Spirituality and science

Science is the question ‘How’, ‘What’, ‘Why ‘? This is what science is, spirituality is wonder, just wow ! Every scientific discovery leads to the realm of spirituality, as you all know there has never been a distinction between Spirituality and Science they are such compatible partners or I would even say, two sides of the same coin. Fulfillment in life can only come through “Gyana and Vigyana” “Science and Spirituality” two ways of looking at the same thing in existence. Spirituality elevates matter to the level of life, level of divinity, creates a sense of honour. You know we honour everything that is sacred and when we think the whole world is sacred, that is when our spiritual quest begins. In this country and around the whole world, ancient people always regarded the entire nature as sacred. Let us see what is the mechanism of Sacredness - when we think something is sacred there is a certain consciousness, awareness that comes. I can take this as a paper but if think this is the Bible of the Gita, or the Quran how would I take the same book? With attention... so a hundred percent sacredness brings a shift in our consciousness. We are all made up of spirit and matter. To understand from one level, body is amino acids, proteins and minerals but the spirit is made up of what? So our ancient saints, scientist said spirit is made up of beauty, love, joy, enthusiasm, comfort this is what our spirit is made up of. Spirituality is all that enhances love in us, brings peace, makes us feel wow, makes us feel wonder, makes us feel truth, makes us feel wisdom. When the world is called Maya we need to understand Maya. You know the word maya means that, which can be measured “Meyate Aniyaiti Maya”. All that can be measured is called maya and that which cannot be measured is called “Maheswara” ... and what is Maheswara - the divine, divinity, consciousness, truth, beauty and love that cannot be measured. We are combination of both, every child is born as a spiritual being and every child’s mind is also a scientist because by the age of three or four years he/she starts asking, pouring questions to you. Children ask so many questions to you, questions indicate the scientific temperament, and the eyes of the child that reflect the love indicates the spiritual being. For a child even objects come alive - animals are not just another creature, they are alive they have the emotions. Even the sun and the moon they all smile at the child. In the comic book children think the moon is laughing, sun is laughing. You know the entire creation is one organism - there is life in every particle of this universe “Eko devas sarv bhutantaratama”. Divinity, one consciousness permeates the entire creation. God is present in every single atom of this planet and universe. Spirituality is important in life to make you a child again, see values, relate to people on that level. Compassion, love, sense of belongingness with everyone to shed barriers and boundaries that we have built and, again see that comfort comes from both science and spirituality. Science brings us material also physical comfort and also spirituality brings comfort to our souls. It makes us feel light, feel natural. I am reminded of one of the ancient sayings that says “padarth, gyanaat, moksha” ... even if you understand one particle in the creation thoroughly you will be liberated, you don’t even need to believe in God’s existence. If you want to start from a particle, understanding that single particle you will arrive at a point - where you recognise the enormously beautiful power on this planet, in which all beings are, all life is, and of which we are all a part. When you are able to break all the barriers, inhibitions, feel freedom within you then we have come close to our spirits and I think we need to look into some simple tips on how can we do this really. The first law of spiritual awakening or quest in us is to stop blaming ourselves, when we blame ourselves, we cannot go near ourselves, we try to keep away from ourself. isn’t it? If you blame somebody, would you like to be with them? No. when you blame someone it doesn’t take a long time to blame yourself. Vice versa when you blame yourself, you start blaming others, stop blaming yourself and others and see things from scientific angle. The phenomenon that happens. Suppose your husband or wife is upset have scientific temperament, some chemical reaction is going in their brains, you know your friend is upset, you say oh!! There is some chemical reaction is happening. In Bhagawad gita it is said “Guna guneshu varnante iti matwa nas jyte ite”, whenever you see something that something not very nice is happening to you or someone is misbehaving in an unpleasant manner - know that there is some quality in them that is making them behave that way. A scientific angle will help your mind, save your mind from lot of emotional and mental traumas. Spirituality provides that inner relief, security within you, friendliness. You know there is one thing called linear thinking. That is to think everything begins somewhere and ends somewhere. Most of our thoughts and philosophies in the world have been going on in a linear fashion - but, there is another fashion to it, the spherical thinking. When the ancient Rishis were asked how this universe was formed, they said “first tell me which is the beginning point of a ball” what came first egg or the chicken, tree or seed. So the spherical thinking is - every point is the beginning and every point is the end or, there is no beginning and no end. All that cannot be measured, has no beginning and no end - that is what spirituality is, spirit is and the spirit loves diversity A scientific spirituality and a spiritual scientist is the need of the day today in organisations. I mean, I am happy to see number of organizations joining together, and an effort is being made to bring comfort from both the science and the spirit to all of us.

- His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar