A Review of Kesavan's book on Science and Mysticism

[Guest guest]

I am in the process of preparing a short note as a response to the

questions on Roger Penrose's perception of the need for physicists to

prepare themselves before they can really come to grips with

Consciousness. In the meantime I would like to draw the attention of

members on the list to a book: Science and Mysticism, published in India

in 1997 (Author H.K. Kesavan), which I happened to review for The Hindu.

Here is the review:

SCIENCE AND MYSTICISM - The Essence of Vedic Philosophy. H.K. Kesavan;

New Age International (P) Limited, Publishers, 4835/24, Ansari Road,

Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002

 

 

Can a good Scientist be a truly religious person? Yes, says the author,

provided we understand what true religion ‘truly’ means! We have seen lots

and lots of books which explain Science to an intelligent layman. We have

read several books which discourse on the great philosophies of the Hindu

world. We have also heard vaguely about the various rendezvous the

frontiers of modern science have with Mysticism that is usually

associated with Religion. Of late quite a few books have been written by

Scientists in this area, particularly on the specific subject of

Consciousness so intensely talked about in Hindu philosophy. These

Scientists have several claims to make. On one side the exercise seems to

attempt a ‘rational’ explanation of the convictions of Indian philosophy

about, God, Soul and the Universe. On the other side the exercise also

seems to reveal – to some of the scientists at least – that they are

chasing a receding horizon. Amidst this spate of publications it is

heartening to find a book written by a competent Indian Scientist who

exhibits an open mind to the ‘mystic-like’ interpretations of Hindu

scriptural proclamations and simultaneously is able to put them forth with

perfect clarity in the context of modern scientific language. He

completely captures the essence of the Vedic message without belittling

evidence that is un-amenable to means of rational inquiry, The strategy

adopted is to express the Vedantic thoughts - this is the welcome novelty

of the book - in the language of standard paradigms of modern Science.

The purpose of religion being transformation of character rather than

information for memory, the author concludes, after a superb exposition

running to more than 200 pages, that the aim of spiritual instruction

should be to present both the theoretical and practical aspects about the

science of the ultimate truth, known as mysticism, and the efforts of the

individual are to be directed towards unveiling the self-luminous

knowledge that is ever present. It is the theme of mysticism that provides

the common basis for comparison of religious truths with the basic tenets

of science. The author develops this theme and, en route, carries a

legitimate, leisurely survey of Hindu Vedanta, with a masterly precision

that is characteristic of a good scientist and with the firm conviction

that is natural to the truly religious.

The first chapter entitled ‘Some Paradigms of Science’ dwells on the

bifurcation between the pursuit of science and that of religion. Science

researches into the constancy of Nature through its ‘laws’ that are

continuously unravelled by its relentless research. Reasoning reveals

that side by side with the basic existence of the external universe there

is a constant change and flux. This paradoxical union of being and

becoming may be attributed to what one might call a universal ‘mind’, the

complete ramification of which is what science is all about. The word

‘mind’ used here is only an imitation of the concept of ‘individual mind’

which is the other feature of the twin existence of Man and Nature. While

the individual mind has the facility of a subjective verification and

‘experience’ of its own conclusions, the universal mind has no way of

revealing itself to us except through human observation, experimentation

(which is most often indirect), a rational analysis, a further speculation

and further experimentation. The march of this absolutely honest science

leads us to the concepts of causality, reductionism which seeks to

understand the universe by fragmenting it, the seminal discovery that we

are living in an expanding universe, the notion of eternality suggested by

the concept of space-time, the possibly non-inert nature of the sub-atomic

world, the blurring of the distinction between the observer and the

observed in the micro-universe, and the opening out of genetic secrets

through the gadgetry of molecular biology but which still is far away from

the understanding of the origin of consciousness in life. Hindu

philosophy on the other hand starts by investigating the individual mind,

but the complete holistic picture emerges only when the infinite character

of the universal mind is brought in.

In the next chapter, The Vedas and the Vedic Philosophy, one finds,

after a brief background of the scriptures, a really smooth outline of

the philosophy embedded in the Upanishads. Very rightly the author

emphasizes that Hindu philosophy prefers to start its probe of the mystery

of the universe by first probing into what is experienced at the human

level, by investigating what constitutes the innermost essence of man and

the observer in him. This is the Psychic Principle, the substratum of the

individual Self, called Âtman. Contrasted with this is the Cosmic

Principle, called Brahman. The unique declaration of the Upanishads is

that these two are the same. This identity is of special significance.

Bereft of this identity the Cosmic Principle is only in the nature of

speculation . Brahman of the Upanishads is not any more an isolated

concept, nor is Atman to be mistaken for ‘something which is characterized

by diminutive dimensions of finitude’, though experienced only by the

individual self. ‘It was here’, says Paul Deussen, ’for the first time the

original thinkers of the Upanishads, to their immortal honour, found God’.

 

The third chapter brings an assortment of various concepts which throw

further light on the Vedic Philosophy. Some of these are: Ways and means

to overcome our spiritual ignorance, the Karma doctrine which informs us

that God does not play dice in the case of the spiritual evolution of the

individual soul, the four goals of life, the three states of

Consciousness, the possibility of inferring a fourth state, the

descriptive verbal model of the five sheaths that exist between the state

of spiritual ignorance and the state of spiritual enlightenment, the

proclamation of the scriptures on the existence of a primal sound of the

Universe, the strategy of controlling Prajnâ (mental energy) and Prâna

for the purpose of turning the mind away from its outward obsessions and

towards the inner ocean of tranquillity, and some medical findings about

Meditation - which are pointers to the fact that ‘the human personality

is not confined to the triad of states’ only.

What is Reality? Is it subjective or objective? Can it be both? Do we

cognize the world because it is already there or do we create it by our

cognition? Are there ever-increasing orders of Reality? Is there a

mathematical model? Is Evolution only a biological phenomenon? By

penetrating deeper and deeper towards the core of the human soul, does one

get close to the comprehension of the Incomprehensible Reality? What kind

of testimonies are valid in this quest? Are Eastern and Western

philosophies different in their handling of testimonies? Why is verbal

testimony, the testimony of the Sruti, important? What is Consciousness?

What is the seat of Consciousness? In what sense are attempts like

Chardin’s Thesis of The Omega Point (1959) wherein the idea of a

non-physical entity (like radial energy) was used for purpose of guiding

future evolution, analogous to the concept of Mahat in Indian Philosophy?

How logical is the conclusion (for example, as in Shadows of the Mind of

Roger Penrose, 1989) that ‘human insight lies beyond formal argument and

beyond computable procedures’? These and other questions form the subject

of a meticulous discussion in the rest of the third chapter.

Chapters 4, 5 and 6 forming one-third of the book, constitute a bonanza

of encyclopaedic ancient wisdom, not to be usually expected in a book on

Science and Mysticism written by a scientist. In conformity with the

sub-title of the book, these three chapters form a delightful thesis on

three technical areas of Indian Philosophy, namely, Sankhya and Yoga;

Samkara’s Non-dualism (Advaita); and Ramanuja’s Theism (Visishtâdvaita).

All the technical concepts pertaining to these doctrines, namely, the

several evolutes of Prakriti; the staircase model versus the feedback

model, of Ashtânga Yoga; Mithyâ, Mâyâ and Adhyâsa in the theory of

Advaita; Prapatti and Bhakti in Visishtâdvaita; the absolute with

attributes and without attributes; and a host of other concepts, all

find their due place in the discussion. A reading of these chapters would

lead us to believe that they have been written not just to satisfy an

intellectual curiosity but to share with the reader a certain deep faith

in the philosophical tradition handed down to us by towering Indian

giants of Spirituality.

The last chapter is the crowning glory of the book. The fact that a

mechanical or intellectual comparison of the different philosophical

doctrines is not as important as a consistent spiritual practice to

overcome one’s own unique set of conditions of ignorance is well brought

out. Religion should imply the sparking of a burning desire for the

realization of God. Whatever school of philosophy one believes in, the

goal of attaining a higher state of consciousness should be the dominant

purpose. This higher state of consciousness is not that of the physicist

who ‘sees’ the microscopic universe as composed of myriads of ‘quarks’ and

‘strings’ but it is the Consciousness of the mystic who ‘sees’ the macro

and the micro together in a holistic all-embracing Infinitude. When the

individual mind gets into the habit of frequenting this non-manifest

field of existence through Meditation, automatically it also attains a

heightened awareness for its pursuits of material excellence. To embark

on this spiritual journey is the first step towards an enduring solution

for the chronic problems afflicting mankind. So concludes this remarkable

book. It has a list of references and an index at the end. The index can,

however, afford to be much enlarged.

Comments on the side are everywhere in the book. These add spice to the

already relishable menu. For instance, while writing about Advaita he

says (p.143): Samkara’s emphatic assertion that the philosophical

investigation should proceed from (the Vedic testimony of) the Absolute

rather than from consideration of the relative field of existence can be

viewed as a qualitative assertion of the (implications of the) famous

mathematical theorem (of Godel) that we can never successfully explore the

infinite from the realm of the finite. The whole book may be likened

to a running commentary by an expert cricket commentator who takes us

along by his enthusiasm and educates us without our knowing it as he moves

from one subtlety to another of the fast-moving game. On the whole, it is

an excellent addition to the spiritual literature of the modern world,

that should be in the hands of every one interested in uplifting himself.

 

 

V. Krishnamurthy.

PranAms to all advaitins.

Profvk

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

The URL of my website has been simplified as

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access both my books from there.

[Guest guest]

Namaskar Prof VK:

 

I am looking forward to your note on Roger Penrose's perception of the

need for physicists to

prepare themselves before they can really come to grips with

Consciousness.

 

I enjoyed reading your review of Kesavan's book and you have provided

lots of insights and clarifications regarding the question of science

and mysticism. Your introductory question reminds me Einstein who was

truly a religious person. Several quotations of Einstein confirms his

religious beliefs. Quantum physicists argued that the universe is

essentially the outcome of random events, but Albert Einstein replied

that "God does not play dice." Einstein's another famous quotation is:

"Science without religion is lame and religion without science is

blind!" Kesavan's assessment is quite correct and appropriate.

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

"V. Krishnamurthy" wrote:

>

> "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk

>

>

> Can a good Scientist be a truly religious person? Yes, says the author,

> provided we understand what true religion ‘truly’ means! We have seen lots

> and lots of books which explain Science to an intelligent layman. ....

[Guest guest]

Glad to see Professor Krishnamurthy back on the list. Book review was

excellent.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda