science and spirituality 4

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science and spirituality 4...

 

Origin of Value System

 

Just as the lower centers in the nervous system are suppressed,

controlled, and influenced by the higher centers, the newly developed

centers in the God-man will influence the present day brain functions.

Some functions would be suppressed and others added. Just as with the

development of neo-cortex in human beings (which was a leap over the

monkeys and apes), language, art, music, and mathematics were added to

human consciousness, similarly, this new cortical development will add

qualities of universal love, brotherhood, renunciation, and

discrimination to the future human consciousness. This will become

psychology of the future man. The human qualities are employed to do the

things unimaginable: like development of science and technology,

similarly, the new intelligence will make it possible where, with

renunciation and discrimination, it would be quite natural to live in a

state of mystic meditation and altered state of consciousness: samadhi.

 

All this requires disciplined practice. Without conscious and deliberate

self-effort it is not possible to evolve in the higher state of

consciousness. The man himself has now become the trusty of future

evolution. This aspect is nicely discussed in 'Practical Vedanta and the

Science of Values' and 'The Selfish Genes':

 

" The argument of this book is that we, and all other animals, are

machines created by our genes… I shall argue that a prominent quality to

be expected in a successful gene is ruthless selfishness. The gene

selfishness will usually give rise to selfishness in individual

behaviour… Much as we might wish to believe otherwise, universal love

and the welfare of the species as a whole are the concepts that simply

do not make evolutionary sense.

 

'My own feeling is that the human society based simply on the gene's law

of universal ruthless selfishness would be a very nasty society in which

to live. …Be warned that, if you wish, as I do, to build a society in

which individuals cooperate generously and unselfishly towards a common

good, you can expect little help from biological nature. Let us try to

*teach* and *learn* generosity and altruism, because we are born

selfish. Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to, because

we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs, something

no other species has ever aspired to. "

 

However, what is the source of these values in a human being? Biology is

not, genes are not, external nature is not, that source. From a

penetration in to the inner world, Vedanta long ago discovered the

spiritual dimension of human personality, the Atman, as the source of

all values.

 

Qualities of love, freedom, and bliss are inherent, in their limitless

proportions, in the universal consciousness. This is the only existence.

The evolution attempts to manifest these qualities in degrees. Every

human being is expressing the same qualities, some can do better than

the others. Limitations of mind and matter make these qualities appear

distorted, but all the same, love there is. The atom manifests this as

love between its subatomic constituents, the molecule in its attachments

of various atoms, tissues, organs, and life as the systematic

arrangement of molecules, and human being as the organized systems.

 

With each stage, higher and larger aspect of love shines forth. There is

no sinner nor murderer, jealousy and hatred are mere expressions of this

love in a very selfish individual. Such individuals love themselves

only, and if they see their freedom or security endangered, they may

attack others: with knife or with selfish thoughts. A saint, on the

other hand, loves others as well, as much as he loves himself, and

therefore, he is ready to give his life to protect even the life of a

goat.

 

In higher evolved human being there will be more expression of love,

bliss, and freedom. He will strive to make others happy. The selfishness

will by necessity be replaced by selflessness due to altered quality of

the structure and function of his brain. This can be taken as a

hypothesis at present, but when we study such mystics who have lived

their lives expressing all these qualities, this may become acceptable

theory. The necessary attempts to develop the brain centers through

spiritual practices cannot be overemphasized. It is possible for us to

develop such qualities in ourselves through renunciation and

contemplation. Conscious, deliberate and willful sadhana alone can help

us reach this state of universal bliss, peace, and love. Scientific

study of samadhi is, therefore, a scientific study of human evolutionary

trend.

 

dr c s shah

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