Occam's Razor and Aesop's Contributions

[Guest guest]

On 22 Sep 1999, Ananda das wrote:

 

> Srimati Madhusudani Radha dasi prabhu (Mill Valley, Calif.) comments on

> the lamentable tendency of some Vaishnavas to fixate on unimportant

> minutiae as if the whole of our philosophical outlook on life and our

> relationship with Sri Krsna and our spiritual masters depended on it:

>

> > I frankly don't understand this preoccupation with the moon....

> > As far as I've seen, this moon paranoia has never brought anyone

> > closer to developing love for Krsna. Rather, it puts devotees

> > in touch with a whole bunch of crazy, marginal elements of society

> > and, not surprisingly, this gets us in trouble at times.

 

This is pure speculation. Every part of of the Bhagavatam is bhakti because

it's in relation with the Supreme Lord. And the instructions are telling us

to accept it all whether it tallies with our imperfect mind or not. If you

don't follow the method of bhakti, what are you following?? Your mind? Can

your imperfect limited mind understand the glories of the super intelligent

Lord Krsna??? If so, it makes your mind>God. Than what type of God is He?

First thing is, do you believe in God?

 

> > We can see in ISKCON's everyday life that indeed such things as

> > "moon paranoia" or anything out of common sense did never bring

> > anyone "closer to developing love for Krsna". This is a hard fact.

 

Is it devotional service to read the Fifth Canto??? This "hard" fact he's

talking about is his speculation and biased observation. The fifth canto was

my main attraction for reading the Bhagavatam so much so that I made a

multimedia CD out of it!

 

> > If we ask modern scientists to give good proofs for what they say

> > and if we blame them for cheating when they are wrong (or sometimes

> > intentionally cheat) then we must apply the same system for our set

> > of knowledge and beliefs.

 

WRONG! Modern scientists follow the method of observe and test so whatever

they want us to accept, they have to show us how to observe and test it.

However, they are not doing that (i.e., distances to planets, Big Bang,

Evolution, etc.) Our method is that you approach a person who knows the

Absolute Truth and inquire from him and by rendering of devotional service,

the Absolute Truth is revealed. WHY SHOULD WE FOLLOW THEIR METHOD??? THEY

DON'T FOLLOW THEIR OWN METHOD. That's hypocracy. The problem is YOU ARE NOT

FOLLOWING YOUR OWN METHOD and due to your lack of realizations, you have to

adopt the imperfect method of the scientists.

 

> > If "accept it as it is" is not "blindly", then what is "blindly"? Blind

> > acceptance is when one accepts something without asking for any evidence,

> > either a direct, substantial evidence that can be observed (pratyaksha)

> > or an evidence of logic and reasoning (anumana) or in religious case an

> > evidence from the knowledge which came from God (sabda).

 

Again speculation. Blind means there is no method of verification ever. If I

tell you, the Big Bang occurred and you accept it; that's blind because it's

something that scientists are NOT offering us a method to oberve. However, if

I tell you that you can also come to this stage of Krsna consciousness by

practicing such and such thing and reading such and such books; that's

verfication. It's called DIRECT PERCEPTION BY THE SELF not perception through

imperfect senses. How do I know that everything that the physics books is

teaching is true??? I have not done observations on any of their statements.

 

> > potential fanatics, who will in the course of time do more damage than

good.

 

It's people who pretend to be devotees while rejecting their spiritual masters

who are the dangerous elements of the Krsna consciousness society. People who

mix up two different processes by picking and choosing what they like through

their imperfect minds and thus rejecting Krsna's system.

 

> > Sadaputa prabhu did offer an explanation, but not much proof for it.

> > I have read [his] book. While multi-dimensional world is an interesting...

 

You don't need any multi-dimensional view to understand that the sun is

further away than the moon; it's directly stated.

 

> > Moon which are reasonably well proved and anyone with a basic knowledge

> > of trigonometry can calculate distances for himself.

 

Okay, tell me the formulae; I want to calculate the distance myself rather

than BLINDLY follow your foolish statements.

 

> mathematics is widespread at least in the United States and Canada. The

> situation in Europe, Japan and China is probably not so bad, because the

> secondary schools there are more rigorous.

 

No material qualifications need to realize Krsna. I know calculus and

differential equations, but I don't see how the scientists' observations can

be considered the ultimate answer given their constantly changing nature and

assuming conditions that they know nothing about.

 

> When we read "athato brahma jijnasa," this is an appeal to reason, not

> the diktat of a closed mind...

 

Stop speculating. It means to search out the cause of all causes not to

BLINDLY accept some scientist who is constantly changing his theories. I

still am waiting for proof that the physics books is accurate. I have no

time to conduct the millions of experiments to prove it. So tell me, what

method do I use to verify it except for just accepting it blindly!

 

> Srila Prabhupada once told me: "You have a good brain. Krsna has given

> you a good brain. You must use it for His service. Don't just be blind

> follower.

 

Exactly! You should take Srila Prabhupada's advice; use your brain to serve

Krsna not the scientists' speculations. Propagate His message not theirs.

Take help from those who have realizations in Krsna consciousness not from

those who constantly revising their theories.

 

> > And it would not be the proof to say "explanation A is absolutely right,

> > ergo, anything that differs from it must be wrong. And since explanation B

> > does differ from explanation A it is therefore wrong and A being right

> > and B being wrong, we conclude that A far surpasses B".

 

Krsna consciousness surpasses modern science; any fool can see that the

process of Krsna consciousness demands no change and scientists are constantly

updating and changing. So best to avoid changing theories until you have

fully examined the unchanging ones. And the taste of the pudding is in the

eating [those who are fully following].

 

> > While giving a proof one must observe all standard rules of logic,...

 

Yes, the logic is "I am imperfect and suffering. Is there anyone who is

perfect and in a better condition who can help me?"

 

> microscopes, X-rays, etc.., is adequate and satisfactory, leads us to

> external ridicule and disastrous internal disjunction between (alas, all...

 

Just choose your authority. Your imperfect mind or one who has seen the truth

and can show you the truth.

 

When I entered the physics class, no one proved every single statement to me,

everyone in class sat like ZOMBIES and accepted blindly whatever the teacher

said.

 

your servant,

 

Virender