Spirituality and the
Scientific Temper
by R. K. Sapru
The
word 'science' is defined as the systematic study of all those things that we
observe in our daily life. By the term 'Scientific temper' we mean the attitude
of the scientist emphasizing that nothing in the world should be taken for
granted or accepted on the basis of blind faith without its being subjected to
the test of reason. The scientific temper thus stresses investigation, seeks
proof without any bias or prejudice. Tlle man with such a temper studies a
subject with openness of mind and impartiality, because he wants to know and
observe a thing as it is and not as he wishes it to be. With this impersonal
approach toward a problem, the observation that an explorer makes and the
conclusions he arrives at are verifiable by any one at any tme and at any place.
This is so because a law, principle or phenomenon in nature is universal and not
confined to any individual or place. Science has touched every department of
human life. It has trasformed our life significantly in many ways. Science is
there with its endless gifts, having affected every field of life. Nobody can,
therefore, stop the scientific temper from influencing our study of the inner
invisible world of mind and spirit.
In view of its emphasis on
enquiry and proof, science has questioned the irrational beliefs and practices
of every religion in the world. If we do not apply the spirit of rationality to
all the religions of the world, then religious zealots and fanatics will
dominate our society everywhere. Such people, lacking the scientific temper and
not having a vision of the oneness of humanity, will only hamper human
development and progress; the followers of one dogmatic religion will not
tolerate those of the other dogmatic religion. Narrow dogmatism will lead to
forced conversions and to the persecution of innocent people in the name of
religion. What an irony that religious enthusiasts though preaching brotherhood
and oneness of mankind, promote discord and disunity among men, thus leaving
world to ruin!
Thus thundered Swami
Vivekananda: "It is better to be an atheist than a superstitious fool. Let
us not, therefore, divide humanity into different sects, groups, faiths or
nations, thus creating blocks among men that lead to dissention, discord and
strife. Instead, let us discard all religious labels and orthodox terminology
marked by rigidity and an inflexible attitude. Let us restore the status of
science to spirituality (that it enjoyed in India in the true sense during the
Vedic times) that relates to the study of the invisible realm, including the
mind, intellect and spirit."
By tempering spirituality
with science, we will succeed in crosiing the boundaries of religion, caste,
creed and colour. This will encourage men and women to study the science of
self-realisation, what true spirituality actually consists in. Let the schools,
colleges and Universities recognize spirituality (as distinguished from blind
faith) as a science. For achieving positive and practical results in the field
of spirituality, due emphasis has got to be laid on moral uprightness and
discipline. Our educational institutions should pay proper attention to moral
and spiritual education, treating it as an integral part of the curriculum. Let
our Universities award fellowships in the science of self-realisation to the
deserving aspirants. Let the Nobel prize be awarded to outstanding researchers
and explorers in the field of spirituality.
The question arises how
far spirituality, which deals with the invisible, can be regarded a science. If
the answer is "Yes" it needs to be specified where the laboratory is
in which this science can be studied and what instruments/ implements to be used
for its study exactly are. The answer is that the inner self of man is the
laboratory in which the research is to be carried out. The required experiments
are to be conducted well within the human body itself, using the mind, vital
force (Prana), and emotions as the instruments. Total devotion and concentration
of mind are, in fact, as prerequisite for exploring the world of spirit as is
equally true of exploring the objective sensory world. Just as we study the
anatomy of an atom or a computer in physics or the anatomy of a frog in zoology,
we can likewise study the spiritual anatomy of man. The spiritual science
involving the practices as systematically devised by Maharishi Patanajali is no
less result - oriented than modern science. The yogic techniques prescribed by
Patanjali, when followed by the aspirant under directions of an accomplished
Guru, yield definite results in terms of the attainment of Self-realization.
Thus, says Swami
Vivekananda, "Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this
divinity by controlling nature, internal and external. Do it either by work, or
by worship or by physllic control or knowledge or all of these and be
tree". This is the whole gist of religion. The dogmas, rituals and customs
are but secondary details. Now it should be clear that genuine spirituality does
not consist in material poverty nor mortification of body or beggary but total
mastery of spirit over mind and matter. A genuine spiritual person develops
complete mastery over nature. One such spiritual master was Bhagwaan Gopinathji
of Kashmir. He 'fought' the war lords in the years 1947, 1962 and 1965 (when
India got involved in conflicts with Pakistan in 1947 & 1965 and with China
in 1962), using his spiritual powers to defeat the enemies of peace, brotherhood
and co-existence. The miracles that he performed are beyond the ken of the
present day science, nevertheless not inexplicable in terms of the science of
spirituality.
Spirituality can be
regarded a science in its own right provided we explain it in precise terms
without resorting to over symbolism, personification and mystification. The
spiritual scientist - the true saint or seer or sage - has a plausible
explanation for any happening in the world but the physical scientist's analyses
and study cannot be stretched beyond a certain point, being sense-bound. Modern
scientists have succeeded in analyzing matter to find its ultimate constituent,
the electron which behaves sometimes as a particle and sometimes as a wave.
Science is trying to
reduce all known energies like electricity, magnetism, light and heat to its
formal single source as is attempted in the unilied field theory but it has yet
to discover the fact that mind is the prime source of matter. It has to learn
the fact that matter cannot exist without mind. Science defines matter as
something which occupies 'space' and has 'weight' terms signifying mental
concepts or attributes. The sage knows the truth that earth was formed as a
result of solidification of liquids, while liquids are derived from fiery gases
and from aakash or space. Space is derived from mind and subtler than mind is
the intellect. The mind and the intellect finally merge into the void called
sunya which is ''nothingness full of everything". The spiritual seeker,
after reaching the "Sunya" sate explores further by asking "What
is the element in man which recognizes the void as such and witnesses it. The
space-less, timeless and mind transcending self (as we call it) both pervades
and witnesses our waking, dreaming and dream- less states, this "pure
consciousness" is the divine deputy in a 'coalition'. To know this as our
immortal self is not to see it but to be it, this divine deputy - sometimes
called Supra- Atman since it unites and binds different individual minds is
linked to another bigger sun of "pure consciousness" which the western
philosophers have called a "hing-in-itself" or the Absolute
corresponding to the para- Brahman of the vedantists, Mahavishnu of the
Vaishnavites or Parma Shiva of the Shaivites.
To sum up, let us look
forward to the day when physical scientists will succeed in crossing the
boundary of matter and mind and have a perfect wedlock with the self-realized
seers and sages. Let intellectual prowess be matched by moral uprightness and
strength. This wedlock will completely change the material scientist's
conception of the universe and its source. The day may not be far off when the
scientist can explain as to how a sage or saint can materialize an object by the
sheer power of his will. That will be a reaffirmation of the truth that this
universe is a mental ideation and imagination of the Universal mind.
"Let peace come for
permanent stay on earth".
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