<p>The debate between science and spirituality is often misplaced, ill-conceived and misses the wood for the trees. <br /><br /></p>.<p>A recent programme in one of the major television channels serves to validate as nothing else does, this misconception.<br /><br />If the truth be told, there is a science to understand the outer world and a science that is as rigorous and as committed to understanding the nature of truth of the inner world.<br /><br />The approaches to both are scientific but the objects of their investigation are different.<br /><br />The outer world consists of forms of matter and motion. The scientist tries to uncover the laws that govern their functioning through a process of experimentation where a hypothesis is tested under laboratory conditions and validated. Accordingly, the physicist studies physical phenomena, the chemist studies chemical phenomena and the social scientists focus their attention on understanding history, philosophy, economy, psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science and law in all their multifarious aspects. Each science of the outer world in which we live is therefore separated from each other by the object of its investigation.<br /><br />Similar to the physical sciences and the social sciences, there is a science of the inner world, a world that exists independent of our senses and that is beyond the mind, body and intellect. This science is called Vedanta. It has many schools but the school that we are referring to here is advaita Vedanta or the philosophy of non-dualism.<br /><br />When the universe is perceived from the lens of Vedanta, everything around us is actually nothing but forms of consciousness that emanate from one single source and the truth of this observation can be perceived in meditation. <br /><br />There are several paths to realizing the one pristine reality that exists independent of us. It is one without a second.<br /><br />It is this perfection that we describe as God or the Cosmic Intelligence or the Supreme Self. As the Upanishads declare: “He is one but He is known by many names.” It is now an accepted fact in most religious and spiritual traditions that the challenge confronting human beings lies in discovering the divinity present inside them. As Lord Jesus expressed it: “The kingdom of God lies within you.” God is therefore within and without.<br /><br />To experience this state (and not just intellectually know it) is what is called self-realization. The core of spiritual science is self-realization. <br /><br />According to our shastras, that is the only purpose of our birth. If we are unable to secure a glimpse of this state, then this life has been a waste and one needs another life to experience it. The primary obstacle is the human ego.<br /><br />Spiritual science is about destroying the ego and experiencing the perfection present within.<br /></p>
<p>The debate between science and spirituality is often misplaced, ill-conceived and misses the wood for the trees. <br /><br /></p>.<p>A recent programme in one of the major television channels serves to validate as nothing else does, this misconception.<br /><br />If the truth be told, there is a science to understand the outer world and a science that is as rigorous and as committed to understanding the nature of truth of the inner world.<br /><br />The approaches to both are scientific but the objects of their investigation are different.<br /><br />The outer world consists of forms of matter and motion. The scientist tries to uncover the laws that govern their functioning through a process of experimentation where a hypothesis is tested under laboratory conditions and validated. Accordingly, the physicist studies physical phenomena, the chemist studies chemical phenomena and the social scientists focus their attention on understanding history, philosophy, economy, psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science and law in all their multifarious aspects. Each science of the outer world in which we live is therefore separated from each other by the object of its investigation.<br /><br />Similar to the physical sciences and the social sciences, there is a science of the inner world, a world that exists independent of our senses and that is beyond the mind, body and intellect. This science is called Vedanta. It has many schools but the school that we are referring to here is advaita Vedanta or the philosophy of non-dualism.<br /><br />When the universe is perceived from the lens of Vedanta, everything around us is actually nothing but forms of consciousness that emanate from one single source and the truth of this observation can be perceived in meditation. <br /><br />There are several paths to realizing the one pristine reality that exists independent of us. It is one without a second.<br /><br />It is this perfection that we describe as God or the Cosmic Intelligence or the Supreme Self. As the Upanishads declare: “He is one but He is known by many names.” It is now an accepted fact in most religious and spiritual traditions that the challenge confronting human beings lies in discovering the divinity present inside them. As Lord Jesus expressed it: “The kingdom of God lies within you.” God is therefore within and without.<br /><br />To experience this state (and not just intellectually know it) is what is called self-realization. The core of spiritual science is self-realization. <br /><br />According to our shastras, that is the only purpose of our birth. If we are unable to secure a glimpse of this state, then this life has been a waste and one needs another life to experience it. The primary obstacle is the human ego.<br /><br />Spiritual science is about destroying the ego and experiencing the perfection present within.<br /></p>
