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The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism (25th Anniversary Edition) [Paperback]
After a quarter of a century in print, Capra's groundbreaking work still challenges and inspires. This updated edition of The Tao of Physics includes a new preface and afterword in which the author reviews the developments of the twenty-five years since the book's first publication, discusses criticisms the book has received, and examines future possibilities for a new scientific world.
- GenresScience
Paperback
Published January 1, 2000
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August 30, 2025Thought provoking
March 10, 2026
A ‘CLASSIC’ OF THE 1970s, ATTEMPTING TO RECONCILE THE WEST AND THE EAST
Fritjof Capra (b. 1939) is an Austrian-born physicist, deep ecologist, and author. He was a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy, and was a faculty member of Schumacher College (which was inspired by economist E.F. Schumacher) until it closed in 2024.
He recounts in the Preface of this 1975 book, “Five years ago, I had a beautiful experience which set me on a road that has led to the writing of this book. I was sitting by the ocean… when I suddenly became aware of my whole environment as being engaged in a gigantic cosmic dance. Being a physicist, I knew that the sand, rocks, water and air around me were made of vibrating molecules and atoms… I also knew that the Earth’s atmosphere was continually bombarded by showers of ... particles of high energy undergoing multiple collisions as they penetrated the air… but until that moment I had only experienced it through graphs, diagrams and mathematical theories. As I sat on that beach … I ‘saw’ the atoms of the elements and those of my body participating in this cosmic dance of energy; I felt its rhythm and I ‘heard’ its sound, and I … KNEW that this was the dance of Shiva, the Lord of Dancers worshipped by the Hindus.
“I had gone through a long training in theoretical physics… At the same time I had become very interested in Eastern mysticism and had begun to see the parallels to modern physics… At first, however, relating the two was a purely intellectual exercise. To overcome the gap between purely rational, analytical thinking and the meditative experience of mystical truth was, and still is, very difficult for me. In the beginning, I was helped on my way by ‘power plants’ which showed me how the mind can flow freely; how spiritual insights come on their own… emerging from the depth of consciousness. I remember the first such experience… it was so overwhelming that I burst into tears, at the same time, not unlike [Carlos] Castaneda, pouring out my impressions on to a piece of paper… [It] helped me gradually to realize that a consistent view of the world was beginning to emerge from modern physics which is harmonious with ancient Eastern wisdom…
“This book is intended for the general reader with an interest in Eastern mysticism who need not necessarily know anything about physics… I also hope to find among my readers many physicists with an interest in the philosophical aspects of physics, who have not yet come in contact with the religious philosophies of the East. They will find that Eastern mysticism … can accommodate our most advanced theories of the physical world…
“Throughout the book [the reader’s] understanding of physics should progress steadily, but a comparable progression in the understanding of Eastern mysticism may not occur. This seems unavoidable, as mysticism is…. An experience that cannot be learned from books…”
He observes, “The problem of language encountered by the Eastern mystic is exactly the same as the problem the modern physicist faces… Both the physicist and the mystic want to communicate their knowledge, and when they do so with words their statements are paradoxical and full of logical contradictions. These paradoxes are characteristic of all mysticism, from Heraclitus to Don Juan, and since the beginning of this century they are also characteristic of physics. In atomic physics, many of the paradoxical situations are connected with the dual [wave/particle] nature of light… Eastern mysticism has developed different ways of dealing with the paradoxical aspects of reality. Whereas they are bypassed in Hinduism through the use of mythical language, Buddhism and Taoism tend to emphasize the paradoxes rather than conceal them.” (Pg. 46-48)
He explains, “The concepts of space and time are so basic for the description of natural phenomena that their modification entails a modification of the whole framework… The most important consequence of this modification is the realization that mass is nothing but a form of energy.” (Pg. 63) “all of chemistry can now in principle be understood on the basis of the laws of atomic physics.” (Pg. 64) “The concepts of quantum theory were not easy to accept even after their mathematical formulation had been completed… [Ernest] Rutherford’s experiments had shown that atoms, instead of being hard and indestructible, consisted of vast regions of space in which extremely small particles moved, and… even these particles were nothing like the solid objects of classical physics. The subatomic units of matter … have a dual aspect… they appear sometimes as particles, sometimes as waves. This property of matter and light is very strange. It seems impossible to accept that something can be, at the same time, a particle---i.e., an entity confined to a very small volume---and a wave, which is spread out over a large region of space. This contradiction gave rise to most of the koan-like paradoxes which finally led to the formulation of quantum theory.” (Pg. 67)
He continues, “At the subatomic level, matter does not exist with certainty at definite places, but rather shows ‘tendencies to exist,’ and atomic events… show ‘tendencies to occur.’ In … quantum theory, these tendencies are expressed as probabilities and are associated with mathematical quantities which take the form of waves… All the laws of atomic physics are expressed in terms of these probabilities. We can never predict an atomic event with certainty; we can only say how likely it is to happen. Quantum theory has thus demolished the classical concepts of solid objects and of strictly deterministic laws of nature… the solid material objects of classical physics dissolve into wave-like patterns of probabilities… of interconnections.” (Pg. 68)
He goes on, “Two further developments in modern physics have shown… that the notion of elementary particles as the primary units of matter has to be abandoned…. Today we know over two hundred ‘elementary’ particles.” (Pg. 75) Later, he summarizes, “Thus the distinction between the constituent particles and the particles making up the binding forces becomes blurred and the approximation of an object consisting of constituent parts breaks down. The particle world cannot be decomposed into elementary components.” (Pg. 81)
He explains, “the so-called Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory… was developed by [Niels] Bohr and [Werner] Heisenberg in the late 1920s… The observed systems are described in quantum theory in terms of probabilities. This means that we can never predict with certainty where a subatomic particle will be at a certain time, or how an atomic process will occur. All we can do is predict the odds… Subatomic particles do not exist with certainty at definite places, but rather show ‘tendencies to exist,’ and atomic events do not occur with certainty at definite times and in definite ways, but rather show tendencies to occur.’” (Pg. 133) Later, he adds, “Quantum theory thus reveals an essential interconnectedness of the universe. It shows that we cannot decompose the world into independently existing smallest units. As we penetrate into matter. We find that … [its] particles… are merely idealizations which are useful ... but have no fundamental significance.’ (Pg. 137)
He notes, “The relativity of time also forces us to abandon the Newtonian concept of an absolute space… now that simultaneity is seen to be a relative concept, depending on the state of motion of the observer, it is no longer possible to define such a definite instant for the whole universe… It is therefore not possible to speak about the universe at a given instant in an absolute way; there is no absolute space independent of the observer.” (Pg. 166)
He observes, “In physics, we recognize the dynamic nature of the universe not only when we go to small dimensions---to the world of atoms and nuclei---but also when we turn to large dimensions---to the world of stars and galaxies… we observe a universe in ceaseless motion.” (Pg. 194) He adds, “When we talk of an expanding universe in the framework of general relativity, we mean expansion in a higher dimension… The universe expands in the same way: whichever galaxy an observer happens to be in, the other galaxies will all move away from him.” (Pg. 197)
He states, “With the concept of the quantum field, modern physics has found an unexpected answer to the old question of whether matters consists of indivisible atoms or of an underlying continuum. The field is a continuum which is present everywhere in space and yet in its particle aspect has a discontinuous, granular structure… the two aspects of matter transform themselves endlessly into one another. Eastern mysticism emphasizes a similar dynamic unity between the Void and the forms which it creates.” (Pg. 215) Later, he adds, “the interactions between particles, and thus the ‘forces’ between them, are determined by the composition or their virtual clouds… Such a view of forces is also characteristic of Eastern mysticism which regards motion and change as essential and intrinsic properties of all things.” (Pg. 221)
He suggests, “For the modern physicists… Shiva’s dance is the dance of subatomic matter. As in Hindu mythology, it is a continual dance of creation and destruction involving the whole cosmos… The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art, and modern physics.” (Pg. 245)
He reports, “There is… a radically different school of thought in particle physics which starts from the idea that nature cannot be reduced to fundamental entities, such as elementary particles…. It has to be understood entirely through its self-consistency, with its components being consistent both with one another and with themselves. This idea … is known as the ‘bootstrap’ hypothesis… The bootstrap philosophy constitutes the final rejection of the mechanistic world view in modern physics… this view of nature is now in harmony with Eastern thought, both in its general philosophy and in its specific picture of matter.” (Pg. 285-286)
This is perhaps the best of the ‘new science’ books to emerge from the New Age movement.
Fritjof Capra (b. 1939) is an Austrian-born physicist, deep ecologist, and author. He was a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy, and was a faculty member of Schumacher College (which was inspired by economist E.F. Schumacher) until it closed in 2024.
He recounts in the Preface of this 1975 book, “Five years ago, I had a beautiful experience which set me on a road that has led to the writing of this book. I was sitting by the ocean… when I suddenly became aware of my whole environment as being engaged in a gigantic cosmic dance. Being a physicist, I knew that the sand, rocks, water and air around me were made of vibrating molecules and atoms… I also knew that the Earth’s atmosphere was continually bombarded by showers of ... particles of high energy undergoing multiple collisions as they penetrated the air… but until that moment I had only experienced it through graphs, diagrams and mathematical theories. As I sat on that beach … I ‘saw’ the atoms of the elements and those of my body participating in this cosmic dance of energy; I felt its rhythm and I ‘heard’ its sound, and I … KNEW that this was the dance of Shiva, the Lord of Dancers worshipped by the Hindus.
“I had gone through a long training in theoretical physics… At the same time I had become very interested in Eastern mysticism and had begun to see the parallels to modern physics… At first, however, relating the two was a purely intellectual exercise. To overcome the gap between purely rational, analytical thinking and the meditative experience of mystical truth was, and still is, very difficult for me. In the beginning, I was helped on my way by ‘power plants’ which showed me how the mind can flow freely; how spiritual insights come on their own… emerging from the depth of consciousness. I remember the first such experience… it was so overwhelming that I burst into tears, at the same time, not unlike [Carlos] Castaneda, pouring out my impressions on to a piece of paper… [It] helped me gradually to realize that a consistent view of the world was beginning to emerge from modern physics which is harmonious with ancient Eastern wisdom…
“This book is intended for the general reader with an interest in Eastern mysticism who need not necessarily know anything about physics… I also hope to find among my readers many physicists with an interest in the philosophical aspects of physics, who have not yet come in contact with the religious philosophies of the East. They will find that Eastern mysticism … can accommodate our most advanced theories of the physical world…
“Throughout the book [the reader’s] understanding of physics should progress steadily, but a comparable progression in the understanding of Eastern mysticism may not occur. This seems unavoidable, as mysticism is…. An experience that cannot be learned from books…”
He observes, “The problem of language encountered by the Eastern mystic is exactly the same as the problem the modern physicist faces… Both the physicist and the mystic want to communicate their knowledge, and when they do so with words their statements are paradoxical and full of logical contradictions. These paradoxes are characteristic of all mysticism, from Heraclitus to Don Juan, and since the beginning of this century they are also characteristic of physics. In atomic physics, many of the paradoxical situations are connected with the dual [wave/particle] nature of light… Eastern mysticism has developed different ways of dealing with the paradoxical aspects of reality. Whereas they are bypassed in Hinduism through the use of mythical language, Buddhism and Taoism tend to emphasize the paradoxes rather than conceal them.” (Pg. 46-48)
He explains, “The concepts of space and time are so basic for the description of natural phenomena that their modification entails a modification of the whole framework… The most important consequence of this modification is the realization that mass is nothing but a form of energy.” (Pg. 63) “all of chemistry can now in principle be understood on the basis of the laws of atomic physics.” (Pg. 64) “The concepts of quantum theory were not easy to accept even after their mathematical formulation had been completed… [Ernest] Rutherford’s experiments had shown that atoms, instead of being hard and indestructible, consisted of vast regions of space in which extremely small particles moved, and… even these particles were nothing like the solid objects of classical physics. The subatomic units of matter … have a dual aspect… they appear sometimes as particles, sometimes as waves. This property of matter and light is very strange. It seems impossible to accept that something can be, at the same time, a particle---i.e., an entity confined to a very small volume---and a wave, which is spread out over a large region of space. This contradiction gave rise to most of the koan-like paradoxes which finally led to the formulation of quantum theory.” (Pg. 67)
He continues, “At the subatomic level, matter does not exist with certainty at definite places, but rather shows ‘tendencies to exist,’ and atomic events… show ‘tendencies to occur.’ In … quantum theory, these tendencies are expressed as probabilities and are associated with mathematical quantities which take the form of waves… All the laws of atomic physics are expressed in terms of these probabilities. We can never predict an atomic event with certainty; we can only say how likely it is to happen. Quantum theory has thus demolished the classical concepts of solid objects and of strictly deterministic laws of nature… the solid material objects of classical physics dissolve into wave-like patterns of probabilities… of interconnections.” (Pg. 68)
He goes on, “Two further developments in modern physics have shown… that the notion of elementary particles as the primary units of matter has to be abandoned…. Today we know over two hundred ‘elementary’ particles.” (Pg. 75) Later, he summarizes, “Thus the distinction between the constituent particles and the particles making up the binding forces becomes blurred and the approximation of an object consisting of constituent parts breaks down. The particle world cannot be decomposed into elementary components.” (Pg. 81)
He explains, “the so-called Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory… was developed by [Niels] Bohr and [Werner] Heisenberg in the late 1920s… The observed systems are described in quantum theory in terms of probabilities. This means that we can never predict with certainty where a subatomic particle will be at a certain time, or how an atomic process will occur. All we can do is predict the odds… Subatomic particles do not exist with certainty at definite places, but rather show ‘tendencies to exist,’ and atomic events do not occur with certainty at definite times and in definite ways, but rather show tendencies to occur.’” (Pg. 133) Later, he adds, “Quantum theory thus reveals an essential interconnectedness of the universe. It shows that we cannot decompose the world into independently existing smallest units. As we penetrate into matter. We find that … [its] particles… are merely idealizations which are useful ... but have no fundamental significance.’ (Pg. 137)
He notes, “The relativity of time also forces us to abandon the Newtonian concept of an absolute space… now that simultaneity is seen to be a relative concept, depending on the state of motion of the observer, it is no longer possible to define such a definite instant for the whole universe… It is therefore not possible to speak about the universe at a given instant in an absolute way; there is no absolute space independent of the observer.” (Pg. 166)
He observes, “In physics, we recognize the dynamic nature of the universe not only when we go to small dimensions---to the world of atoms and nuclei---but also when we turn to large dimensions---to the world of stars and galaxies… we observe a universe in ceaseless motion.” (Pg. 194) He adds, “When we talk of an expanding universe in the framework of general relativity, we mean expansion in a higher dimension… The universe expands in the same way: whichever galaxy an observer happens to be in, the other galaxies will all move away from him.” (Pg. 197)
He states, “With the concept of the quantum field, modern physics has found an unexpected answer to the old question of whether matters consists of indivisible atoms or of an underlying continuum. The field is a continuum which is present everywhere in space and yet in its particle aspect has a discontinuous, granular structure… the two aspects of matter transform themselves endlessly into one another. Eastern mysticism emphasizes a similar dynamic unity between the Void and the forms which it creates.” (Pg. 215) Later, he adds, “the interactions between particles, and thus the ‘forces’ between them, are determined by the composition or their virtual clouds… Such a view of forces is also characteristic of Eastern mysticism which regards motion and change as essential and intrinsic properties of all things.” (Pg. 221)
He suggests, “For the modern physicists… Shiva’s dance is the dance of subatomic matter. As in Hindu mythology, it is a continual dance of creation and destruction involving the whole cosmos… The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art, and modern physics.” (Pg. 245)
He reports, “There is… a radically different school of thought in particle physics which starts from the idea that nature cannot be reduced to fundamental entities, such as elementary particles…. It has to be understood entirely through its self-consistency, with its components being consistent both with one another and with themselves. This idea … is known as the ‘bootstrap’ hypothesis… The bootstrap philosophy constitutes the final rejection of the mechanistic world view in modern physics… this view of nature is now in harmony with Eastern thought, both in its general philosophy and in its specific picture of matter.” (Pg. 285-286)
This is perhaps the best of the ‘new science’ books to emerge from the New Age movement.
July 23, 2025
I found the structure, fluidity, and consistency of this book to be exceptional. It is extraordinarily refreshing to stumble on an author who so deeply understands and can articulate the synergy of the two “distinct” trains of thought that I have longtime made sense of the world through. This book had me continuously mind-blown, and I feel like I am all the better for it. Sorry if i can’t do this book justice with the words bound within our language, though perhaps that means the book accomplished its mission.
February 3, 2024
Very interesting read. Highly recommend. You don't necessarily need to have a scientific or philosophical background to understand. Admittedly, both would help.
September 10, 2025
Fun read.
Really liked the classical versus quantum approaches.
Really liked the classical versus quantum approaches.
October 12, 2023
Parallels are not equivalents.
There are many solid books on connections and continuity in history, religion, and physics. However, Jacob Bronowski, "The Ascent of Man", would turn me over in my grave if he found out that I was reading such books as this. There are too many quasi-science quasi-religion books that want to take some principle and reinterpret it to be a new age truth or prove some old blind philosophers beat us to it for example (The Seat of the Soul.)
Dr. Capra is drawing parallels in two fields and not trying to say, "See I told you so". He takes the time and pages to describe the science and does a rather decent job of distilling complex religions down to single chapters. I leave it up to Dr. Capra and you to determine if there is any parallel. A parallel does not mean equivalents. If you are a Gary Zukav sort of person this book will not help you at all.
There are many solid books on connections and continuity in history, religion, and physics. However, Jacob Bronowski, "The Ascent of Man", would turn me over in my grave if he found out that I was reading such books as this. There are too many quasi-science quasi-religion books that want to take some principle and reinterpret it to be a new age truth or prove some old blind philosophers beat us to it for example (The Seat of the Soul.)
Dr. Capra is drawing parallels in two fields and not trying to say, "See I told you so". He takes the time and pages to describe the science and does a rather decent job of distilling complex religions down to single chapters. I leave it up to Dr. Capra and you to determine if there is any parallel. A parallel does not mean equivalents. If you are a Gary Zukav sort of person this book will not help you at all.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews