Ref Science and Spirituality

[Guest guest]

Science and Spirituality:

 

I received an interesting posting from Pundit Pravien Jyotishi on this

subject

He seems to come from the Jain tradition. Some of the point were relevant

to our earlier postings - hence I enclose part of his postings for the

list.

 

jay

 

--------Posting from Pt Pravien Jyotishi---------------------

 

Mahavira, twenty-five centuries ago, used to make each of his

statements with a " perhaps. " If you asked him, " Is there a God? " he

would say, " Perhaps. " In those days it was not understood at all --

because how can you say, " Perhaps " ? Either God is or is not. It seems

so simple and so logical: " If God is, God is; if he is not, he is not.

What do you mean by 'perhaps'? "

 

Now it can be understood. Mahavira was using the same language in

religion that is being used by Albert Einstein in physics. Albert

Einstein calls it the theory of relativity. Mahavira has called his

philosophy exactly the same: sapekshawad -- the theory of relativity.

Nothing is certain, everything is flexible, fluid. The moment you have

said something, it is no longer the same.

 

Things don't exist, Mahavira says, but only events. That's what modern

science is saying, that there are no things in the world, but only

events. And we cannot say anything absolutely, we cannot say, " This is

so. " Whenever somebody says absolutely, " This is so, " he is behaving

foolishly. In the past he was thought to be a man of knowledge; the

more certain he was, the more it was thought that he knew. The

uncertain person, the hesitating person, was thought to be ignorant.

 

That's why Mahavira could not influence the world very much; he came

too early, he arrived before his time. Now is the time for him -- now

he will be understood by the scientist.

He was talking to people, the ordinary masses, who

could not understand his syadawad -- his perhaps-ism. People wanted

certain knowledge: " Is there a God? " And Mahavira would say, " Perhaps.

Yes -- in one way it can be said yes, and in another it can be said

no. And both are right together, simultaneously. " Now the time has

come. Don't try to reconcile things -- that will be a false

phenomenon. Just watch, just look deep into things as they are. They

are already reconciled; there is no conflict in existence. All

contraries are complementaries.

 

very kind regards,

Pt. Pravien Mahabier, Jyotishi.