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.[1] Many Buddhist scholars and teachers view evolution as consistent with the principles of change and causality emphasized in Buddhist philosophy.[2] Some early Buddhist texts, such as the Aggañña Sutta, can be read as broadly compatible with evolutionary concepts.[3] Buddhists show some of the highest acceptance rates of evolution among religious groups.[2] 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."[4]

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[5]
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)