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Swami's Recommendations. Threats
and Opportunities of Science
Light and Love
The contribution is about world significance of Swami'sTeaching
where He underlines the necessity to integrate science with
spirituality. Today scientists will begin to understand that
several areas of a science lead not to the progress of
development, but vice versa, they lead humanity closer to
destruction. About it has mentioned in Scientific American, July
2004.
On a background of statements of the outstanding scientist
Martin Reed about the destiny of humanity, Swami's advices and
recommendations received the more clear importance. Scientists
and politics should turn to His Teaching the greater attention,
as His Teaching is a single path for humans' higher development
and survival.
Many scientists see that development a deepening scientific
technical progress can cause a global trouble but they do not
know an output from position. Advices have given by Swami to
integrate a science and spirituality. It is only way for the
humans' further development. There are no other ways. It is
necessary to emphasize that furthermore the recommendations to
scientists as a part of Swami's Teaching, His words, sentences
carries such Divine energy as no other theory or teaching today.
Here is about what to contemplate.
During tens of years Swami in His books and discourses has
analyzed the significance of science from different aspects and
some of this aspects were as warning to humanity.
"Though humanity has advanced considerably in the material and
scientific spheres, it has gone down grievously morally and
spiritually. Selfishness is predominant in every action. Behind
every thought, every word, self-interest is prominent. It is
only when this selfishness is eradicated can Divinity reveal
itself." (Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. SSS. Vol.22. Chapter 6).
"World problems are now assuming stranger forms and larger
proportions. They are no longer individual or local. They are
global, affecting all mankind. On one side, science and
technology are advancing with cosmic developments. Through
plastics, electronics and computer technologies, the wonder has
reached even greater heights. On the other side, mankind is
afflicted with recurring political and economic crises,
national, provincial, religious, racial and caste rivalries,
narrow loyalties and outbursts of disturbance in student
campuses. These have spread indiscipline and licentiousness all
over the world.
Nevertheless, man's mind is degenerating in the ethical,
spiritual and religious fields of life, continuously and with
great speed. What is the reason for this downfall?
Men have now become more vicious than ever. Men relish and revel
in inflicting pain on others, so much so that, as history
reveals, 15,000 wars have been waged during the last 5,500
years. The impending atomic war threatens to destroy the entire
human race. (Excerpts from: Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. "Vidya
Vahini." Chapter X).
"The astonishing, progress of science and technology has not
brought with it corresponding powers of discrimination and
wisdom. Man must realise that the sense organs, through which he
explores the external and discovers the powers latent in Nature
and the physical universe, function because of the Divinity
which is immanent with them. Without the power of Divine, the
eyes cannot see or the ears hear or the mind think." (Bhagawan
Sathya Sai Baba. SSS. Vol.17. Chapter 11).
Today's modern science has reached to the bank of a river, which
is impossible to pass with the treasures of science alone.
Today scientists are learning manage secrets of nanotechnology
and human cells, to receive and use the torsion energy (what may
lead to great success or to great chaos: all depends on the
spiritual education of man and his scale of human values), etc.
"The sage Narada, who was proficient in 64 branches of
knowledge, suffered from lack of peace, so he went to Sanat
Kumara. He appealed to him: "Swami! Dispel my ignorance and
teach me the way to attain peace". Sanat Kumara said: "Narada!
There is no field of knowledge in which you are not proficient.
You know all the methods prescribed by the Vedas, the Upanishads
and other Sastras. But all this knowledge has not conferred any
happiness on you. All this knowledge is concerned with the
phenomenal world, which is transient in its character. You
cannot secure peace till you gain knowledge of the Eternal".
Science is concerned with all the phenomena in nature. It
furnishes what is required for the physical body. It is
doubtless essential to take care of the body. But the body
should not be deemed as the sole truth. However, one should
devote all efforts to its maintenance and comfort. All
achievements are dependent on the body. Even the Divine can be
realized through the body. But the body is not yourself. It is
only an instrument for realizing God. Moreover, the Supreme
Atmic Principle (Paramatma) is immanent in it." (Bhagawan Sathya
Sai Baba. Guru Poornima Discourse: "Quest for Truth" 9 July
1998, Prasanthi Nilayam).
"Knowledge should foster wisdom leading to awareness. This is
what the Vedha* teaches....The word Vedha itself has many
meanings. It means intelligence, knowledge, awareness, etc. To
lead a meaningful life man has to follow certain Niyamas
(regulations of discipline). It is also necessary to know one's
own Inner Reality. Mere intelligence and acquisition of
knowledge are not enough.
The Vedha helps to realise full knowledge and wisdom. The sages
in ancient times had the inner vision and experience of the
Divine and they gave expression to this revelation through the
Vedhas. They are applicable to entire humanity for all times.
They confer security on humanity and show the way to happiness
and peace. The goal of human life is to sacrifice desires and
realise the Divine." (Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. SSS. Vol.26.
Chapter 32).
(* transcriptions of words in quotations are not changed).
By Vedas and Swami's Works for humanity are impossible to
explain the world totally. Human consciousness reflects the
world from a limited point of view by senses, by various body
(brain) activity be it in sensual, social or spiritual (atmic)
spheres. From certain balance between them depends on the
human's behavior, his truths and untruths; his/her level of
intellect, state of consciousness with the unconscious.
On a larger aspect, human being is a part of society; his/her
behavior also depends on social rules: rules of this class where
he/she belongs and legislations of governments. On this level,
all is right what is in accordance with laws. However, the laws
are relative and mostly reflect the human rights and obligations
what is benefit for concrete type of society or class, not for
human society as Oneness.
There were many contributions about integration spirituality and
science, but it is not a complete solution for human higher
development. When spirituality has entwined not only with
science but also with social legislations, only then, it seems,
the humans may reach closer towards higher stage of spiritual
development. Swami stresses that without spirituality and
educare there cannot be higher development for human society.
Scientific American, July 2004 published in the part of
'Insights' the calculations of Sir Martin Rees (Britain's
Astronomer Royal, University of Cambridge astrophysicist and
cosmologist) that consumer society civilization has only a 50-50
chance of survival on the 22nd century. The article "Doom and
Gloom by 2100" written by Julie Wakefield is in the mentioned
above scientific journal.
I don't reproduce neither the article nor Martin Rees?s book
"Our Final Hour" (2003, U. K.), but share some ideas from the
book and from this article with my comments.
In this book the known scientist considering many kinds of
disasters such as environmental degradation, global warming,
nuclear war and unstoppable pandemics,etc. By Rees, science and
technology are creating not only new opportunities but also new
threats. He felt compelled to write the book "Our Final Hour" to
raise awareness about both the hazards and the special
responsibilities of scientists.
Martin Rees is a known scientist. His research work on cosmology
helped to refute the theory that the cosmos exists in a steady
state. Rees directed Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy until
1992. Then he served for a decade as a Royal Society Research
Professor before assuming the mastership of Cambridge's Trinity
College. Since 1995, Rees has also held the honorary title of
U.K. Astronomer Royal.
In his book, Martin Rees explained: "Astronomers have a special
perspective to see ourselves as just a part of a process that is
just beginning rather than having achieved its end and perhaps
this gives an extra motive to be concerned about what happens
here on Earth in this century."
Innovation is changing things faster than ever before, and such
increasing unpredictability leaves civilization more vulnerable
to misadventure as well as to disaster by design. Advances in
biotechnology, in terms of increasing sophistication and
decreasing costs, means that weaponized germs pose a huge risk.
The scientist writes, "In this increasingly interconnected world
where individuals have more power than ever before, society
should worry more about some kind of massive calamity, however
improbable."
Rees explains disasters what can cause nanometer-size robots
based on the latest advances of nanotechnology. These nanobots
might chew through organic matter and turn the biosphere into
lifeless "gray goo." (A term coined by nanotech pioneer K. Eric
Drexler in the 1980s).
It's not only nanotechnology, but also basic science can present
a threat. Scientific American (July 1999) published a letter by
Princeton University physicist Frank Wilczek, who pointed to "a
speculative but quite respectable possibility" that the
Brookhaven National Laboratory's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
(RHIC) could produce particles called strangelets. These
subatomic oddities could grow by consuming nearby ordinary
matter i. e. to destroy the planet.
After such information Brookhaven director, John H. Marburger
explained to physicists that the strangelet scenario was rather
theoretical. He added that there is about a one-in-50-million
chance of killing six billion people. In the book, "Our Final
Hour" Rees noted that the experiments with strangelets were
dangerous.
It is true, that not all researchers pleased with Rees's
positions. However, the fact is that the known scientist has
reached to awareness that scientists' 'play' with basic science
without being aware the initial source of humans reality is
dangerous. Rees acknowledges that there are also other doomsday
scenarios having the higher possibility for realization. His
main conclusion is that "We can't enjoy the benefits of science
without confronting the risks." He warns that civilization has
only an even chance of making it to the end of this century.
Swami explains:
"As all human beings have come from God, they should carry the
marks of the creator. Man has taken birth to manifest the Divine
in him." (Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. Divine Discourse: "Manifest
the Divine Within You." 20 July 1997, Prashanti Nilayam).
Namely, human beings carry the marks from Creator, each one of
us is not a Creator, but we are parts of God's energy expressed
through Omnipresent Atma. For example, sunlight is not the Sun
but a spark of Sun's energy. All sparks of sunlight together is
form a huge amount of the Sun's energy, however, they are not
the Sun.
So human beings all together are not exact God, Absolute, but
the most powerful expression of His energy, as a part of God's
Omnipresence Being and for the benefit of harmony and order
among human society they would perform the duties of the Divine
Will.
Swami declares:
"What is this energy? It is something, which you cannot see or
hear or conceive in the mind. Energy is energy alone. It is
Divine. Every physical object has a base. There is electrical
energy in man. Likewise, there is radiation energy in man. There
must be a basis for all these energies. You see that in the
world every object is based on some ether object. God is the
base for all the energies in the cosmos. The Vedantins called
this energy as Transcendental Energy ("Atheetha-Sakthi")."
(Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba. Divine Discourse: "Manifest the
Divine Within You." 20 July 1997, Prashanti Nilayam).
As all human beings are in essence, the same expressions of Atma
from different angles, then a human being can feel the reality
of current life as with reference to the dual objective world.
The one's practical life activity involves not only the reaction
of insentient objects to one's actions on them, but also the
reaction of other persons to his/her actions towards them and
affecting them.
The life in form of DNA is impossible without actions. Even
breezing and blood circulation is the action. It is not he as
the Atma but as the body, the product of Prakrti (Nature) and
its attributes, that does the action. Human being would to
perform all actions as skillfully as he can, as he/she works as
the collaborator of the Divine Will, God's energy (Cosmic
Consciousness).
"The beginning is God. The end is action. Action is God
experienced?, says Neale Donald Walsch pictorially in his book
"Conversations with God."
The God has planted in a human's mind ?free will?. Those who
have not realized God may be engaged in dangerous and delusive
actions. Mistakes and evil enterprises will increase if God has
not made the doer; a person thinks that he/she alone is
responsible for the actions. Especially it concerns too many
scientific researches of modern time. It seems to scientists
that they alone are responsible for their discoveries, not the
Divine Will.
All human actions are motivated at their deepest level by one of
two emotions - love or fear. Love is the energy, which expands,
and actions done with love takes a doer toward God. Actions done
with fear motivate as a rule delusions and strife.
No one owns anything in this world. Everything is recycled. In
the end, even a body doesn't belong to human being. Neither do
his/her thoughts. There are no original thoughts. All thoughts
emanate from a common source of thoughts. Human beings are
capable only exchange energy in accordance with the Divine Will.
When the last is ignored, the humans' development can turn to
path of destruction.
Many Swami's Discourses contain information about science. His
outlook: science, not entwined with spirituality can destroy
humanity. He explains:
"There are three types of knowledge; knowledge of matter-energy;
knowledge of mental energy; and knowledge of cosmic-energy.
Cosmic energy works in every person in the form of Divine
knowledge." (Excerpt from 'Thought for the Day' as written on
the board at Prasanthi Nilayam on 27 July, 2003).
Without knowledge of cosmic -energy the two other types of
knowledge cannot express their capacity in full or their
expressions are erroneous. To acknowledge the leading role of
knowledge of cosmic- energy alias the Divine Will is one of the
main points on the way of integration science and spirituality.
Reference: K. R. Paramahamsa. "Tat Sat."
Namaste - Reet
Source:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/message/3118
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