Key
points of Lecture on
Science
and Spirituality
(Given
on vairous occasions to different audiences)
1.
Standard
Questions: Is there a God? What is God?
What is the origin of life? Of mankind? Of the universe? What is man's place in
the universe? Is the universe finite or infinite? Why is it so? Did God create
it so? Was there a creation? From what? When? What was there before? Who
created Him? Why did He create ? What was the
objective?
Why is
there human suffering? Is there not a contradiction between scientific truths
and spiritualistic assertions?
2.
We cannot depend on
Reason alone; because we may be only rationalizing our own wishes. We cannot be
depending on
Scriptures alone; because we may tend to become dogmatic. We
cannot be depending on
Experience alone; because we may be visualizing our own dreams. All three are
necessary.
3.
The Perceived is
'pratyaksha'. The inferred is 'paroksha' The intuited is 'aparoksha'. The first
two constitute Science. The third is to be pursued for spiritual enlightenment.
4.
Spiritual intuition is
not born out of fear, not a flash of impulsiveness, nor
a stroke of fantasy, nor a burst of emotion, nor a breakthrough of the
intellect. It is something like a sudden
perception of color by the color-blind. You know when you have got it. And you
know it only then.
5.
Spiritual perceptions
described by the scriptures sound impossible. But marvels of fundamental matter
described by science are equally mysterious. Superstring theory. World of Ten
dimensions. Science and Spiritual Reality require different instruments of
knowledge. Basic positive attitude to the unknown dimension of Reality is
sraddhA. That which is beyond reason is not necessarily unreasonable.
6.
The complexity of the
Quantum Mechanical world is stranger than fiction.
7.
Transcendence and
Immanence of the Absolute Spiritual Reality. God is the only thing everywhere.
Ocean and Wave. nAma and rUpa. One cause. Everything
else is effect. Consciousness fundamental. Matter is derivative. It is the
other way in Science.
8.
Science promises to
explain only a part of the universe and of human experience. What do we know of
God? Has Science talked about God? What rationale makes us believe that God has
to be rational in His behaviour? Are we not delimiting the very nature of the
Almighty? Who are we to set rules to His behaviour?
9.
The knower gets the
knowledge of the knowlable object with the help of the instrument of knowledge.
The seer gets the sight of the visual object with the help of the eye, the
instrument of vision. Here, the ear is of no help. And vice versa. No
comparison. Gavaskar and M.S. The instrument of knowledge that you need depends
on the nature of the knowlable object.
The instrument of knowledge that you need for knowing the Absolute
Reality is none of the senses nor the mind.
10.
What is the proof of
spirituality? We have to accept on faith what is incapable of proof except
through personal experience? True faith is the appropriation of reasoned
experience of people whom we believe to have lived a life purified by prayer
and penance.
11.
Spiritual scientists.
Two-hole experiment of Wave-particle duality.
How can I believe it? Village Astrologer. Ramakrishna the Scientist.
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