Humble before the Void

A Western Astronomer, His Journey East, and a Remarkable Encounter between Western Science and Tibetan Buddhism

By: Chris Impey

Narrated by: Kenneth Lee

A travelogue suffused with the wisdom of an ancient religious tradition, Humble Before the Void is a modern-day encounter between Western science and Buddhist philosophy. In this narrative, you'll discover the relationship between ancient Indian philosophical and spiritual tradition and modern science through the experiences of a select group of Tibetan monks. Their stories will transport you to an unusual classroom where the author, Chris Impey, uses active learning techniques and low-tech materials to teach this novice group of scholars. You will follow along as he leads this group through a series of lively discussions and witness his approach manifest into success as these students, free of western social pressures, willingly throw themselves into experiments time and again.

Fans of the Tibetan monks and science novices alike will fall in love with this tale of one professor and 25 monks who lose themselves to the spirit of curiosity and openly test their assumptions and preconceptions through their study of cosmology.

With a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

©2014 Christopher Impey (P)2014 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Chris Impey's heart-warming account of teaching modern cosmology to a group of very human Tibetan monks in northern India turns out to be a brilliant way to introduce a Western audience both to modern cosmology and Buddhist philosophy." (Owen Gingerich, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)