Science & Religion

10/19/09

Hope you all had a delightful Diwaali,  the Festival of Lights. Light (Jyoati) is the symbol of Hope, Knowledge and Wisdom. It is good sometimes to just sit quiet and brood over this creation, the external world of things, as also the individual's internal world of thoughts. To perceive the ever-changing phenomena the world is, and wonder if there is a changeless Entity that is witnessing all these changes. At some point we would realize that our reasoning fails, and, intuition or faith comes into play. We begin to understand that there is some unknown inexplicable Power, beyond our sense-perceptions, that seems to be, silently and latently, ever operating.

This quest for Truth, and Its realization, took place thousands of years ago in India, by the ancient Sages, who delved deep into the innermost depths of their intellect, and visualized a clear perspective of the nature of Godhead, nature of this creation, the place of individual, as also their inter-relationship. In the recent past, the western thinkers and modern scientists began to comprehend those Truths and the Wisdom therein. Let us see what one of the greatest modern scientists, the renowned thinker of the previous century, Albert Einstein had to say concerning science and religion:     

  "The religious inclination lies in the dim consciousness that dwells in humans, that all Nature, including the humans in it, is in no way an accidental game, but a work of lawfulness that there is a fundamental cause of all existence"...."Try and penetrate with our limited means, the secrets of Nature, and you will find that, behind all the discernable laws and connections, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this Force, beyond anything that we comprehend, is my religion".... " To sense that behind anything that can be experienced, there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly, this is religiousness".... " The realm of science is to ascertain what is the case, but not evaluate human thoughts and actions about what should be the case. Religion has the reverse mandate. Yet, the endeavors worked together at times. Science can be created only by those who are thoroughly imbued with the aspiration towards truth and understanding. This source of feeling, however, springs from the sphere of religion"...."The main source of the present day conflicts between the spheres of religion and of science, lies in the concept of a personal God"....."Human beings in their thinking, feeling and acting, are not free, but are as casually bound, as the stars in their motions".       

Well, good food for thought and reflection !