Spirituality And Science - Part 2

Most of us know what science teaches us. But to understand relation between Spirituality and Science, first we need to understand what does spirituality teach us.

What does spirituality teach us ?

Vedas and Upanishadas contain many things like rituals, stories, philosophical stuff etc. But the essence of their contents is very short. For our understanding we will stick to something known as 'Advaitik' interpretation of Vedas. 'Advait' means 'non-dualism'. The essence of Advait philosophy is stated in two lines-

"ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या,

जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः |"

Let's understand in detail...

Spirituality tells us that the answers for ultimate truth are not outside. They are  hidden inside us. If we start peeping inside, then we will find that at the very base of our existence, there is something which can not be described in words. That thing is 'pure consciousness' which is referred as 'ब्रह्म' in vedas. The 'pure consciousness' is attribute-less. Means, it has no physical structure, no color, no voice... not only that, but it has no time also. It is free from any emotions and desires. It is a state of mere existence. It is just a state of 'being'. This is the the first part.

Now, when someone realizes 'ब्रह्म', at the same instance, he also realizes that the world is merely an apparent modification of 'ब्रह्म' - an illusion ! And I was mistaking this 'pure consciousness' for this physical world ! So, it is said that, in relation to 'pure consciousness', the physical world is 'मिथ्या' or 'unreal' - "ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या". What is ultimately real is only 'pure consciousness'.

Now, since the world is an apparent modification of 'ब्रह्म', we, our bodies, our thoughts and our minds, all is unreal. What we are in reality, is only 'pure consciousness'. And so we all are 'one'. We are not different. The perception of subject object dichotomy (perception that 'I' and rest of the world are different) is only an illusion. In fact, both subject and object are illusions. There is no subject and no object at all. What is there is only pure consciousness - 'ब्रह्म'. That's why it is said that जीव (all living beings) and ब्रह्म are not different - 'जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः'.

The teachings of Advait are incredible. It's hard to believe them in first place. But let us study.. how modern science is linked to these concepts and how these teachings makes sense through the process of modern science itself...