In this paper we are making an attempt to shed light
on how non dual spirituality and science is of value to us.
The German physicist Helmholtz used to say: ‘There
is nothing more practical than a good theory.’
We should cherish ideas and concepts not only
because they are true, but also because they can be applied to practical life.
Science reigns in the world not simply because its
concepts can be tested and proved, but because they can be applied in practical
life to create technology which has brought immense benefits to humanity.
Many schools of Western philosophy now remain as
intellectual mummies in libraries because they had no practical utility, and
have no relevance in the present day world.
Non Dualist Vedanta has remained the living
philosophy for more than three thousand years because it has helped countless
people to solve the problems of life by solving the ultimate mystery of life
and death.
Philosophical concepts must help people to fulfill
their needs and solve the problems of life.
Problems
of modern society are of three main types:
Economic
Psycho- social and
Existential
Economic
problems are problems about providing necessities such as
food, clothing, housing, health care, etc. and also the modern comforts and
luxuries.
Psycho-social
problems include mental problems of individuals living in
the stressful conditions of modern life, and social problems such as violence,
crime, immorality, drug addiction, etc.
Existential
problems have no external cause; they arise from man’s
encountering of his own existence as a human being. Existential problems
include meaningless of life, loneliness, ennui (a feeling of utter weariness
and discontent resulting from a lack of interest), state of anxiety, sense of
guilt, problems of love etc.
These
problems can be solved by acquiring appropriate knowledge.
There
are four main realms of knowledge, which are inherent in
four levels of existence or being namely:
Matter
Life
Mind and
Consciousness
Consciousness has two aspects, the immanent and the
transcendent.
It is immanent
consciousness that manifests itself in as inherent knowledge in Matter,
Life and Mind. By discovering these forms of inherent knowledge through
science, and by converting them into appropriate technologies, Western
countries (and some Eastern countries like Japan) have been able to at least
partially solve their economic problems. They are also addressing psycho-social
problems.
Existential
problems
When looking at existential problems such as
meaninglessness, loneliness etc. we realize that they defy solutions by science
and technology. In recent decades these problems have assumed serious proportions
not only in the West, but also in other countries like Japan which have come
under the influence of Western culture and values. Existential problems defy
solutions because their roots lie deep in the human soul.
These problems are caused by the alienation of the
ego from the source, the real Self. Modern man lives like a stranger in his own
home. Carl Jung wrote about this in his ‘Modern man is in search of his soul’.
It is the Self that is the real source of happiness,
knowledge, beauty; power etc. but out of ignorance, we seek these qualities in
the external world. It is the alienation of the ego from this source that is
the main cause of loneliness, meaninglessness, insecurity and other existential
problems which haunt modern society.
Importance
of Transcendental Knowledge
The Self represents the transcendental aspect of
consciousness. It is this true Self of man which is inseparable from the
Supreme Self, God. It is Self-Realization that corresponds to God Realization.
Direct
realization of transcendental consciousness confers several benefits like:
a a) It
restores to man his true Self identity. This eliminates the self-alienation,
mentioned under existential problems.
b) There
is a basic spiritual urge in all human beings to transcend limitations, to go
beyond sorrow and to attain everlasting joy, peace and fulfillment. All this
can be attained through Self-realization.
c
c) Love
is a direct self to self contact, an ‘I-Thou’ relationship. Martin Buber
stated: ‘Love is the sense of unity at a deeper level of personality.
d) Above
all, knowledge of transcendental consciousness enables us to face the mystery
of death. The survival of consciousness after death is the greatest challenge
to science and the greatest support to religion.
Importance
of Immanent Knowledge
Two aspects of consciousness, immanent and
transcendent, both have important roles to play in human life. Immanent knowledge inherent in matter,
life and mind is necessary to attain physical health, material well being and
mental accomplishments, transcendental
knowledge is necessary to make life meaningful, to attain the highest
fulfillment and to serve humanity with unselfish love.
Integral
Knowledge
How important is it for us to expand our viewpoint
from one of fragmentation to one of integration and wholeness?
Secular knowledge, world prosperity, striving for
spiritual knowledge, ultimate freedom and fulfillment were considered as being
incompatible paths. The biblical admonition regarding serving God and mammon comes
to mind.
World negation and world affirmation were also
regarded as contradictory ways of viewing the world. ‘Be in this world, but not
of it’.
Integrating these two views in yoga were
contributions of Swami Vivekananda to human culture and progress. He stated
that consciousness as Chit is one and undivided and it is transcendent
consciousness that has become immanent consciousness. In order to realize
Brahman or God as transcendent consciousness, it is necessary to first renounce
the world as not this, not this or neti, neti ... but after realizing
transcendent consciousness, one comes back to the world and sees that God
itself has become the whole universe.
A person who has knowledge of only transcendental
consciousness (and rejects the world of maya) is called a Jnani, the person who
has integral knowledge of both the transcendental and immanent aspect of
consciousness is called a Vijnana (one who by realizing God through an
intuitive experience and speaks to Him intimately; "He alone who, after
reaching the Absolute, can dwell in Līlā, God’s play, or relative existence,
and again climb from the Līlā to the Absolute”.
From a practical perspective it is life as one
continuum in which the distinction between the sacred and the secular has no
place. Life is a total quest for ultimate Truth; science and religion are only
two phases of this quest. Science deals with the empirical world whereas
religion occupies itself with the spiritual and ultimately with the transcendental.
Regarding matter, life and mind which constitute the
empirical world, the conclusion of science should be accepted. Similarly
regarding the spiritual and transcendental world, the conclusion of seers and
sages must be acknowledged.
Yoga states that art, science and religion are but
three different ways of expressing a single truth.
“Science without religion is lame and religion
without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein
Swami Vivekananda on integral consciousness pointed
to a new direction which he called spiritual
humanism, in which human beings are looked upon as potentially divine. He
stated, as long as man identifies himself with his body, prana and mind, he
remains a human being. He has however in him the capacity to transcend the
limitations of body and mind to realize his true nature as the Self. Hence he
is said to be potentially divine.
When a person realizes that at the core of his
personality he is divine, he will derive great inner strength and will lead a
life of self-control, self-respect and self-sacrifice.
Vivekananda considered human life to be the
manifestation or unfoldment of the inherent divinity of the soul. This implies
that all people need to be treated with love and respect and that service to
man is expressing the will of God.
Humanity is now entering this new phase of
transformation of consciousness. Like the groundswell of an ocean, a collective
awakening of humanity is now spreading in many parts of the world. The signs of
awakening can be seen
a
a a) In
the coming into existence of hundreds of spiritual movements and communities
all over the world;
b) In
the outlook on life of the present generation of young men and women. The
electronic revolution, the internet and globalization are creating a new media-savvy
generation all over the world. These people have the courage to go beyond
barriers of science and have little interest in institutional religion. They
are creating a new culture, the cyber-culture.
The counter culture of the 1960s was the creation of
disillusioned intellectuals who rejected science, technology and values of
their parents. By contrast it seems that the present cyber-culture is created
by promising young men and women who want to celebrate life. They want to make
use of science and technology to attain a higher level of knowledge, joy and fulfillment. They take ideas and principles from all religions, all cultures, and
all teachers and from all over the world. They know no frontiers, no division, and
no barriers. The movement is universal and global. It may well bring about the
collective transformation of human consciousness.
What
the present generation of awakening mind needs
is an experientially
validated practical philosophy which is based on the
eternal truth and laws of the spiritual world interpreted in the context of
modern thought, which harmonizes all spiritual traditions, which inspires young
people to tread the path of virtue and service, which makes every act the
transformation of the Divinity of the Soul, and which unifies all human beings
in a bond of universal love. In this we can see the message of Jesus given over
2000 years ago.
To sum up with the statement of Swami Vivekananda:”Religion
is the science which learns through the transcendent in nature through the
transcendent in man”
We know as yet but little of man, consequently but
little of the universe. When we know more of man, we shall probably know more
of the universe.
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