AM's Approach vs 'Modern' Science

Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:04:02 -0400 To: AM-GLOBAL From: Patrick Russell Subject: AM's Approach vs 'Modern' Science Baba "Anek shun'iya' anek bhaviya', toma'kei bha'lobesechi..." (PS 1041) Purport: Baba, Your tales are infinite. From the mouths of devotees I have heard endless heart-touching stories how You have showered Your boundless love and grace. Baba, as soon as I heard all those things about You, I began to contemplate about Your grandeur and glory, over and over again. By that way I realised that You are inseparably linked with my heart, mind, and my entire existence. Baba, I have fallen in love with You; I can't live without You. You are my most intimate One. Baba, in order to find You I have searched in each and every town and village, by the rivers and the oceans, in the hills and the valleys, in the mountains and the caves. I have searched You in the sky and earth-- everywhere. Baba, by Your grace I have discovered that You are that priceless jewel sitting in my heart. Baba, I do not have any explanation why I have fallen in love with You. All I can say is that it is solely Your grace. Love knows no logic or reasoning. All I can tell is that You graciously pulled me towards You and by that way I have fallen in love with You. It is Your grace. O' my Dearmost, I do not love You in order to get mukti [1]. I love You because You have tenderly brought me close to You. Even then I am not an A-grade sadhaka. I do sadhana and by that way receive Your bliss. I think that is the reason why I love You. Baba, I love You to get a'nanda. This is the aim of my life: To love You so that I may be bathed in Your bliss. This truth I understand. O Lord, I do not have parabhakti-- highest devotion. But keeping in mind that parabhakti is the greatest quality, I will go on doing Your work and serving You according to whatever strength I have. I will expend every ounce of energy to satisfy You. Baba, by Your grace, I understand that, 'I should love You to give You bliss-- not for my own bliss' [2]. This is the culmination of all I have learned, by Your grace. Baba, by Your grace I have fallen in love with You. My sole desire is to serve You and please You... NOTES FOR THE ABOVE PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1041: [1] Mukti: (Literally means 'liberation'). Just as the sadhaka in the above song is not doing sadhana to get mukti, similarly, in the below discourse Baba is guiding us that one should not do sadhana to get mukti. Baba says, "While surrendering oneself at the altar of the Supreme, what is one to do? One must not ask for anything from Parama Purus'a. [For example,] for a bhakta, mukti has got no importance. A bhakta wants Parama Purus'a, and nothing from Him, not even mukti. Suppose Parama Purus'a says, 'O devotee, what do you want?' - his reply is, 'I want You'. One must not say, 'I want mukti', because suppose one says, 'I want mukti', one may get mukti, but one may not get Parama Purus´a. Which is more valuable - mukti or Parama Purus'a? Parama Purus'a!" (SS-24, 'Bhakti, Mukti and Parama Purusa') So this is a good teaching: A sadhaka should not ask for anything, not even mukti. Even then some do sadhana for mukti, but in the above Prabhat Samgiita as well as in the above quotation, Baba is instructing us that one should not do sadhana to get mukti. One should do sadhana so that one may come close and serve and please Him. [2] A'nanda deva'r l'a'gi: (Literally means 'to give bliss') The last stanza of this song describes the stance of ragatmika devotion where one does sadhana to please Him-- to give Him bliss. That is the culmination of all devotion. Baba says, "The ra'ga'tmika' bhakta says: 'I love Parama Purus'a because I want to give Him a'nandam. I don't care whether or not I get a'nandam. My only desire is to give Him joy through my love. I shall perform, even at the cost of profuse sweat and difficulty, only those noble deeds which will give Him joy. I am ready to undergo any amount of pain and suffering to give Him joy." (NKS: Disc 25)

== AM's APPROACH VS 'MODERN' SCIENCE ==

Namaskar, In the present era many innocent persons suffer from a misunderstanding about science and its application. Usually people think that modern day science has achieved the highest staure, and that it crowning glory of life, as it has led us out of the dark ages of religious dogma etc. They conclude taht we should follow the present day course of scientific achievement not adjust the path of science.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SCIENCE TO BE HELPFUL

But, as Baba guides us, for science to really become society's great asset some pre-requisites are necessary. In particular the control of science must be in the hands of sadvipras. Otherwise it creates a very negative effect that is hazardous to humanity. One further point is that civilization and the science should work hand in hand. That means science should be controlled by civilized souls. Because when the opposite happens, then all kinds of negativity sprouts. Just like in this present era where science is controlled by capitalists-- selfish people who twist science to their own greedy needs.

SCIENTIFIC "ADVANCEMENT" IN THE PRESENT ERA

So in this present era of material science, achievements chiefly come in two main ways: 1. New and newer weapons for destroying & killing others; 2. Luxurious items for the rich & lazy. But on the other side so many fields of scientific inquiry have been left neglected. Scientists have not gotten the opportunity or means to research and solve problems like providing the minimum requirements to each and every individual on this earth. What to say about the entire globe, even in the materially rich USA not all the people have their minimum requirements met. And throughout other parts of the globe starvation is quite common and even rampant in some areas. Needless to say this is not glorifying image of science and its achievement. Why all this?-- Because science is controlled by negative people and it has gotten misused: (a) science is not under the direct control of sadvipras; (b) civilization is not given proper emphasis. These following Baba's quotes all lead in that direction. Baba says, "In the present age, civilization is on the wane due to science enjoying the pride of place. But developed as science is today, if civilization is pushed up again to the top, people can reach a greater height than ever before." (PNS-6, p.37) Baba says, "What is science? That which teaches the proper use of material things is science. Where the development of civilization is utterly negligible and science gradually attains the apogee of development, science only paves the way for destruction instead of doing any good to humanity. And so, study and practice of science, though unavoidable, should not be given a higher place than civilization." (PNS-6, p.36) Baba says, "For human progress the cultivation of science must always be welcomed, but it is desirable that this cultivation of science should be carried out under the supervision of sadvipras." (PNS-6, p.15)

SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT TODAY'S SCIENCE

And here further Baba reviews issues of science in the present era. Baba says, "Today the materialist scientists of the world have become the objects of fear for the human race, lest they invent and produce various types of lethal bombs." (PNS-14, p.15) Baba says, "So we see that science is indispensable for human progress, and without it half the population of the world would die of starvation." (PNS-6, p.13) Baba says, "Nowadays science means creating new weapons - strengthening the hands of war-mongers; but the spirit of science should not be like this, and at the start, in the primordial phase of human life, it was not so. Yes, there is necessity of weapons - weapons not for strengthening the hands of warmongers, but for providing security for good ideas, good thoughts and good persons." (PNS-9, p. 42)

HOW OUR MARGA TOWERS OVER CRUDE MATERIAL SCIENCE

As Ananda Margiis we understand that material science is in a very primitive stage. Here following is some review. 1. Material science wrongly believes that building blocks of life are carbonic structures. But our Microvita philosophy says that the building block is microvita. It is microvita which carries the life. 2. Each and every margii practices fasting without water and has experienced how beneficial it is. But present day medical science basically discards this idea; rather traditional medical science says that fasting without water fasting is very dangerous, detrimental to health. 3. Each and every Margii knows the value of lymph and that Baba has warned that no one should misuse this by harboring negative thoughts and converting one's vital energy into semen, unnecessarily for self-gratification or the domination of low instincts. One should know the value of naesthika brahmacarya as well as be wary of the "bad habit of masturbation" (YT). But the beliefs and ways of present day science is just opposite. They encourage others to indulge in this negative thing. Even this is preached to the youth. In dogmatic way present day scientists preach that the loss of semen is beneficial health. But we know that this is 100% wrong.

INTERLUDE

So when material science is off the mark on these points then how far can we adjust with their viewpoints-- thus sacrificing the ideals of AM. And here following are more points where material science is far below the high standard of AM.

MORE POINTS

4. Material science does not have any concept of sentient food and whereas we know how useful and important it is to take sentient food. 5. Present day science follows the dogma that human beings are social animals and they treat humans as being part of the animal kingdom. All kinds of medical tests are done on animals so that various medicines or "scientific developments" can be approved for humans consumption. But Baba discards this idea that humans are animals. In so many discourses Baba says "human life is an ideological flow" (APH). There is no question that humans are "rational animals". 6. Material scientists believe that matter is bottled up energy. And here energy means crude energy. But Baba discards this idea. Matter is not bottled up energy. 7. Material scientists claim that everything comes from matter and we say that everything comes from Parama Purusa. They say everything is from matter and we say that everything is Cosmic emanation. 8. Material science does not believe in prapatii vada or surrender theory. But in Ananda Marga, surrender theory is the highest ideal. 9. Present day material science does not believe in the working system of homeopathy. But Baba approves of homeopathy as being the best pathy. 10. Material science claims that certain individuals like Galileo first invented certain theories like that of gravitation. But Baba enlightens us as to the real story about this: Baba says, "Bhaskaracarya first discovered that the earth was round, and not Copernicus. That the earth is moving was first discovered by Bhaskaracarya and not by Galileo. The law of gravitation was first discovered by Bhaskaracarya and not by Newton." (Disc MHB, p. 24) 11. Material science such as western linguistics thinks that Latin and Greek are the starting point of modern languages, whereas Baba has clearly demonstrated that the Sanskrit language is the underlying link of all languages around the globe. 12. Material science does not recognize anything beyond sense-perception but the entire philosophy of AM philosophy is standing on intuition. 13. Material science believes that this world is for the enjoyment of human beings. And for their enjoyment, then ecology and all related things can be consumed. But our AM philosophy holds a different feeling. As human beings have the right to life, similarly all have right to live-- One family. But material science does not consider this. 14. In AM we believe in Cosmic patrimony-- that the material property belongs to one and all. But material science does not recognise this. 15. Many aspects of the basic fundamentals of 16 Points are overlooked and by material science as it does not recognise them. 16. Like this countless points are there how the dharmic teaching of AM are far higher and more advanced that the present day ways of material science.

CONCLUSION

What Baba has given everything is aptavakya, entire creation is within the mind of Parama Purusa. To know anything He need not to do any external approach. Because everything is within Him, so what He has said that is 100% perfect and that is not going to change according to changes of time space and person. That is why all Baba's teachings are apta vakya and perfect. Baba says, "A'pta vakya or absolute knowledge is true and beneficial for all people is all ages and in all countries...The books in Ananda Marga philosophy are all absolute knowledge." (PNS-18, chap 3) In contrast in the case of material science, what one scientist says today is truth until another scientist comes along & proves that as wrong. To understand the divine teaching of Baba, the preset day material science has to travel a long pathway. So we are not going to compromise or adjust our AM philosophy at all to fit the limited ways of material science. Rather when material science advances then they will understand that greatness of Ananda Marga. Namaskar, Paramatma Note 1: Of course in AM we strongly advocate and support the use of science. No one should get confused and think AM is against science. Just the overall idea of this letter is that the more static materials science is far behind the teachings of AM. Here following Baba guides us how science should be used. Baba says, "Science is for service and beatitude. Science should always be utilised for the proper progress of human society." (PNS-9, p. 42) Note 2: The various branches of material science operate within their own spheres. So each does not understand other branches of sciences. One branch of the science does not understand another branch of material science. But AM is based on spiritual science. So it cannot be measured with the scale of material science. Material science should develop more and more and be utilised for human welfare. Then it will help in all-round development of human personality. But it has its own limitation. Subtler aspects of spiritual science will never be understood and realised by material science because of its own limitation. To understand AM, material science has to cross its material boundary. But it cannot do that otherwise it will not be seen as a material science. Then it will be called as a spiritual science. So the conclusion is that due to its inherent limitations material science will never be able to fully understand AM philosophy.

****************************************** Divine Guideline in Dhyana Process

Baba says, "In the fourth phase the relationship is just like a piece of paper; the unit consciousness of the spiritual aspirant is one side of the paper and the Cosmic Consciousness of Parama Purus'a is the other side of the paper; they are inseparable, one cannot be removed from the other. By His effulgence the unit existence, the existential faculty of the aspirant gets lighted, gets illumined. With His illumination the aspirant is to move forward and enjoy the Supreme Beatitude and the Supreme Composure." (SS-18, p.13) Note: Here above Baba is indirectly guiding about the last part of the practice of dhyana-- which every sincere sadhaka practices regularly.

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