Science and Spirituality - Acharya PT Dharmadev Vidyamartand

Modern age is the Age of Science. No doubt the miracles of science have not only astonished the people but also added a great deal to their convenience and comfort. But at the same, let us not forget that the invention of poisonous gas, atom bomb, hydrogen bomb and other weapons of destruction, is also pushing the world towards total annihilation.

It is, therefore, all the more important in the modern age to establish unity between the science and spirituality .But some so called intellectuals think that science being materialistic and atheistic does not have anything to do with spirituality, However their view has been contradicted by a large number of reputed thinkers, spiritualists and also scientists themselves as would be shown in this chapter. .

Before we discuss science and spirituality and their mutual relationship, we must try to analyze some workable definitions of the two.

Dr Paul Carus in his book "Religion of Science’ thus defines science:-

"Science is the methodical search for Truth and Truth is a correct, exhaustive and concise statement of facts. "

(Asserting that "The religion of science is not atheistic but theistic  he states: “while Science does not speak of God it teaches God, for every law of nature is a part of God’s being”)

And spirituality has been defined thus by the world renowned yogi Sri Aurobindo :-

“The Divine perfection is always above us, but for man to become Divine in consciousness and act and to love inwardly and outwardly Divine, is what is meant by spirituality. All lesser meanings given to the word are inadequate, humbling or impostures. "

Explaining this further, the Mother of Pondicherry Ashram, says :-

"True spirituality is not to renounce life but to make life perfect with Divine perfection. This is what India should show to the world. "

And here is Vinoba Bhave’ s definition of spirituality-

"Spirituality demands that one should have faith in absolute moral values, not relative moral values, sometimes, truth and sometimes falsehood - this is only an opportunists way of thinking. This is not the way spirituality will look at human life. It should be based on some basic principles, some values which cannot be changed; they will be absolute: To me the second and third ingredients of spirituality are unity and sanctity of life and also continuity of life after death. "

In the words of Swami Yogeshwaranand, Founder of Yog Niketan, Rishikesh, "Spirituality teaches us control over our senses, to saddle them, to make sure that they do not overpower us. The more restless, volatile and licentious are the senses, the more miserable will be our lives. "

Spirituality also tells us to identify our true self : what is my real form? Am I only the body or something more? If more, then what exactly is it and from where does it come?”

Spirituality also tells us who is the creator of this sun, the moon, the satellites and the stars which are continuously engaged in doing good to us? "

Far from being contradictory, these definitions are complementary, and highlight the following features of spirituality: -

·          leading a pure and divine life dedicated to the pursuit of absolute moral values.

·         Belief in the existence of God and worshipping and surrendering oneself to Him with full faith.

·         belief in the permanence of soul and the birth and death of the body.

These features of spirituality are highlighted in the vedas through a number of mantras, some of which are being quoted here by way of illustration.

Vedas and purity

The following two mantras, for instance, show the importance the Vedas attach to purity :-

 (May the Master of Hearing Purify us!

 May the Master of Speech Purify us!

 May the Creator of universe Purify us.)

(Never to be conquered or destroyed O God purify me.

Purify me, O Purest of all,

For uplifting my life,

Energizing my body

And facilitating

My spiritual growth)

Vedas and God

The vedas are full of mantras which tell us beyond doubt that God is not  only Supreme but also is One and has no form :-

 (Praise the lord O man, praise Him, God is One and only One; The Almighty and Omniscient Lord of all beings)

His formlessness has been mentioned in the following mantra too: -

 (There is no image of God nay, it exists not anywhere; Worthiest of all and most revered He is present everywhere And is most renowned l)

Vedas stress on worshipping God along with our progeny: -

Worship God, O lovers of wisdom, Worship Him with all reverence! Let your sons also worship Him Establishing His kingdom on earth Worship Him-He is Almighty Immutable and full of piety!

Vedas and soul

The following three mantras from the Rigveda, when read together , give a fairly clear and comprehensive picture of soul called “Jiva” in Sanskrit.

The main characteristics of the soul as they emerge from these mantras are:-

·         Soul is different from the body.

·         It is eternal and everlasting.

·          It is the controller of mind and senses.

·         It is conscious and provides consciousness to different parts of the body.

·         residing in the heart, it is the origin of all light within.

·         It has desire and hatred.

·         It keeps coming again and again to this world and changing its body in accordance with its good or bad actions.

·         it is very minute but can be viewed by the men of knowledge through power of contemplation.

Vedas and life-death cycle

The concept of the cycle of life and death has been unmistakably enunciated in several  Vedic mantras.  ln fact it is a very vital part of spirituality.

The existence of birth and rebirth cycle is evident from the following mantra in which prayer is offered to God for a debtless life in “this, next and the life to come":-

(“May we be free from all debts in this , the next and the life to come!  Threading the path of our ancestors May we live a debtless life! “)

Scientists and God

Sir lssac Newton, known as father of modern science, writes in his book, ‘Principia’-

"All this universe is the handiwork of one Omniscient and Omnipotent Creator"

Talking about the qualities of God he further writes-

" We are, therefore, to acknowledge One God, infinite, Eternal, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, the Creator of all most wise, most just, most good most holy"

"This Being governs all things as Lord over all and on account of his dominion is wont to be called Lord. God or Universe Ruler, The Supreme God is a Being, Eternal, Infinite, Absolutely Perfect From His true dominion, it follows that the true God is Active, intelligent and Powerful Being and from His other perfections that He is Supreme or Most Perfect We admire Him for His perfections, but we revere and adore Him on account of His dominion, for we adore Him as his servants. "

Lord Celvin, one of the reputed scientists of the 19th century, affirms:-

“‘Science positively affirms creative power. We are absolutely forced by science to believe with perfect confidence in a Directive Power in an influence other than Physical or Electrical Forces. "

Thomas Edison, a famous American scientist, expresses his belief in God in the following words:-

“‘Too many people have got a microscopic idea of the Creator. If they  would only study His wonderful works, as shown in nature herself, laws of universe, they would have a much broader idea of the Great Engineer . One thing is certain. The universe is permeated by intelligence. l tell you, no person can be brought into close contact with the mysteries of the nature or make a study of chemistry without being convinced that behind all, there is Supreme intelligence. I am convinced of that.’"

Sir Oliver Lodge, one of the greatest scientists of his time and President of the British Association of the Advancement of Scientists, in one of the scientific papers written by him observes:-

"We are deaf and dumb to the infinite grandeur around us unlike we have insight to appreciate the whole and so to recognize in the woven fabric of existence flowing steadily from the loom in an infinite progress towards perfection, the ever growing garment of a transcendent God "

Says Dr B Moore in his hook "The Origin and Nature of Life" :-

“The orderly beauty of the world and nature suggest an infinite intelligence with powers of action such as no man or other creature possesses "

During the Science Week, Prof Holming in his lecture entitled, The Supreme Intelligence in and above Nature, observes :-

"Scientific study most certainly shows us the presence in this physical universe of an order stability directive power and intelligibility. These qualities are not spontaneously produced . They do not come by chance. The universe is not merely a thing. lt is a thought and thought implies and necessitates a thinker. Hence there is in this universe a Supreme Thinker or intelligence of which our own intelligence is but the faint copy."

David Star Jordan, another famous scientist, corroborating with the views of Prof Holming, states:

"The infinite expanse of the universe, its growth through immeasurable periods of time, the boundless range of its changes and the rational order that pervades it, all demand an infinite intelligence behind the manifestation. Modern Science has no kinship with atheism ."

The above observations by top scientists prove that faith in God (which is one of the integral part of spirituality,) elicits no opposition from scientists who are rather supportive of the concept of God.

Scientists and soul

Belief in the immortality of soul, which is also indispensable part of spirituality is fully supported by scientists proving that there is no dichotomy between science and spirituality.

Sir Oliver Lodge, one of the top scientists of the United Kingdom, for instance observes:

“lt is unreasonable that soul should jump out of existence when the body is destroyed. I say on definite scientific ground that we shall continue to exist. We shall certainly survive. Survival of existence is scientifically probable by careful scientific investigation. "

Dr Paul Carus also supports the existence of soul and its immortality:-

Science rejects the assumption of a ghost soul, but it establishes at the same time the reality of the continuance of man’s soul after death. "

In his book "What do we know about the Beyond", French scientist M Camille Flamarion observes:

“Long observation has shown clearly that there exists in us something unknown which has been systematically denied upto the present, in all scientific theories and that this something survives the disintegration of our earthly bodies and the transformation of our material molecules which by the way, from a purely scientific point of view, are also indestructible. Whether we call it a principle, element, psychic, atom, soul, or spirit, there is no denying that this unknown something does really exist."

CONCLUSION

Dr Alexis Carrel, in his book "Man, the Unknown" has given a very disappointing picture of what life is today in absence of spirituality: -

" We are unhappy. We degenerate morally and mentally. We are the victims of the backwardness of the Sciences of Life over those of the matter. The only possible remedy for this evil is a much more profound knowledge of ourselves. The science of man has today become the most necessary of all sciences.  “

We may conclude this chapter with the following words of wisdom from the first President of lndia, Dr. Rajendra Prasad: -

I hope that attempts will continue to be made to bring about rapprochement between science and spirituality because without this rapprochement, there is no doubt that there is a real risk of mankind being,  not destroyed at any rate, greatly crippled by the use of nuclear powers and other devices which have been now achieved by Scientific Technology.”

"lt is necessary to emphasis that this rapprochement between science and spirituality should be worked out, so that the knowledge that has come into man's possession may be utilized for his good and not for his destruction. “

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DRINKING AND MEAT EATING - PT . Dharmadev Vidyamartand ji

Drinking

Mahatma Gandhi once said that if he were given the free reigns of lndia even for an hour he would enforce prohibition without any compensation to anyone. This statement shows the father of the nation’s very strong sentiments against drinking. He considered drinking to be the worst kind of evil because, in his opinion, it gave rise to many other evils.

Alas the Mahatma’s dream has remained unfulfilled and there is no likelihood that it will ever be realized. ln fact, things have turned so bad that even teenagers and women have fallen victims to this habit. Bars, discotheques, private parties and restaurants are all overflowing with liquor. Drinking has become an ‘in-thing’. Parents usually have no moral authority to dissuade their children from drinking because they are themselves addicted to it. Moreover they are too busy to give attention to what their children are doing. lt is only when their children get involved in some scandal, brawls or shoot-outs that they take note of it and obviously by that time it is too late.

Drunkenness has always been condemned by many great thinkers, philosophers and reformers besides several top experts from the medical profession.

Seneca, a western philosopher, describes drunkenness as “Nothing but voluntary madness  “.

Another reputed thinker Penn says :-

Drunkenness is an ill of the worst sort. lt reveals secrets, is quarrelsome, lascivious, imprudent, dangerous and mad. He that is drunk, is not a man, because he is void of reason that distinguishes him from the beast.

And here are the comments of T. Adams, a writer:

"A drunkard is the annoyance of modesty, the trouble of civility, the spoil of wealth, the distraction of reason. He is his wife’s woe, his children’s sorrow his neighbour’s scoff his own shame. In short, he is a spirit of unrest, a thing below a beast and monster of a man. "

Says poet Chaucer:

For drunkenness is very sepulcher of man s wit and his discretion.

Poet Dafoe describes drinking as, "darling favourite of hell.” 

lt is natural, therefore, that something which so affects reason and thought,should have disapproval of the vedas, which lay so much emphasis on these qualities.

Drinking has been placed by the Rigveda (6, 70, 1) along with meat eating and gambling and all the three are stated as debilitating as sex with a woman : -

Almost similar sentiment is expressed in the following mantra from Rigveda (7.86.6), which places drinking along with other evils like lust, gambling,ignorance, attachment and anger which are injurious to man's character:-

Taking a clue from the above, Satpath describes drinking as  “Anrutam paapmaa tamaha suraa(Shatapata Brahmana 5,1,2,10), meaning that it as an untruth, a sin, a dark spot.

It further observes that a drunkard blabbers like a mad man:

lt also adds that after drinking a man becomes hard hearted:-

So when you drink, you do it at your peril.

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Eating meat

Slaughter houses have proliferated everywhere in the country and are prospering as well. The sale and distribution of meat products is also ever increasing.

The only silver lining is that there is also, at the same time, a greater awareness among people than ever before about the benefits of vegetarianism, Mlore and more people are opting for it, though vegetarians are still outnumbered by their non-vegetarian brethren.

Likewise, it is heartening to note that, there is an increasing number of hotels and restaurants in the advanced countries like the USA and Great Britain that serve vegetarian food, though not exclusively and they are doing well. lt must be said, however, that non-vegetarian food, especially from countries like China and Thailand, is even more popular.

ln this context, it is unfortunate that five-star hotels in India serve beef to the rich and the affluent and their customers include people from VIP families, the vociferous demands by some of the Hindu organizations and groups for a ban on such sale notwithstanding.

Vedas and meat eating:

Vedas, with their stress on non-violence and compassion for animals as part of universal brotherhood, are naturally against meat eating. In their view, meat eating defiles the mind, body and soul and is detrimental to one’s spiritual uplift.

Vedas say that vegetarian diet is the best for all humans. It keeps the being pure and is conducive to the achievement of higher consciousness. When humans take to vegetarian eating, it becomes easier for them to meditate; and meditation sharpens the memory and makes the body active and agile.

Says Rigveda (8.72.3), the knowledgeable persons, who wish to realize God in their hearts, must eat only food grains and fruits (that is, not meat).

Besides vegetables and fruits, other foods suggested in Atharvaveda (6.14.2) include rice, barley and sesame seeds.

A mantra in the same Veda extols rice and barleyas foods with curative value and for keeping bad impulses at bay.

The Upnishads, which are commentaries on the vedas, also establish a close link between dietary habits and spiritual progress. "The purity of our heart depends upon the purity of our diet; and the purity of heart sharpens the intellect. This in turn, facilitates meditation. And when the state of meditation is achieved, all ignorance disappears and one is free from all the worldly bonds:-

Vegetarian diet, says Atharvaveda, bestows upon a man strength, purity and divine splendour:-

The vedas consider the non- vegetarian diet fit only for the Pishacha (Demons); the other adjectives used for them are Krayada, Asutrapnah,Garbhada. And it is suggested that if they do not give up meat eating they should be punished :-

We must remember what Satpath has said in the following Sloka (11.6.1.3):-

"The man who eats the meat of an animal in this birth, is eaten away by the same animal in the next birth "

Says Mahatma Buddha in Dhammapad,  : -

“Considering everyone as one self a man should refrain from either killing or getting anyone killed".

Thinker and writer Tolstoy writes:

"Meat eating multiplies gross thoughts. lt produces lust and induces drinking and adultery, This is sheer truth ..., It is impossible for a meat eater to be morally good. "

A great scholar and thinker Pandit Gurudutta writes in his article entitled Righteousness and Unrighteousness of Flesh eating:

" We assert that flesh eating is an immoral, unrighteous and a sort of an action for which he is amenable to society”.

Medical experts and flesh eating

Dr Prof Sims Woodhead , M.D.of the Pythlogy Department of the Cambridge University, asserts:

"Meat is absolutely unnecessary for a perfectly healthy existence and the best work can be done on a vegetarian diet"

Sir Henery Thompson, M.D, F.R.C.S, observes in his book "Diet in relation to Age and Activity” :

"lt is vulgar error to regard meat in any form as necessary to life All that is necessary to the human body can be supplied by the vegetable kingdom. The vegetarian can extract from his food all the principles necessary for the growth and support of the body as well as for the production of heat and force .... l know how much of the prevailing meat diet a source of serious evil to the consumer is "

Dr. Josiaold Field, MRCS, IRCP former head of Bromlay’s Lady Margaret Hospital says,

"There is little needy for wonder that flesh-eating is one of the most serious causes of the diseases that carry of 99 per cent of every 100 people that are born "

Dr Alexander Haig, MD, FRCP asserts:

"Seventy five per cent of the most terrible diseases which we suffer (they are not, in fact, diseases at all, but poisonings by the unnatural foods),our increasing insanity, our increasing cancer, our debility and our deterioration, may be due, not improbably, to the neglect of Nature’s teaching that man is a firgivorous and not a carnivorous animal."

Dr Johnwood, MD, on the basis of his several years of medical practice, observes:

"As a medical man, I maintain that flesh eating is unnecessary, unnatural, and unwholesome".

Sir Benjamin Richardson, MD, FRCS, corroborating the view of his several other medical colleagues, says:

"lt must be honestly admitted that weight by weight, vegetable substances, when they are carefully selected possess the most striking advantages over animal food in nutritive value .l should like to see the vegetarian fruit living plant brought into greater use and believe it will be "

The ill effect of flesh eating on mind has been related by Dr E.R.Rost,OBE, MRCS, LRCP in his book The Nature of Consciousness" in the following words:

‘“The functioning of mind is affected by the food. There are certain kinds of food that supply the correct material for activating the mental process.  Generally speaking, the mind works best on a mild diet, without meat, and containing fresh vitamins and inorganic constituents, rich in calcium phosphates. "

Let us conclude this discussion with the most authoritative remark made by Metellick, a Nobel Laureate, published in one of the souvenirs of the World Vegetarian Congress:-

"lt must be admitted that of the objections urged against vegetarianism, not one can withstand a loyal and scrupulous enquiry. l, for my part, can confirm that those whom I have known to submit themselves to this regimen, have found its results to be improved or restored health, marked addition to strength and the acquisition by the mind of cleverness, brightness, well-being such as might follow the release from some loathsome, detestable dungeon. "

It is clear then that the position taken by vedas with regard to drinking and meat eating, is consistent with science and the precepts of greatest minds in all the diverse cultures since then.

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ವೈದಿಕ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಪರಿಚಯ . ಲೇಖಕರು : - ಪಂ. ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಭಿಕ್ಷು

Vaidika-Sahitya-Parichaya

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Unity Of Mankind - Acharya Dharmadev, VidyaMartand

The Vedas carry the message of universal love and brotherhood in such a forceful and effective way as perhaps no other scripture does. This message has a special significance for the modern age as we all stand divided on the shallow grounds of region, caste, creed, colour, religion etc. All such differences are, however, man-made and totally opposed to the spirit of the vedas.

Such great emphasis is laid on the universal brotherhood and the spirit of unity in the vedas that the words like Sakhaayaha (which means "friends") have been used for ordinary men in relation to each other. Take for instance, the use of these words in the following vedic mantras:—

Unity in Diversity :

The spirit of unity is all pervasive in the Vedas. To drive home this point the renowned vedic scholar, Prof Max Meuller, quoted the following mantras during the course of his address at the World Oriental Conference held in London in 1885:-

O ,  ye men, walk together, talk together, acquire knowledge and share your duties together !

O , ye men, meet together, think together and be of the similar mind !

O,  ye men common be your aims and your hearts, being united, beat in one sweet harmony !

Let your thoughts be also one and ye live happily together !

The vedas emphasize that it is our duty not only to love and help others of our own species but also all beings and pray for all including birds, animals, plants and trees.

According to the vedas, the Risi is not one who lives the life of a hermit and is engaged in the observance of different types of austerities and penances or the study of scriptures or meditation but one who is devoted to the common good:

Vedas also describe the man of true knowledge (Jnaani) as one devoted day and night to the welfare of others :—

Overcoming hatred

One of the obstacles that we encounter in extending the circle of our friends is the ingrained feeling of hatred among most of us. ln fact it is Number One killer of universal love and the unity of mankind. Hatred is mostly fuelled by jealousy though there are other reasons for its existence too.

So long as we keep asking ourselves, why has this man got a good job while l have not, why his house or car is bigger than mine, why his children are brighter than mine, why is he on the whole luckier than me, we will not be able to overcome hatred which goes hand in glove with each other.

Hatred also reflects lack of understanding, goodwill, tolerance, kindness, generosity, spirit of sacrifice etc which form the bases for true friendship and love.

Vedas, with their message of universal love, brotherhood and friendship, therefore, repeatedly warn us against hatred and contain several prayers to overcome this vice.

Take for instance, the following mantras from two different vedas:

(As we cross the swift current of a river, may we, through Thy grace, overcome hatred)

(Keep us away Oh God, from the feeling of hatred!)

Dasyu and arya

The mention of the words Dasyu and the Arya in the Vedas has led some misguided critics to see the instance of racialism in these most ancient and sacred scriptures and to raise the question how could they be said to be promoting universal love and brotherhood if they encourage one caste (arya) at the cost of the other(dasyu)  ?

First of all let it be clarified at the very outset that dasyu and Arya have nothing to do with any caste.

lt would be travesty of facts to believe in the racialism theory in view of massive evidence against it. Several vedic scholars(both of lndia and abroad),after years of research, have come to the conclusion that to hold the view that the aryas attacked the dasyus (standing for the aborigines Dravadians), is thoroughly disgusting and illogical.

For instance, says the renowned German vedic scholar Prof Max Muller : -

"They (the epithets Aryans and Dasyus) are too general to allow us the inference of any ethnological conclusion"

He is fully supported by another German scholar Prof Roth who clearly points out that "It is but seldom, if at all, that the explanation of Dasyu as referring to the non-Aryans, is advisable "

Says another foreign scholar Nesfield:—

"There is no division of the people as the Aryan conquerors of lndia and the aborigines of the country. That division is modern and that there is essential unity of lndian races, "

Stating that the dasyus were not non- aryans, a reputed Indian vedic scholar asserts that "The theory that the Dasyu— Dravidians inhabited the Punjab and the Ganges valley at the time of the so- called Aryan invasion of India and overcome by the latter they fled to South India and adopted it as their home, can not stand, "

Emphasizing that the words aryas and dasyus are not indicative of different races , Dr. PTS lyangar, a south lndian Scholar says. "The words refer not to race but to cult"

Throwing light on this issue Sri Aurobindo, the founder of the Pondicherry Ashram and the world renowned scholar and a yogi, emphatically says in his book "The Secrets of Vedas " : -

"Far from any reference to any political or military struggle between the invading Aryans and the local inhabitants, is only indicative of the triumph of the forces of light(symbolized by Truth and Knowledge) over the forces of darkness(symbolized by falsehood and ignorance). "

At least one thing is clear from the above expert opinions that the words arya and dasyu in the Vedas do not stand for castes or races and, therefore the allegation of depicting any war among them or encouraging one of them against the other are false and unfounded.

What then do the words arya and dasyu exactly mean in the vedas and what is their significance?

"The word arya has its origin in the root “Ru” which according Sanskrit grammar means”Gati Prapanayou”(the man of knowledge and action who pursues the path of goodness and nobility and also helps others to do so.)"

Taking clue from the above, the Sanskrit lexicons, grammarians and scholars have used the word arya for the person who is ;-

 ("Respectable, noble, religious, righteous, adorable, generous, peaceful, just, dutiful, generous, etc’”)

Rigveda (10-65-1 l) defines the word arya in the following way :—

 (Arya is one who practises on this earth the vows of truth, non-violence, purity, benevolence etc,)

And the word dasyu is born of the root “dasu-UpEkshayE”  which means one who, bereft of good qualities, is engaged in destructive activities like putting obstacles in the performance of the yagna.etc. This is why Yaskacharya says:

The adjectives Akarma and Amantuused for dasyu in the following mantra from Rigveda make it clear that he is one who keeps himself engaged in bad actions and is devoid of rational thinking; and who also does not observe the self- imposed discipline pertaining to observance of truth, brahmacharya, non-violence etc. :-

CONCLUSION :

So if there is any praise for the aryas and condemnation of dasyus, it is on the basis of their merit and not their caste or race. The depiction of light between them may also be symbolic of the struggle between the good and the evil within us .

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