A Scientific Approach to Religion

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO RELIGION *

THE BANNER-BEARERS of In­dia’s true culture are not monarchs or multi-millionaires or political person­ages but wise and selfless men like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Viveka­nanda, Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo who stood for the eternal values of life and humanitarian work. Ramakrishna Mission has been doing excellent work through its branches all over the world. Its chief contribution is re-interpretation of our scriptures and propagation of Vedama which conveys the message of unity and practical spirituality which cuts across all reli­gious and cultural differences. Swami Ranganathananda belongs to this great Mission.

Like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Ranganathananda has been going on a lecture tour of the different countries of the East and the West spreading the gospel of Ramakrishna Parama­hamsa. His scholarly and spellbinding speeches present the subtleties and profundities of religion and philosophy in a language tailored to the levels of the target audiences, be they univer­sity dons or ordinary citizens. His lec­tures on Upanishads, Gita, Bhagavatam etc., always drew mam­moth audiences.

Swamiji is a prolific writer with a facile pen. Some of his works are “The Message of Upanishads”, “The Christ we Adore”, “The Essence of Indian Culture”, “Vedanta and Modern Sci­ence”, “The meeting of East and West in Swami Vivekananda”. “Eternal Values for a Changing Society”, and “A Pilgrim looks at the World”. L.P. records and cassettes of some of his discourses are popular. He is at present the Head of the Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad and Senior Vice ­President of the Ramakrishna Matt and Mission, the world-wide organisation at Calcutta. In 1986 he became the first recipient of the prestigious Indira Gandhi Award for National Inte­gration.

The central theme of the book, under review is that there is no conflict between the two important disci­plines, Religion and Science, and that India’s approach to religion has been rational and experiential. Unlike the Western experience, religion in the over four thousand year long historical experience in India, has not only al­lowed but also encouraged questioning and enquiry like any of the physical sciences. In support of the main theme the author has referred to the views of several Western scientists and Eastern philosophers and mystics of world­wide repute. One cannot but wonder at the staggering number of references and apposite quotations reinforcing the author’s comments and view­points.

In his attempt to prove that there is harmony and close kinship between religion and modern science, the Swamiji has thoroughly explored Vedanta with its various Yoga aspects in the context of its role in mental and spiritual development of the human being. The book consists of three chapters – three interlinked essays with sub-headings: I. Science and Religion; II. Our Scientific Age; and III. Consciousness, itself. The common thread of “Human being in depth” runs through all of them and gives unity to the treatise.

Chapter I focuses on the harmony between science and religion, pointing out the striking similarities between Vedanta and science in their objectives, methods and spirit. In this well-documented essay we find that “The Vedanta recognised two levels of spirituality, namely the spirituality of the secular ethical dimension referred to as dharma, and the spirituality of the mystical dimension referred to as amrita in the Upanishads and the Gita. At the stage of Dharma a person starts on the spiritual journey, of psy­cho-social evolution in the language of modern biology, evolves from individu­ality to personality, and achieves ethical awareness, human concern and a happy inter-human relations. Thus after fulfilling life in the Social context, one continues the journey in the amrita or mystical or higher spiri­tual dimensions, at every step of which his consciousness overcomes limita­tions, genetic as well as psychic and expands and becomes universal. This universality is our true nature. This is the process of raising consciousness to higher levels.

In this evolutionary process, the self or the ego is killed, which means that consciousness of “me” and “mine” which is the centre of our ex­istence and the epicentre of all psychic earthquakes caused by the distorted self, is painlessly removed. The crite­rion of our progress in the spiritual journey into “within” is how one is “not me, but thou”. This is the atti­tude of the truly religious or spiritual men. This is otherwise called libera­tion or deliverance from bondage. One will be free from that feeling of selfish­ness when one thinks that he is not an “individual” having a separate identity from all others. One becomes then “universal” with a raised conscious­ness. Ranganathanandaji quotes Swami Vivekananda “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached” which is still relevant as his message to humankind. Vedanta, the science of sciences, is associated with Viveka (critical discrimination). Vairagya (inner detachment) and a faith in the human capacity to probe the meaning of existence and to understand the mystery of the universe (Nature and human nature). The human being has an immense potential for growth and is ever-evolving.

Chapter 11 contains a comprehensive discussion of the nature of Truth and the Vedantic approach for its attainment through Shraddha (faith). Buddhi (reason) and Shraddha are complementary. Enlight­ened reason integrated, with faith pro­duces creative energy. Blind and unquestioning belief does not belong to Vedanta which does not stand for any doctrine or dogma or rigid obser­vance of rituals. It is only a positive attitude, a cheerful temper and a deep conviction that truth lies in the pro­found depths of life and it requires a sense of enterprise and spiritual ad­venture for its investigation and ulti­mate discovery. “Pure consciousness” is identified as Truth in Vedanta which is “the science of human possibilities”.

In chapter III the book reaches its climax when Truth itself is ana­lysed and explained in a manner that builds bridges between science and Vedanta – the Vedantic conscious­ness field (Brahman of the Upan­ishads) and the unified field of the modem science. Human life is not only an outer journey in time and space but an inner journey into the mind to discover the spiritual truth. The body is perishable but the soul is immortal. The soul is the inner self. Religion is the science of “being” and “becom­ing” but not “having”. We should try to realise the best in human nature. Religion is the science. Spirituality is its achievement. Vedanta is the key. Eternal progress is its watchword.

Meditation will unfold the infi­nite potential being hidden in the inner recesses of the human mind and fosters a frictionless flow of creative energy. Scientists have described this state of Peace (restful alertness) as a fourth major state of consciousness which is physiologically and psycho­logically different from waking, sleep­ing and dreaming. “Meditation is the technique of inner penetration sup­ported by moral strength which is achieved in the course of our journey in space and in time in the context of human interactions in society”.

Never before in the history of the world, at least in recent memory, there has been a greater need for stressing the harmony between science and re­ligion because uninformed critics tend to think that the two disciplines are antagonistic and mutually exclusive. If the votaries of science call religion “the old superstition”, the protago­nists of religion call science “the new superstition”. If the former call reli­gion “a fad” or “opium of the people”, the latter turn round and say “Science is continuous discovery of its own mistakes” and seeming nonsense of today may tomorrow be demon­strated truth”. In such an atmosphere of misunderstanding and mutual distrust the publication of this book which synthesises and harmonises science and religion is timely and most welcome.

The book is well got-up and written in an engaging style marked by clarity and vigour. Wherever Sanskrit words are used, they are accompanied by English translation. At the end of the book the reader will find Notes and Index. Under “Acknowledgements”, and “Bibliography” the author has provided a useful list of books – read­ing list. All things considered, it is an eminently readable book which every­one should study, not merely read.

Let us hope. Ramakrishna Mis­sion will soon bring out a low-cost Indian edition of the book by arrange­ment with the American publishers.

* “Human Being in Depth” A Scientific Approach to Religion: By Swami Ranganathananda. Edited by Elva Linncs Nelson. Published by State University of New York Press. For Information: State University, Plaza, Albany, New York, 122246. U.S.A.