In this external world, which is full of finite things, it is impossible to see and find the Infinite. The Infinite must be sought in that alone which is infinite, and the only thing infinite about us is that which is within us, our own soul. Neither the body, nor the mind, nor even our thoughts, nor the world we see around us, is infinite.
- Swami Vivekananda
When I was in class II, my school teacher taught me that Sun rises in the east; it revolves around the earth and sets in the west. She taught with proper diagram on the board. But in the evening my tuition teacher tells me that it’s the earth which revolves around the sun and not the sun around the earth. I had more faith in my school teacher and hence assumed my tuition teacher does not have actual knowledge. Also he was very strict with a very stern face. Taking this as an opportunity, I complained to my father that he is teaching me wrong and asked him to change the tuition teacher. He smiled but then I did not understand his smile.
Later when I was in class VI, the science teacher taught us about the nine planets and how they revolve around the sun and contributes to weather change. My memory flashed back to my tuition teacher and my father’s smile. This time I smiled.
This is just an example where it happens that the fact which is not true to me today can be acceptable tomorrow.
Let me tell you now that the intention of this piece of article is to analyze why the spirituality is mainly looked as irrational belief in this era of Information Technology and will there be any tomorrow with rational belief on spirituality.
Wait! Wait… I want to make clear here only that I am not an expert on the subject but there are valid facts and figures which brings a different set of thoughts.
The “Universe”. No one has defined and no one claimed to know it completely. The size of the Universe is beyond measurement. The age is beyond calculation. Generations to generations have done their research in to the vast expanse of the Universe and the journey is still on. As per the discoveries the Universe consists of Stars, Planets, asteroids etc. The Earth is like a sand particle of this Universe. We can well imagine what fraction of the Universe we are.
Who created the Universe? Why it was created? What is the power which holds the Universe? What is the significance of the human beings and other living creatures in the Universe? Who governs the laws of the Universe? If there is some power then who is holding this cosmic power and who keeps the control of the whole Universe in his hand? What is there in the human body which differentiates the dead and alive? What goes out of living body whose absence makes it a cold dead body? What is soul ? Where is soul and who has seen it? Is there any reality on incarnation and rebirth?
As humans progressed, they started to question the nature and its method of working. We came up with Bing bang Postulates, laws of gravitation and buoyancy and so on. Today, we believe that we can explain all the natural behaviors with the help of the scientific theories we have.
Now, if someone’s activities violate the law of science, then it become miraculous to us. When a man walks on the water of the pond or river, then this is something which cannot be accepted scientifically or logically because as per the law of buoyancy, an object floats on water if the weight of the object is equal to the weight of the water displaced. But here the law of the buoyancy is violated and hence it becomes indigestible for the scientific section of the people.
Miracles are not new in India. The history of India is full of miracles. Walking on the water, walking on the coal fire without getting burn, telling the past of an individual without asking even a single question, doing mediation under the ground for long days without any source of air and water, producing something from nothing etc. The history of India has been described as the land of religion and philosophy, the birth place of spiritual giants and the land of renunciation. When Swami Vivekananda was asked on Indian Miracles by an American Journalist then he replied “"We do not believe in miracles at all but that apparently strange things may be accomplished under the operation of natural laws. There is a vast amount of literature in India on these subjects, and the people there have made a study of these things.”
If we talk about spirituality, many of us relate spiritual practices with superstitions and make it as a topic of fun. Spirituality says that its core aim is to make us realize who we are…? To make us realize the absolute power and to make our soul free from the materialistic world for the attachment to the real cosmic power of the Universe. The spirituality is above all religions, sect and caste. In fact one of the main intentions of religion is to show the path to attain spirituality.
We all know about Satya Sai Baba who had millions of followers all over the world and very countable number of critics. Most of the people became his followers mainly by his miraculous and godly blessings. Some got direct impact of his blessings; many saw the miracles from their naked eye. For many, Baba understood their problem without asking them.
All these made people believe that this person is different from many of us. This person possesses some extra miraculous power. The people found godly qualities in him. This attracted people to come near to Baba. But many, who believe only in the laws of nature put by scientific theory, they are in dilemma to comment anything. They are not ready to accept all these. But at the same time they wonder how a person who was born in a very remote village, did not go to any convent school or abroad universities for any degree, without having any magician as guru possess superhuman power and also manages the big trust worth many crores. How everything is so organized without any hue and cry and management issues. That too he acquired his miraculous power at the age of eight only.
The outcome and theories of the science are bounded and limited to the horizon of our five senses i.e. eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin. The spiritual experience is beyond these five senses and cannot be proved by scientific laws. Like the scientific observations, spiritual experience is not constant from individual to individual. The spirituality introduces an individual to himself and his soul. This extends far beyond the physical world of matters. This is above the state of affairs of gender, race, religion, and family and job status of the life. The spirituality connects us with profoundly powerful and divine forces.
Our scientific discoveries merely rely on the materialistic approach and materialistic evidence provided by the five senses which can literally be seen, heard, tasted, touched and smelled. As said above, India is also known as land of renunciation. There were and there are a lot of spiritual gurus in India who acquired all the knowledge and were fully aware of the happenings in the world. They did not go to any place, no college, and no lab experiment. But just sitting in a corner and silent place, they observed the world. To make the people aware of the spirituality, they also came in to the materialistic world and told the people about the knowledge accumulated in the Vedas, Purans, Geeta etc.
Yes, it’s true that many idiots have taken undue advantage of the spiritual faith and tried to make money only. In the recent we heard so many saints and sadhu’s scams which tarnish our belief in spirituality and spiritual gurus. Again this is something which is not new. Even in the times of Swami Dayananad and Swami Vivekanand, the fake gurus were large in number but they found their spiritual gurus and got the answer of their life changing questions. The spiritual persons are mostly lost in their own world. The experiences are shared with interested persons only. The people whose world revolves around the materialistic world generally are against the spirituality. Most public are under the impression that supporting spirituality means boosting irrational practices. Recently when Sachin Tendulkar and some other big wigs went to Puttapartti to pay their tribute to their guru, then many commented against them and said they should not set such examples.
When the Tsunami waves hit the countries situated around the Bay of Bengal there were huge number of causalities and deaths on the sea shore area. But the tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Island knew it in advance and moved to forest or higher places before the Tsunami hit and there were no causalities even though the epicenter of the quake was near to their homeland.
They did not get any information from any meteorological department. They live with nature and understand the word of nature. Nature speaks but everyone does not have the ear to listen and understand. They understand the omen and know the nature’s action well in advance.
The Robin Sharma’s famous book “The Monk who sold his Ferrari” very well illustrates how a lawyer who has acquired all the materialistic assets and was very successful in the eyes of all and was a source of inspirations for many who were either in the same profession as him or others. But personally, he found himself very near to death. He got heart attack and collapsed in the court-room, sweating and shivering. He looked more than his age. His hair and beard became grey before the suitable age. He feels all his assets are of no value as he is not able to use and enjoy them. One day the lawyer sold all his properties including his Ferrari and left for India. He discovered the powerful, wise and spiritual lessons from the sages living in the Himalayas. When he returned back to his country, he was a completely different man. He looked divine, wise and young. Hi explains to his friend lawyer about the sages of Himalayas who know all secrets of how to live life happily, how to fulfill one’s dream and reach one’s destiny, how one should cultivate self- discipline and act courageously and how to follow our Life’s mission and calling and how to live fully one day at a time.
From the above information, so many conclusions can be drawn which depends on the understanding and the world in which the person is involved and grown up.Also, the experience one encounters in life.
The spirituality and Science are not against each other. This is how we perceive the world, the materialistic world with our five senses or the infinite Universe with infinite soul. The Spirituality is a feeling while science is an observation. Spirituality is a private affair and a subjective one as compared to the objective domain of observable behavior and material objects that we can point to and measure directly. Science gives measurement but there is no standard to measure the extent of spiritual observation. Science observes and then defines and put theories but spiritual experience is not easy to define and talk.
Many perplex questions come to us like which path to follow and move forward …? Are we here only to feed ours stomach …? Are we here only to run behind the success as defined and visualized on the earth…? Is the path towards the God leads through human services i.e. by providing helping hands towards the poor and downtrodden…? Is it fair to leave the family and society and go for renunciation towards Himalaya…? Which is the prime and most important path to follow among spirituality, service towards humanity or the responsibility towards job, family and society…?
Life is ours and hence decision is ours where we feel more satisfied and happy and gets the sense of fulfillment in life. In this small span of mortal life, we have to decide how to balance and lead a meaning life otherwise so many come like insects and worms in this vast ocean and so many die every day.
