Vol 01.004 3. Religion vis-a-vis history, science, mathematics, atheism and secularism

3. RELIGION VIS-A-VIS HISTORY, SCIENCE,
MATHEMATICS, ATHEISM AND SECULARISM

From Chapter 2 of " Hinduism Rediscovered"

2.1 RELIGION AND HISTORY
We saw that Religion dates back several millions of years before history began. India's past goes beyond millions of years into which history dare not peep into and therefore consigned it to the incomprehensible heap of mythology.

In fact, while historical times are measured in terms of centuries, prehistoric times could be measured, if at all, only in terms of millenniums. Even though modern archeological, geological, geophysical, geochemical, paleomagnetic, and paleontological researchers have devised techniques like carbon dating and other scientific methods, like magnetic satellite data gravity, morphological and geotectonic studies and other scientific methods nothing conclusive could be arrived at by them in reckoning even historic times not to mention the so called mythological. This is because such techniques can apply only to physical matter and will not be competent to comprehend or comment on the concepts underlying even such physical matter. These concepts are much older than anything history can think of. History will be powerless beyond a certain point where only intuition and spiritual experience can have any significance. As S.G.F.BRANDON observes -
"for Hinduism and Buddhism, history is a repetitive pattern of illusory phenomena in a perpetual cyclical movement. History can, therefore, have no abiding significance nor inspiring purpose"1 .In dealing with the heritage of India, historical methods encounter enormous difficulties because even historians like A.L.BASHAM believe that man first left surviving traces in India during the second interglacial period between 400,000 BC and 200,000 BC.2

And, as the great American Indologist in 1907, MAURICE BLOOMFIELD observed of the world" ( p20). "Vedic tradition is in some respects the most remarkable in recorded history. From the entire Vedic period, we have not one single piece of an antiquarian or archeological material, not one bit of real property, not a building nor a monument, not a coin, jewel or utensil - nothing but the Winged Words".3

2.2 RELIGION AND SCIENCE
Hindu mythology from the days of Vedic lore bristle with supernatural events and happenings which viewed from the myopic, skewed up, distant stance of the skeptical modern mind seem unnatural.

To cite just a few examples, let us take the birth of Lord Krishna. Vasudeva, his father is said to have left his prison cell at dead of night when the sentries went into a deep stupor, the river Jamuna parting and making way for him to cross over to switch the baby boy with the baby girl born to Yasoda or the episode in which the child Krishna lifted on his left little finger the great mountain of Govardhana or his dancing on the hoods of the hydra-headed cobra of Kalinga and indeed many other miracles.

The modern mind is intrigued and refuses to believe. Even those who swear by the great wisdom enshrined in `Bhagavad -Gita', the Song of the same Lord Krishna on the battle field of Kurukshetra hesitate to accept the supernatural events mentioned above.

Their objections are that they are unnatural, extraordinary and even ridiculous to have happened really; and they are against the scientific spirit and rationale in the absence of any documentary evidence preserved and presented in a scientific way as to be acceptable in modern science.

The objections stem from the `unscientific' nature of the phenomena. The very source on which these objections are based has no "locus-standi" or competence to discuss such phenomena. The questions assume that God should behave only in a scientific manner in what he does. This assumption ignores certain basic parameters relating to the role and scope of science vis-a-vis those of religion.
Science does not presume to research the concept of God. Science does not and cannot answer the question of existence of God. Science never ventured to pose it as a question for itself, let alone attempting to answer the existence or nonexistence of God - because science has recognized that this question lies outside the pale and scope of its enquiry. No scientific mind can think that God, if he exists, has to behave only in accordance with scientific norms and principles. When we know nothing of God, how can we assert that he has to behave only this way and not that way.

How can science help in explaining what it has failed to express itself on? No true scientist would arrogate himself to question something which is beyond his comprehension, until and unless he is able to prove to the contrary.

Modern scientists have been extremely dedicated but unfortunately their dedication consists in investigating everything except the scientist himself. Sanity and sobriety cannot be counted as the strong points in their gadgetry when it comes to this selfintrospection. These scientists have failed to understand that their methods apply only to situations within the realm of physical matter and heuristic methods have a definite role to play to aspects beyond this realm.

The matter that science explains is only an infinitesimal fraction of the universe that lies beyond us as much as the universe that lies within us. An infinitely vast portion of this universe which science has not dared to probe so far lies still outside the purview of science.

Even if a scientist tries to know God, it will be like trying `to see the eye with the eye'. It will be like a person seeking to know himself without knowing that the self he seeks to know is none other than his own self being engaged in the process of seeking to know. The perceiving self and the self perceived are merged into the same entity.

Science has not succeeded in solving this riddle so far and therefore cannot be deemed to have come of age to question the norms of God's behavior.

The respective roles of science and Religion may be summarized as follows :4

SCIENCE RELIGION

Merely INFORMS you Can TRANSFORM you

DESCRIBES life EXPLAINS life

CATERS to your INTELLECT APPEALS to your INTUITION

UNRAVELS the `WHAT' of things REVEALS the `THAT' of things

By very NATURE has to be By very PURPOSE has SUBJECT to the RATIONAL to TRANSCEND the RATIONALE

EXPLOITS for you the REDUCTIONIST PUTS TOGETHER the aspect of the universe HOLISTIC aspect of the universe

Has made MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS Has only MINOR to your MINOR needs EXPECTATIONS for your MAJOR needs

Is a COLLECTIVE OBLIGATION Is INDIVIDUAL answerable to the PEERS in society RESPONSIBILITY irrespective of the EXPERTS in society

TAKES CARE of your MICRO PROBLEMS UNDERTAKES to fulfil your MACRO ASPIRATIONS

MICRO is in our SCIENTIFIC hands MACRO is in HIS INVISIBLE hands

DESCRIBES our RELATIONSHIPS ADDS MEANING to in the OBJECTIVE world WHAT is KNOWN and WHAT IS UNKNOWN

Looks for DIFFERENCES among things SEEKS for the SAMENESS of divinity in all things as evidence to the glory of God.

Thus, they have a complementary and not contradictory role to play. Science provides one approach of the finite to the infinite and Religion provides another. There is nothing to preclude the same person from adopting both the approaches.

Science can at best deal with the present but it cannot deal with the future because that dimension cannot be verified by any norms that Science knows or can employ. Only imagination and hope can foresee the future.
Also, the so called scientist is so anxious to weigh to test and to prove everything that he fails to see the obvious. For the aboriginal, a plane flying across the sky was ' magic'; for the scientist, what he cannot explain is 'myth'.

Again, however much of intellectual involvement we invest, our problem solving expertise stops short of the ever expanding horizon that seems to mock at our limited perceptions .Intellect can at best attempt to research into destiny but cannot conquer or rule over destiny. And, into this sphere only religion walks in with all its majestic strides leaving science and research miserably behind since they are related to limited and proximate goals.

A scientist should avoid a perfunctory view, misplaced emphasis, faulty statements, dubious database, obstinate reasoning and skewed up scenario. He should not fall into the same trap which he accuses religious diehards to have fallen due to their sticking uncompromisingly to their pet fantasies. A true scientist would accept in all humility that there can be things beyond scientific explanations.

It is a remarkable fact that whenever a scientific or technological breakthrough is achieved, it throws up new risks of abuse and misuse. For example,

i. .The achievement in nuclear physics has exposed the world to an explosive situation and in the hands of an impulsive upstart can trigger a catastrophe of unimaginable magnitude;

ii. The so called achievement in biochemistry if carelessly applied would engender an ecological disequilibrium of incalculable dimensions. New advances in science have never been an unmixed blessing; often, they carry with them new potential for danger.

iii. It was predicted that Computers would lead to a ' Paperless Office'. The enormous gains in productivity quickly gave way to The grim reality of printers spouting out more paper than ever and in many cases, with little or no change in productivity. As the electronic system is so easy to use, the recipients promptly took print out of the massive materials received through electronic files frustrating, nay, even defeating he concept of the much vaulted ' Paperless office'

iv. It was expected that antibiotics would eradicate infectious diseases from the face of the earth but we are faced with the dangerous realization that overuse of the same antibiotics has triggered new and resistant strains of 'super viruses' that leave us even more vulnerable than ever before.

v. Pesticides, instead of eliminating destructive insects sometimes eliminated the life-giving, life-supporting natural essences, leaving the pests more pernicious than previously.

vi. The provision of helmets and paddings to prevent injuries have led to more daring acrobatics and more injuries.

vii. Flood control measures gave a sense of safety and lured large groups of people to migrate to the supposedly flood proof areas while ravages of nature when they did occur in reality were known to have nullified the efforts devastating millions of settlers.

viii. According to one estimate, the average American spends 1,600 hours a year either driving or earning the money to support the car, and drives an average of 6,000 miles a year. That works out to about 4 miles traveled per hour spent - the equivalent of a normal walking pace.

Edward Tenner, a former Editor of Princeton University Press and author of " Why things bite back?"- a compilation of technology's 'Opposite than intended Outcomes' has listed quite a few of instances such as those cited above and says in the Chapter entitled " Technology and the revenge of Unintended consequences" - that ' many of the things we didn't want to happen are the direct result of our efforts to prevent them'.

Just because the subject of `Atman' is not within the realm of science but of `Vedanta' the scientist cannot rush to brand the concept as irrelevant or erroneous. He should have the pragmatism to accept that certain concepts like `Atman' may fall beyond the pale of scientific rationale.

Let us take a home where some argument is going on between members of the family, say, a husband and wife. Do they carry on the arguments in a scientific way? Can you ever imagine that during ' family feuds', fighting can and ought to be carried out on purely scientific lines? Science has no `locus standi' in such feuds. The causes, the reasoning, the manner of argument, postulates and even the results defy all scientific presumptions. Similarly, by asking scientific proof in the Sastras of `Atman', one is addressing wrong quarters.

The father might have given a drop of his blood. Can science discover who gave the bones and the nerves, the lines on the palm or why there is no hair inside the head?; Or how the vital air does not escape though the body has nine major outlets and innumerable pores all over. And, how and why the air that is inhaled and exhaled day in and day out, one day goes out never to return. Why? Why? Where science cannot explain, Religion does it by saying that it is all the handiwork of God.

A westerner arguing with an Indian may find himself cornered by a quotation from the Upanishads. As A. BARTH in "Bulletin on the Religions of India" observes - "Nothing ever incorporated in their traditions has completely vanished. And, even what has the most modern appearance, we may look to find again some day or other in their most ancient monuments"

The failure of western thought issues from its cavalier assumption that ancient traditions have very little, if anything, to teach us. It has gone too far to belittle the wisdom enshrined in ancient traditional teaching because of its obsession with its revolt against the suffocating effects of "authority" while being incapable of learning its lessons by experience and reason. You can never forget the fortitude in suffering of the forgotten intellectual giants of the past or the wisdom born out of tragic experiences that had been treasured in the great teachings of our traditions. We should not forget that these traditions were meant TO GUIDE US, NOT TO GUILE US.

An interesting development of our most recent times is that modern science as a result of recent discoveries has come very close to accepting the eternal truths of religion. Modern science has learnt to reject the atomistic, mechanistic and reductionist outlook of the earlier generations of the scientific community. Modern science has now started developing a holistic view supporting the religious beliefs quite contrary to the earlier outlook and realizing that the cosmic diffusion is but the diversification of the one unified entity - which our ancestors designated as `Brahman'.

For example, for ALBERT EINSTEIN, popularly viewed as a relentless revolutionary against tradition - "Mystery is a more substantive and irreducible aspect of things" than it is for other scientists and philosophers. On Religion, he asserts -

"Religion is a rapturous amazement of the harmony of natural law which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that compared with it, all the systemic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection" And, he continues - "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. Whoever does not know it and can no longer marvel, is as good as dead and his eyes are dimmed. It is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity; in this sense and in this alone, I am a deeply religious man".

Big Bang Research team leader GEORGE SMOOT has this to say.:
"The momentous findings confirm beliefs that the universe is the work of a majestic guiding hand, providing a common ground for the two old antagonists. IF YOU ARE RELIGIOUS, IT IS LIKE LOOKING AT GOD"

BURNHAM, Science historian and Director of Trinity Institute, New York city, concludes -
"Many scientists would consider the idea that God created the universe, a more respectable hypothesis at this point of time than at anytime in the last hundred years".

Many of the modern scientists and researchers who have dedicated their lives in the quest for truth have vouched for the convergence of scientific and religious thoughts.

OWEN GINGERICH, Harvard Astronomer and JOHN MATHER, Chief Scientist at NASA agree "The theory of Earth springing forth from that blinding flash bears striking resonance with those succinct words of `Genesis' - And God said let there be light and there was light".

They pledged to encourage both creationists and Scientists to pursue their mutual findings in a less hostile light.

STEPHEN HAWKING in his "A brief history of time from the Big bang to the Black holes" discovered.-"We now know that our galaxy is only one of some hundred thousand million that can be seen using modern telescopes, each galaxy itself containing some hundred thousand millions of stars. We live in a galaxy that is about one hundred thousand light years across and is slowly rotating; the stars in its spiral arms orbit around its center about once every several hundred million years. Our sun is just an average sized yellow star near the inner edge of one of the spiral arms".

Our Vedas proclaimed much the same thing much ahead of the scientists like Stephen Hawking when they declared that there are several Adityas, Rudras, Maruths, Vasus and innumerable other heavenly bodies they had identified and named; that the earth represented one of the Lokas (Worlds) viz Bhuh, the others being `Bhuvah', `Suvah', `Mahah', ` '.Janah', `Tapah' and `Satya' leading to the resplendent glory of `Parama Pada' as also numerous other nether worlds like `Atala', `Vitala', `Sutala', `Mahatala, `Talatala, 'Rasatala' and 'Paatala.'

One thing is certain. Even if one goes to the moon or the sun, it is the Hindu heritage that can bring peace on earth. A GOOD HINDU IS A GOOD HUMAN. It is as vain to pose oneself to be more scientific than the real scientist as it is to pose oneself to be `more royal than the king'. As a matter of fact, even great scientists go to the church or temple. Spirituality is inevitable. Denying it is only a commercial tactic. It is seen that only people who know less imagine that they know more and people who go on asking for proofs all the time have not even begun to learn!

Let us see how science and reasoning start functioning. Science and Reasoning never start with a vacuum. They are guided by the experiments of pioneers who had begun their search but had to leave them unfinished for future researchers to pick up the thread. And, religion does much the same in the sense `beliefs' built up on the findings and revelations of the Seers, Sages and Rishis who have propounded eternal truths that have stood the test of time and are constantly available for verification and validation again, if only we choose to.

And , as a true scientist, STEPHEN HAWKING admits - "Any physical theory is always provisional in the sense that it is only a hypothesis. You can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with the same theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory. On the other hand, you can disprove a theory by finding even a single observation that disagrees with the predictions of the theory".

The time that intervenes between scientific search and scientific finding represents an area of ignorance which can sooner or later be filled by human ingenuity. But, the gap presented by mystery can never be solved even with the most enlightened projection of intellect and employing the most sophisticated infrastructure. Mystery always seems to expand even as you go on solving problems - like a horizon that seems to recede as you approach it. As knowledge advances, mystery moves further. It becomes more and more anaethmatic as we delve deeper with our questions and try to arrive at answers.

Even so, we do not doubt the scientist when he avers that he had observed the unusual `wave - particle' theory of duality of light through the well known "Two-Hole' Experiment without ourselves going through the experiment due to lack of time or money or interest or whatever.

What right have we to question and doubt our `Rishis' and `Sages' who were more scientific than the greatest scientists of the modern world - who have recorded almanacs (Panchangas -Lit . the 5 essentials) with different calculations of time and distance based on planetary movements like Thithi, Vaara, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana etc WITH RAZOR SHARP PRECISION MILLIONS OF YEARS BACK FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS TO COME?

THE ASTONISHING FACT ABOUT THEIR FINDINGS IS THAT THEY HAD NO GADGETS, INFRASTRUCTURES, MANUALS OR OTHER AIDS WHICH OUR MODERN
SCIENTISTS BOAST OF.

By sheer vision, introspection and giant sized mental computer they had predicted the exact moments of even the eclipses with pinpoint accuracy -which our modern scientists could not even emulate to this very day.

SIMON WELLS observes:
"Concepts of God contain so much alloy to begin with that two contradictory ones may be true from different points of view as both waves and particles may be equally accurate heuristic devices for describing the nature of light"

A recent research by the scientists of the California Institute of Technology have discovered evidence of a possible human magnetic sense. Geologist JOSEPH and KIRSCHVINK and his coworkers have discovered crystals of MAGNETITE, a naturally magnetic material commonly known as `load stone' in human brain tissue. MAGNETITE is a compound of iron and oxygen that can become oriented in the earth's magnetic field like a compass needle and scientists believe that these crystals may provide the missing link needed to explain biological effects of the electromagnetic fields.

This had been discovered by our ancestors MILLIONS OF YEARS BACK when they warned us against lying with the head placed on the north in a north- south posture and instructed us in detail how one should stand, sit or lie down, sleep etc, how the bed should have (five essential characteristics) `Pancha Sayana' Viz., Beauty, softness, coolness, Fragrance and spotless white colored linen covering, how and why men should not sleep facing down pressing their chest on the bed and how and why women should not sleep in a supine posture lying flat on their back except for sexual purposes. All these were based on scientific reasons, though they did not spell them out.

These findings were based on heuristic calculations and practical experimentation. In the matter of calculations, there was no need for a computer. So advanced were they in mathematical sciences that they could do computing mentally as well as, if not better than the most sophisticated of modern computers. To name only a few, ARYABHATA, BASKARA, VARAHAMIHIRA, PARASARA down to RAMANUJAM, SAKUNTALA DEVI and myriads of `Ashtavadhanis', `Dasavadhanis' and Satavadhanis' who could perform 8, 10 and up to 100 different calculations all at once. School performance appraisals in the U.S.A. show that even today the I.Q. of the average Indian in mathematical sciences is far superior to those of others. COMPUTER IS IN THEIR BLOOD.
(Religion vis - vis Mathematics, Atheism and Secularism will follow.)