the results of modern physics have opened up two very different paths for scientists to pursue. They may lead us—to put it in extreme terms—to the Buddha or to the Bomb, and it is up to each scientist to decide which path to take. It seems to me that at a time when close to half of our scientists and engineers work for the military, wasting an enormous potential of human ingenuity and creativity by developing ever more sophisticated means of total destruction, the path of the Buddha, the ‘path with a heart’, cannot be overemphasized.
The present edition of