The Evolving Mind: Buddhism, Biology, and Consciousness, 
by Cooper, Robin 

Reviewed by Findly, E. 

Publishers Weekly
Vol.243 No.22
May 27, 1996
p.72

COPYRIGHT Reed Publishing USA 1996 

            In the West, the conversation between evolutionary biologists and 
            religionists has not always been friendly. One of the major 
            obstacles to dialogue has been the issue of the evolution of human 
            consciousness. As Buddhist teacher Robin Cooper demonstrates in his 
            book, however, Buddhist religious thought is thoroughly compatible 
            with the idea of a biological evolution of human consciousness. 
            Cooper, who is a scientist as well as a revered Buddhist teacher, 
            explores the process of evolutionary development from the lowest 
            organism to the highest form of Enlightened Being (Buddha). 
            Convinced that limiting the idea of evolution merely to a physical 
            and biological understanding is a mistake, Cooper then proceeds to 
            demonstrate that evolution, like the tenets of Buddhism, is rather a 
            continual process of self-transcendence. The author draws upon 
            sources as diverse as Darwin's Origin of Species and the Dhammapada 
            to illustrate his thesis. In an age when science and religion seem 
            to be closer than ever before, Cooper's sparkling prose will 
            encourage ongoing dialogue between the two camps. (July)