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Last broadcast on Thu, 16 Jul 2009, 05:43 on BBC Radio 4.
Good morning
Today marks the anniversary of two extraordinary technical achievements. In 1945, the first atom bomb was tested. In 1969, Apollo II took off on its daring mission to place the first man on the moon.
Albert Einstein once remarked: “I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.” Just as Einstein’s curiosity led to some of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time, so the curiosity of the people involved in developing atom bombs and space rockets led them to achieve things that had previously seemed impossible.
Curiosity and exploration is an essential part of being human, especially in our early years. If it gets out of hand, for example when the toddler starts to experiment with a box of matches, or the teenager with drink and drugs, we trust that an adult will intervene and try to save them from harm. Once we become adults, the question of whether to place limits on our curiosity becomes much more muddled and complex. Think of animal testing, stem cell research, or indeed nuclear energy – all some of the hottest topics of our time.
Prayer
The Buddhist approach is to emphasise the importance of both inner and outer exploration, working hand and hand. Buddhism is based on the premise that every human being, deep within themselves, possesses limitless compassion and wisdom. The problem is that we rarely find the encouragement and support – or the time – to develop these qualities in a way that will guide our decisions and suffuse our daily life.
Let us pray that we can each develop the necessary compassion and wisdom to put our curiosity and daring to best use, solving rather than creating problems for our children and grandchildren. May scientists and leaders throughout the world be inspired to devote energy to both inner and outer exploration.
Broadcast
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Thu 16 Jul 200905:43
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