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Yanli Mi

Heroes are the practical people who recognize current tasks (识时务者为俊杰 )

Chinese Proverb

Editor’s Note: Stephen Friberg is visiting Morocco, Turkey, and then the Holy Land for pilgrimage at the Baha’i World Center in Haifa. His blogs will restart on July 22nd. Today’s guest blog is by Yanli Mi, a biophysicist from Szechuan province in China.

June 18th, 2012: Four positions can be offered to discuss the differences between humans and animals:

1. Humans are the only species created by God, and are blessed with spiritual superiority compared to other animals (theologian’s position).
2. Both humans and animals are sentient beings whose minds survive death (Buddhist position).
3. Both humans and animals are and always have been automatons whose minds cease at death (materialist position).
4. The ape-men were suddenly equipped with souls at an arbitrary date during the evolution process (evolutionist position).

We see humans as different from other animals on four levels: physiologically, mentally, socially and spiritually. However, neither science nor religion knows completely how to distinguish humans from other animals. Neither has advanced far enough to understand the whole of the “divine” connection between human and other animals, although we understood pieces of it.

The Theologian’s and Evolutionist’s Position

The most typical representation from the theologians is the view that species are unchanging and derive their forms by reference to a divine blueprint as exemplified by the Greek philosopher Plato (who famously believed that a rose would never become a cherry tree). A popular version of this is the view that all species were created in six days in a single week around 4004 BC. In other words, humans and animals were created separately and are totally different types of being, thus, only humans have immortal souls, whereas animals are automatons whose minds cease at death.

However evolutionists – represented by Charles Darwin – believe that all species arose from simpler forms. For example, all primates – including humans and apes – diverged from the common ancestor of all lifeforms, which originated the DNA coding which is universal for all plants, animals, fungi and bacteria on earth.  As time progressed, the characteristics of the one life form gradually changed in response to selective pressures.

Scientists have sequenced the genome of the chimpanzee and found that humans are 96% similar to the great ape species, and the human and chimp sequences differ by only 1.2% in terms of single-nucleotide changes to the genetic code (see The Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond). The number of genetic differences between humans and chimps is ten times smaller than that between mice and rats.

The most promising ongoing work is to identify several sequences of genetic codes that differ between human and chimp with the goal to determine what creates human-specific traits such as speech, and a a breakthrough may aid scientists to learn what sets us apart from other animals.

The question is:

• Are we completely determined by our genetic codes?  Given that genetic codes from a biological point of view are nearly the same for humans and chimps, will we behave at different levels at the conscious, cognitive, social and spiritual levels, because of a divine force beyond the 4% difference in the genetic makeup?

The Buddhist Position

Are humans the only species equipped with souls and desires for creativity, eternity, and  nirvana?

The answer from Buddhists is “No”.  Both human and animals possess Buddha-nature and have the potential to evolve towards higher consciousness. A soul may be reborn in the body of a human and non-human animals.

When I attended the 2006 American Neuroscience meeting in Washington D.C. with hundreds of thousands of neuroscientists from all over the world, I heard the holy Dalai Lama express his deep curiosity about the mysterious cosmic universe under the night stars that he experience when he was a child. A perfect spokesman of modern Buddhism, a special individual in human society, Dalai Lama urged neuroscientists worldwide to uncover the fundamentals of human uniqueness: the human conscious and subconscious minds, the human intelligence’s ability to recognize things, and its ability to take control of experience by learning, education and create.

The Dalai Lama dared to be so intimate with science is because Buddhists have always taken the evolutionary approach. Unlike many of the western religions facing a dilemma with Genesis and with the theological distinction between humans and animals, Buddhist philosophy is evolutionary in essence. In the Buddha’s view, everything shall be temporary, constantly changing, becoming, arising and fading. Buddhists believe that both humans and animals possess sentient minds which survive death (see Evolution is no Threat to Buddhism).

Buddhism requires humans to treat animals kindly because all beings are able to suffer and fear to injure or die. That said, Buddhists don’t treat animals as the equals of humans. The doctrine of karma says that souls are reborn as animals because of past misdeeds in the past lives. Rebirth as an animal is considered to be an unhappy rebirth, usually involving more than human suffering, and therefore a serious spiritual setback. Non-human animals can’t engage in conscious acts of self-improvement, therefore they can’t improve their karmic status, and their souls must continue to be reborn as animals until their bad karma is exhausted.  Only after cyclic rebirths, can the karmic animals be reborn as human beings and resume the quest for nirvana.

Modern Scientific and Technological Points of View: Chimeras

Ignoring the debates from past centuries, modern science and technology is trying to decode the genetic makeups for both humans and animals and attempting to simulate a shortened evolutionary progress.  It is doing so for various reasons, not only as experimentation with animals to find medical treatment for human diseases, but also to develop genetic-engineering approaches to produce food supply and to enable mass production of vaccines to address health problems associated with explosive population growth, etc.

If it has taken nature six million years to evolve from a chimpanzee to full human, it has taken only decades for modern science to blur the line between humans and animals by producing chimeras – a hybrid creature that is partially human and partially animal (they are named after a monster in Greek mythology that had a lion’s head, a goat’s body and a serpent’s tail).

Literally, humans are “playing God” with genetically modified engineering technologies and changing all species on earth.  For example, to understand how the brain works, scientist engineered mice with human brains by injecting human neurons into the brains of embryonic mice.  The then were able to observe how a human brain has been formed, and are hoping to find associations between brain architecture and human cognitive behaviors.  Furthermore, experiments are being designed to further challenge the definition and status quo of humans and animals. One example entails using genetically engineered mice to produce human sperm and eggs, then doing in-vitro fertilization to produce a child whose parents are a pair of mice (see Animal Human Hybrids Spark Controversy; by Maryann Mott. National Geographic News: January 25, 2005).

Humanized monoclonal antibody from chimeras have already benefited cancer treatment. Science, it seems, is very capable of messing with the very building blocks of life – DNA and other substrates of biological bodies from bacteria and viruses to genetically modified animals, and finally to humans themselves.

Imagine our grandchildren living in a world where “man-made life” and “human/animal hybrid monsters” run around all over the place. I wonder whether Buddhists had predicted such “unhappy rebirth” in their doctrines many thousands years ago. If a chimera body can achieve enlightenment like a naturally born human body, will we make regulations to stop him?  If we humans have to co-exist with such chimera on earth one day, should a new religion be created to accommodate the dignity for both humans, animals and chimeras?

On the other hand, it is unknown whether we will become extinct as the most creative species because of “playing God”.  After all, “God” created us perfectly on the biological, mental, social and spiritual levels.  It is still hard for many people to believe the differences between humans and animals come only from the evolutionary selection of six million years.  If we mess up with the genetic codes, even if we make them only 0.00001% incorrect, we may face irreversible destruction as human beings. Furthermore, even if we make the exact genetic sequences for the chimeras and humans, will “God” equip them with souls, and desires to create and pursue nirvana?  The debate whether we should allow scientists to create without limitations are ongoing for that reason.  I wonder what will be Holy Dalai Lama’s vote on this, given his pro-science and non-discrimination attitude towards animals.

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Yanli Mi

Heroes are the practical people who recognize current tasks (识时务者为俊杰 ) 

Chinese Proverb

The vast majority of Nobel prize winners have religious beliefs, religious identity and some are even religious professionals. Most Nobel Prize winners from the West have Christian backgrounds. As of 1996, out of 639 Nobel laureates, there were 618 believers and only 21 a-religious laureates (for a reference in Chinese, see http://www.qq.com/). The a-religious are mainly from the former Soviet Union and Eastern European socialist countries.

Among those laureates who were religious, 596 were Christian (including Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox), eight were Jewish, eight were Buddhists, four were Muslims, and two were Hindus. Among the 81 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, religious identity was even more prominent.  This data illustrates the close relationship between modern Western science and Western religion.

China, Nobel Prize Winners, and Religion

China has produced few Nobel laureates – I wonder whether this is linked to the fact that the Chinese are essentially non-religious. Just as one cannot imagine a completely non-Christian or atheist president being elected in the United States, in China it is difficult to imagine a theist would be elected president of the Republic. The Chinese ruler cannot be a Christian, Muslim or Buddhist yet.

The above suggests two realities: (1.) most Americans are Christian and (2.) most Chinese are a-religious. The traditional Chinese religions include Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism and others, which are essentially different from the world’s three major religions. In some ways, China’s religions are more like philosophy and wisdom.

Confucius

The Chinese communist government, having banned all temples, mosques and churches along with religious professionals in the 60’s and 70’s during the “Break the Four Olds” and Chinese Cultural Revolution eras, started to gradually open up to the world over the last 20 years. Policy about religious practice has relaxed more in big cities and small provinces, evidenced by the occasional sightings of churches and temples full of Chinese followers. However, there is a long way to go for complete “religious freedom” in China. Or, it may be an impossibility for Chinese people in the foreseeable future; freedom of religion can only be promoted if religious activities do not threaten Communist rule.

Nonetheless, I predict that in the next few decades, more Chinese people will join one or another religious organization. First, the various religious organizations will find that China is a religiously empty land and there is much need to import various religions. Secondly, Chinese people are desperate for some religious beliefs and they will be eager to hear any gospels. As if drawing on a blank canvas, the visual effects from the new drawing will be very obvious. China can change from undeveloped to developing country in terms of religion, as it has with science and economy.

The Rebirth of Buddhism In China

Jade Buddha Temple (Shanghai)

This year when I returned to China I was surprised to find many friends have chosen to practice Buddhism. My generation of Chinese people were neither naturally baptized believers nor destined to be completely a-religious – until we were brainwashed by atheism during middle school.  My godmother, diagnosed with a type of lung cancer, refused chemotherapy and radiotherapy with Western medicine and chose to become a full time Buddhist devotee in order to gain longevity in this life, and hopefully, peace in death.

Buddhism advocates vegetarianism, self-cultivation, daily chanting and good works, which meets the findings from the latest scientific research about longevity. Traditional Chinese religion is very practical to improve both one’s own – as well as other’s – quality of life, but not to promote individual accomplishment and glory. When Western science and religion entered China like twin brothers, it brought with it political and economic practicality. In this process, China has trained more scientists than religious practitioners because Chinese authorities came to the realization that scientific progress will be the path to lead to eventual prosperity and wealth for China.

Journey to the West

Zhengling (Chen Ning) Yang, Nobel Prize Winner

Although as many young scientists as government officials would like to build their country back to wealth, much young talent chose to come to the West to conduct their research due to the limited resources and poor experiment conditions in China ten years ago. More and more scientists are going back to China to contribute to the further modernization of China and to escape from the high unemployment in the West recently.

However, the scarcity of accomplished scientists in China these days is exemplified by the popularity and celebrity status of the Physics Nobel Prize winner, professor Yang Zhengling. Many Nobel Prize-winning scientists are from the U.S. Here, the Nobel laureates are treated as other “outstanding” scientists after the award, still tirelessly seeking the truth in the laboratory. But Yang in China not only won his 54 years younger woman’s admiration and marriage, but enjoyed a movie star’s glamorous visibility across the country, with the Communist Party and National People’s infinite tolerance and blessings. Interestingly, Yang, educated partly in the West, is also a firm believer in God, a Christian, who admitted that science alone cannot answer many questions in our world.

Catching up with the United States

Chinese Bullet Train

China has developed very rapidly. One can say that China’s development miracle largely borrowed the achievements from modern Western scientific research, especially in the areas of computers and wireless communications, as well as the fields of medicine and healthcare. China borrowed a few hundred years of Western development of scientific exploration. Many research results directly contributed to the high degree of wealth in modern Chinese society.

Of course, there are other factors, such as, the “superiority” of authoritarian governance vs. the democratic government in the West, the consumption and energy from such a large population, as well as the hard-working nature of the Chinese people. In many aspects, such as renewable energy, infrastructure, urban construction, high-speed railway and so on, the country has even caught up with the U.S.

The Chinese government is also increasingly aware of the importance of science and technology. The government is not only increasing funding for the various national research institutions, but is also making great efforts to stem the effects of brain drain, giving incentives and creating a positive environment to attract research talents at all levels. In this way, China would not only import its talented expatriates, but also master the core technologies from the Western countries, eventually developing its own core technologies.

But I must also add: Western science and Western religion are still in their infancy in China. If Buddhism or Christianity do not promote tangible longevity or physical health, the religions can get very few followers. If scientists cannot commit or promise their projects will be profitable within three to five years, they cannot get the bulk of investment money. Billionaires still make more money on traditional industries than on high-tech industries in China. Whether for the government or private investors, their investments for Western science are largely driven by utilitarian and short-term profits. However, in China, unfortunately, these types of short-term visions are already creating safety, environmental and bio-economical concerns for future Chinese citizens.

The Chinese, as a nation, need a vision for their children and grandchildren. Such shortsighted views cannot be changed unless education promotes citizen awareness both from the perspective of science and religion, which are apparently a Chinese “catch-22”: if the authorities are educated by short-term visionaries, how can they become the long-term visionaries themselves?

Avoiding Materialism

Fortunately, the Chinese government has started to increase funding for both natural sciences and social sciences. However, funding from the government alone cannot possibly support a nation’s passion for science and religion. Nonetheless, scientists from China are mostly non-believers. Without a religion as the fearless and insistent truth-seeking spirit in the bones, how many intellectuals in modern Chinese society can eventually resist the temptation of materialism? That being said, when a society’s material wealth reaches a certain level, there are always some people who will begin seeking mental and spiritual pursuits.

For thousands of years, the popular Confucianism and Taoism in China will continue to carry forward, Chinese medicine will continue to be ambiguous between efficacy and toxicity; but at the same time, the Western world’s religious culture of being good and truth-seeking will find the right soil to take root in China.

For thousands of years, the Chinese did not invent antibiotics or cardiac surgery, but their traditional eating habits are being regarded as secrets of health and longevity by Western scientists. Living thousands of years on the earth, the Chinese people passed down a very practical wisdom: avoid being the risk-taking explorers and adventurers like the western-born. No matter how developed China is, it will eventually succumb to its “everything in moderation” philosophy.

So, China will have its version of “western science” and “western religion” in the end to accommodate the practicality of Chinese soil and people there.

…………………………..

Yanli Mi was born in Sichuan, China where people love spicy food.  After studying in Beijing at the time of the Tiananmen Square protests, she worked in the medical, pharmacological, pharmaceutical and biotechnological fields.  She obtained a Ph.D. at the U. of Tennessee in 2002.  In addition to science, she enjoys spiritual exploration at an intuitive and religious level.  She currently lives in Mountain View, CA, with her two daughters, her husband, and a greyhound dog.