Upanishadic Wisdom and Modern Science (Integration of Science and Spirituality)

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This book on 'Upanishadic Wisdom and Modern Science' is written in the Indian tradition where its philosophy has been constantly influenced over the ages in the light of social and intellectual changes of the day and more recently by the impact of the rational sciences.

There is a story in the Chhandogya Upanishad in support of scientific pursuit in Vedic time. It is said that once upon a time Narad approached the sage Sanat Kumar and begged him the Brahma Vidya or the Supreme knowledge. Rishi Sanat Kumar asked Narad to state what sciences and arts he had already studied so that he (Sanat Kumar) might judge what still remained to be learnt,. Narad enumerated the various sciences and arts studied by him. The list included Naksatra Vidya (Astronomy), Rasi Vidya, Arithmetic and Natural Sciences. The story simply tells us that culture of science was not considered to be a hindrance to spiritual knowledge. In fact scientific knowledge was then considered to be helpful adjunct to para vidya (spiritual) knowledge.

Twenty first century has witnessed giant leaps taken by science and technology and scientists are continuing their efforts for further advancement. But science should not be pursued in isolation from humanities, social sciences and spirituality. All branches of knowledge and human pursuits should have need, importance, value and utility. They are to be pursued simultaneously and successively as per the demands of the situation. Nothing can be a better account of the interrelation of science and spirituality taken in a broader context as vyavahara and paramartha, sambhuti and asambhuti, preyas and sreyas, abhyudaya and nissreyas, aparavidya (avidya) and paravidya (vidya) and such cognate pairs, those one found in the Upanishadic thought. Harmony and cooperation among science and spirituality are always beneficial to human kind. It is hoped that joint enterprise along with separate ventures may open up new horizons, new paths, ways and new truths.

Dr. S.R. Verma has made a brilliant attempt to correlate and integrate the upanishadic wisdom and modern science. He has re-searched in depth and depicted upanishadic wisdom in scientific way to appeal the modern scientific mind. He has explored the clear convergence in Upanishadic thoughts and scientific concepts.

Dr. S.R. Verma has made an incredible voyage to the very beginning of philosophical thought which in effect, forms the core of Upanishads and modern science.

I believe it is of great significance to the development of upanishadic philosophy Suitable for the modern world. I think if we are to speak to the present generation and scientific community on spiritual matters it should be through science and logic. Thanks are due to my colleagues, working in the Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan for the contribution they provided me in the production of this book.

The universe is not an arbitrary entity and does not work haphazardly. It is organized and systematic and functions under cosmic laws (Rita). It is the divine spirit which pervades all cosmic activity. The same divine spirit pervades human activity too. Because human being is a spark of the divine and part of the grand design.

A basic question whether there is a meaning and purpose to our existence arises in and perhaps bothers, the mind of every individual, whether the doubt is articulated or not as he gets through his everyday life. Scholars, philosophers and sages, since long have mulled over questions regarding the purpose of life and our existence. Is there an all encompassing over mind or absolute spirit, in which all concepts are unified? Is reality a complex totality of rational concepts?

While the vedic India was studying the phenomena of the natural world the forest civilization of the upanishads took a turn unparalleled in the history of philosophy of science by focusing on these question. In upanishadic literature, the central place is given to Brahman and atman. This turning of the mind towards the 'within' (avritti cheksu) in the quest of the absolute is an important landmark in the functional study of the human mind. The human psycho-physico-spiritual personality has been compared to the chariot as in kathopanishad. That the mind is constantly blasted by the sences (horses) and their objects (roads) is highlighted in this Upanishad.

The Aryankas contain transitional material between the mythology and rituals of the samhitas and Brahmans on the one hand and the philosophical speculation s of the Upanishad on the other. The rituals are given a symbolic meaning, and knowledge of this becomes more important than the actual performance of the rituals itself. This principle then becomes the starting point of Upanishadic Speculation.

Like the Brahmans, each Upanishad is attached to one of the four Vedic samhitas. The Upanishads represent both the final stage in the development of Vedic religious thought and the last phase of Brahmanism. Later philosophical schools of classical Hinduism which base their tenets on the authority of the Upanishads are therefore called Vedanta.

The Upanishads cannot as presenting a consistent, homogeneous, or unified philosophical system, through there are certain doctrines held in common. Divergence of method, opinion, and conclusion are everywhere apparent even with single Upanishads, particularly the older ones, is that practically every basic idea expounded has its antecedent in earlier Vedic texts. What distinguishes the Upanishads is not so much their originality as their probing for new interpretations of the earlier Vedic concepts to obtain a more coherent view of the universe and man. Here the link between man and the cosmos is, as we have said, no longer the ritual act out a knowledge of the forces symbolically represented in the ritual. These allegorical and symbolic interpretations are characteristic of the Upanishads. They are developed by Upanishadic thinkers in two ways:

1) By setting up various levels of comprehension suited to different individual intellectual capacities, and

2) By identifying particularly or by degrees two seemingly dissimilar elements and arriving at a type of equation which, through at first sight irrational, will on further analysis or introspection reveal a unity. This pursuit of a unifying principle suggests that the duality apparent in the world is to some extent or in some sense unreal. The macrocosm is viewed universally as an extension of Vedic mythological microcosmic nature of the human self or soul (atman) is explained. From this result the most significant equation of the Upanishad: Brahman atman. It is the transcendent knowledge of this essential identity that is the chief concern of Upanishadic sages.

World Institutions have acknowledged our spiritual heritage, Vedas and Upanishads have evoked keen interest among scholars. Modern scientific concepts are converging to Indian philosophical thoughts. If Einstein gives the mass energy relation for technological revolution, Veda and Upanishads give the message of Truth and Non-violence for Universal peace and prosperity.

Many outstanding wise men of the world have realized the togetherness of science and spirituality and these must go together to understand the absolute truth.

After observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up on it. This is the essence of Upanishads and spirituality. And this is the essence of science too.

The purpose of writing this book is to make an attempt to integrate Upanishadic wisdom with modern science. I hope the combination of the two will make the readers truly strong and prosperous. It will also help to understand true meaning of life and existence as a whole.