Occam's Razor

[Guest guest]

Purna Tattva das prabhu inquired:

 

> a] Solar eclipse: is this auspicious or inauspicious?

 

> b] If the sun is closer than the moon, how then can the moon

> eclipse the sun? I've heard they say that it is not the moon

> but the invisible Rahu planet. But if it is like that, then

> how can they exactly on the minute predict the eclipse and

> also how long it takes?

 

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I offer my obeisances to all Vaishnavas everywhere.

 

Ordinarily, by "Hindu" custom, eclipses were considered inauspicious.

But ever since Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu advented Himself during

an eclipse, we must consider eclipses auspicious. Solar eclipses are

of course inauspicious for anyone observing them with the naked eye,

or with insufficient eye protection, since serious damage to the eye

can result from direct observation. However, viewing the sun's image

as projected on white paper is quite safe.

 

The second question has a premise that makes no sense. What possible

rationale can a thinking human devise or create for postulating that

the sun is closer than the moon? Every grade schooler knows that the

earth is some 93 million miles from the sun, whilst the moon is only

about 250,000 miles from the earth. Those who claim the contrary can

only expose Krsna consciousness to general ridicule.

 

There is a principle called Occam's Razor, that should be invoked in

such cases. Basically it means that, when there are two explanations

proposed for a phenomenon, the simpler one is the one more likely to

be correct. Just as Ptolemy could only maintain the geo-centric view

by postulating complicated planetary epicyclic motions, whereas much

simpler planetary paths are derived from a sun-centric system, Krsna

conscious devotees need to abandon perverse anti-science world views

fostering over-credulous gullibility, and cultivate an understanding

of the scientific method, including a sound knowledge of observation

based astronomy. As Purna Tattva prabhu suggests, astronomers, using

a computational model that utterly disregards Rahu, accurately fore-

tell eclipses to the millisecond and calculate tables of ephemeridae

hundreds of years into the future. Since Rahu is not necessary to an

understanding of the universe, why not simply discard Rahu, or treat

it as a pretty legend only, like the "Just So Stories"? Let's accept

with thanks the discoveries of the astronomers, and reject nonsense-

spouting astrologers and anti-science quacks.

 

Some things discovered by science have not been of benefit, and thus

we need to employ our sense of values and ethics, especially as some

scientists claim to be "value-neutral" (i.e., amoral). But to refuse

to accept genuine observational results which can be verified by any

educated and independent-thinking person is an ostrich-like attitude

that guarantees Krsna consciousness will only be accepted by loonies

and ignoramuses.

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

Best wishes,

Ananda das

[Guest guest]

I did not take part in such discussions in the past, but to this I must

respond: Thanks God that someone in ISKCON started to think reasonably. Good

reply, Ananda prabhu. I am not much into glorifying others but your attitude

regarding scientific and anti-scientific method is (unfortunately) rare in

ISKCON and thus it deserves approval where encountered.

 

yours,

 

Dvaipayana Vyasa das