Human existence has no meaning without spiritual values; these values extend the scope of spirituality into all areas of life and spheres of action, including science.
One of our biggest mistakes has been the separation of science and spirituality. Through this, we created two sets of two people — the so-called ‘rationalists’ and so-called ‘religious.’ Religion and spirituality are said to be based on blind faith, whereas science, which is proven through experimentation, is in fact. The question arises: “Which side are you on — faith or proven fact?”
This segregation has created an unnecessary rift in society, resulting in tremendous conflict in the individual and in the world. The depletion of our natural resources and disappearing harmony between man and nature can ultimately be traced back to this mistake. If we want the world to continue in a sustainable and balanced manner, science and spirituality must unite. The present age and the world around us demand this transformation.
This separation is founded on a misunderstanding. It is inaccurate to say that spirituality is based on blind faith. Just as modern scientists research the external world, ancient sages conducted research in the inner laboratories of their minds. In this way. they were also scientists. The foundation of spirituality is not blind faith but inquiry — a deep inquiry into one’s own true nature. Scriptures recount experiences of those who performed intense inner inquiry. Even a scientist first formulates a hypothesis. He then tries to prove it via experiments. In this manner, the scientist moves from theory to theory until he arrives at the truth.
Indian spirituality has never considered science and spirituality at odds, but more like two wings of a bird. Science deals with the objective world, whereas spirituality deals with the subjective — ultimate essence of one’s existence. The former is about the seen; latter is about the seer, pure consciousness, the indwelling Self-Science has made tremendous contributions in areas of technology and medicine and has helped to increase our physical comfort and understanding of the physical world. However, if we want to discover inner peace and contentment, universal compassion and love, then we need to turn to spirituality. Otherwise, our lives and our actions will be imbalanced.
Once, there was a super-computer that was said to be able to answer any question about science, math, history, geography. People would ask it questions about everything under the sun, and in an instant the correct answer would flash on its screen. Then, one day, a clever little boy came forward.
He said, “Hi, Supercomputer. How are you?” The screen blinked and blinked, flashed off and on, and then it just went blank. There was no answer. The computer that could answer every question about the external world couldn’t answer a single question about itself.
Spirituality and life are not two; they are one. Thus, spiritual understanding should affect not only how we think, but also how we speak and act. This is why our ancestors gave so much importance to sharing, caring, and compassion. Human existence has no meaning without spiritual values. It is these values that extend the scope of spirituality into all areas of life, all areas of life, all spheres of action, including science. Blending of science and spirituality — technology and compassion — is the need of the hour. Science and technology must be used to uplift the poor.
Today, universities are ranked primarily based on the amount of funding they receive, the number of papers their faculty publish and their intellectual caliber. Faculty are promoted according to the same criteria, too. However, we should take into consideration how much they have been able to use their research to serve the lowest and most vulnerable strata of society.
Whether or not God exists might be a source of debate, but no rational person can ever say that suffering does not exist. Service to the poor is worship of God. May we develop the expansive mindedness to embrace both scientific knowledge and spiritual understanding, and use science and technology to help the poor and those who are suffering. We can no longer afford to view these two streams of knowledge as flowing in opposite directions. They complement one another. If we marge these streams, we will find that we are able to create a mighty river — a river whose waters can remove suffering and spread cheer to all of humanity.
