internal causes. Since the primary concern of Buddhism is to eliminate the fundamental cause of suffering, then it stands to reason that we should look at the relationship between these internal causes and suffering. In Buddhism such an inquiry reveals that there is a bond between causality and ethics. That is, there is a relationship between ethical behavior and inner mental clarity. Our behavior is in many ways self-perpetuating, meaning essentially that we are creatures that tend to behave consistently. It is therefore imperative that we turn our focus inwardly. So long as we remain unaware of the causes that motivate our actions and the overall impact of our decisions we will continue to suffer. It is this ethical tie with causation that really separates Buddhism from science. If we look ever more closely at causal relationships from the Buddhist perspective, not only do we eventually see clearly the true nature of things, but we eliminate suffering as a result. However, this is not true for science. Relatively new discoveries in physics have revealed that when we measure too closely in science causality actually begins to fall apart, and we are left without a coherent foundation for reality. Furthermore, since science is not concerned with questions of ought, or how we should behave, it provides us with no foundation for making choices. In asking "is" questions regarding life, science provides us with little support for actual "living." It is not my intention to leave the impression that science is completely without value. Indeed, even from the Buddhist perspective science may have much to offer. In fact, much of what we discover through science is used to develop technologies that eliminate the material causes of suffering. Obviously this is not to be viewed negatively since Buddhism also seeks to eliminate suffering. And, although Buddhism is concerned more with mental or spiritual suffering, it does recognize ...
