Dr. Vineeta Shastri
The system of thought stream has
been moving in usual and natural manner since long past. Whenever India was
brought to focus on the global domain, it was with the contribution of the
saints of the likes of Rishi Agastya, Lopamudra, Mahatma Buddha, Sanghamitra,
Maharshi Arvind, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. They were all prophets
of spiritual thoughts. So it was accorded as ‘India is a spiritual land’. It is
a fact that India has always been a pioneer in this field. We have been
proclaiming with pride that the world will have to knock our doors for lessons
in religion and faith. Where is the other place?
In course of time, due to
monotony in reasoning and harmony in philosophy an usual perplexity arose in
human mind. It was more evident in case of dependence of spiritual thought on
negation. In India gospels of spiritual reasons began to explain that the body
is the combination of five elements, it is transitory and perishable. A concept
spread in the society that the negligence towards body, its non-acceptance, and
the belief in the immortality of the soul is the spirituality. The effect of such
concept is apparent in the form of Yogi and sanyasi with shabby beard, matted
hair and long nails.
Such questionable reasoning
alerted the Indian intellectual sector. As such those who have been explaining
the world and the worldly affairs turned their minds towards the attractions of
Science. The long established definition of the origin of the universe by
unison of living consciousness and inner matters was dismissed to proclaim its
new definition of origin by the single element - the matter only. This laid to
the rise of the material science – the western science – SCIO - the Latin word
which means I know. They gradually established the definition of Science that
‘the gradual knowledge is Science.
The definition itself indicates
the relevance of its expansion. Here knowledge is posed as a set of information
entangled in the currents of ‘Which’ and
‘What’ and vice-versa, so to quench the thirst of the curious searcher only
with gradual information. There is nothing to disagree with the glittering
wonders of the Science has brought before the world. It has interlinked the
whole world through internet and telephones, measured the distance between the
Earth and the sky and touched the surface of the moon. However it is still
equipment not the equipped.
Science had become the goal in
the 20th century. Competitions started among the nations in the
field of invention of nuclear arms and fire arms and their testing. Although as
an immediate consequence, many
varieties of plants and creatures vanished from the world scene forever. If
this was of profit or not is a separate subject of assessment.
Now, let us come to the
consequence. So far Science has been an equipment, a mode for the mankind to
assess its achievements and shortcomings, but the blind imitation of western
concept of Science and its wide admirations turned it to a final goal in India
– but silently.
Indians were able to bring the
imagination to perception by discussion, but they changed their idea only to
concentrate over the utility of the perceivable matters. The compilation
started in this direction to adopt it as life-style and a utilitarian culture
cropped up.
It is said such a philosophy was
propagated in India by Saint Vrihaspati for devils, who faced self destruction
with its adoption.
It perplexes why Indians, who
admit Vrihaspati as their sole mentor did adopt such philosophy in life which
turned them to stand in the rank and file of the devils. The present Indian
society poses its projection in evidence.
Now, when the almighty has
shifted its abode has also taken away with him self the gauge of morality. The
well adorned Shaligram from the golden thrones in the sacred temples has jumped
out to the filthy slums. Modernization has buried the carcass of the tradition.
Education, which was a well
adopted mode to run the race from the bondage to liberty has been limited to a
mere pile of information. The products of Science amidst gradual information
have turned to be mere pile of ill-faith and distrust to lurch in imbalance and
equilibrium.
The religion and spirituality
were since tagged to morality and the path to tread from this world to the
world after came down only to a sect and sectarian politics to protect the life
of democracy anyway. Physical appetite has erupted in such a way that
collection of materials and means to fetch it, and collection of property for
means and material, power to acquire the sumptuous properties and complexities
for regular expansion of power have become the ‘standard of living’ and ‘status
symbol’ of a noble person. Those who rise high in pride of their construction
of nuclear or fire arms should first face the innocent Kashmiris who are
deceived to death every moment by dint of exemplary scientific achievements, or
they should face once the human race, birds and insects or even the plants in
Hiroshima of Japan for whom the Science has not so far been able to heal.
What is it? A sheer devastation
of terrestrial life. It is a consequence of the immature conversion to adopt
science as life style, in place of taking it as an art. Science can replace the
age old Indian philosophical thoughts. Indian thought preaches the restrain of
organs and mind as primary need but the science advocates its essential
expansion of luxury in every action and feeling.
Waiting aside for the whole world
India should first realize that whatever aspiration was served by the scientific
reasoning to bring prosperity and happiness in the Universe, was a childish
one. The assurance could not take shape so every western country which was
founded on scientific footing feel indecisive to march further in thought of
philosophy. The pictorial dream of castle could not come in existence.
So, India will have to come out
of the present blind race and shall have to realize that Science is simply a
technique – technology. Socialism proposed the theory of distribution only, not
the theory of production and tried to establish itself on the throne of
philosophy but was uprooted from the world all over. Similarly, the modern
scientists are engaged in propagating the culture of philosophy and life style.
They very well understood their limitations. They find no answer to the
question ‘what before the matter?’ They may transplant a gene but can not
create it. They can improve the breeds of fruits and vegetables but can not
create their seeds. Death rate has been brought within control and the death
has been pushed farther with medical aid and care, but to get rid of it finally
is still not possible.
So we should have to take into
hold the expansion of Science. To lead a life with total dependence on Science
has proved to be bearish. So we must be careful and cautious to use it, not
that it may use us.
