I now open the 2019 Forum on The Middle Way
with focus on the subject of "the Middle Way and Science - Value of the contemporary world" which, we hope, would contribute to enhancing understanding of the possible role of science and its current situation from the perspective of the Buddha's Dhamma, thus guiding us to seek its way forward.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Calm Voice Society in 2017, we organized the first "Forum on The Middle Way". Deliberation on the subject of "the Middle Way - the Way Forward for the Contemporary world" led us to reconfirm our belief that only the Middle Way or the Noble Eightfold Path provides solutions to all worldly problems. As a result of the 2018 forum which dealt with the subject of "the Middle Way and Religion - Revisit", we could have recognized the necessity of establishing a new Abbidhamma to reinterpret the Buddha's Dhamma to suit the contemporary world. As part of broadening our interest in the Middle Way to various subjects, this year we are going to touch upon the area of science with the subject of "the Middle Way and Science - Value of the Contemporary World" through which, we hope, we could explore, from the perspective of the Buddha's Dhamma, the possible role of science and its current situation, and help us seek its way forward.

Today the humankind is about to enter into the era of a great transformation, the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, which witnesses a convergence of real world and virtual world. Notwithstanding some benefit to future life which daily use of AI and robots and reengineering of living organs with the help of genetic editing technology are expected to bring, we must admit, concern and misgivings about their negative effects have grown ever more serious. We have made a tremendous level of scientific and technological advance. But ironically enough, we are faced with plethora of imminent challenges such as climate change, environmental contamination, particulate containment, depletion of natural resources, loss of bio-diversity and extinction of species, etc. Considering such dire situation, we have reached a point where we could no longer choose to ignore those problems which are directly threatening existence of the humankind. We can not deny the fact that governments and big companies leverage their massive financial resources in leading scientific activities towards certain orientation. And science describes the world in a statistical form based on rational experience. Such an approach, through numerical coding of individuals, relegates humans to replaceable units. In a sense, we, as individuals and societies, are rushing into the future on the back of science and technology without knowing where we are heading.

In fact, scientists, in pursuing a fundamental objective of science - investigation - are also responsible for establishing right value of life, and for addressing situations threatening existence of the mankind on the basis of right judgement. In this regard, we have recently witnessed movements among scientists, who have become concerned with ever-increasing level of consumption to satisfy desire of today, to seek to readjust systems to become sustainable in order to avoid depletion of natural resources and ability that should be reserved for the benefit of future generations. In order to resolve pending serious issues for the mankind, the time has come for scientists as well as all members of the planet earth do need to contemplate deeply on their inner world as well as outer world.

Against this backdrop, I feel it proper to pose the following questions: In the era of culture and science of the 21th century, is science headed for the right direction? What it is the path for enhancement which enables people to realize human's true nature? Is it impossible for the mankind to have new and big eyes?

Finally, what the Buddha would say to us in the face of lots of tumultuous problems these days?

I hope that the 2019 Forum on The Middle Way organized by the Calm Voice Society would provide opportunities to highlight problems at issue and to seek and practice the right value of science on the basis of the Middle Way which is the core teachings of the Buddha.