Mind Set :

There are a number of reasons : for doing this : these ancient observations are as valid today as they were centuries past, they represent different cultures and traditions and, yet, arrive at the same conclusions, thus emphasizing their universality, and they express truths far more eloquently than my words can.

I have often wondered about the Big Bang. Where did this energy come from, how was it contained, who ordered the start of this transformation ? What was there before it or was there a before it ? My colleagues tell me these are not relevant questions for neither time nor space existed before the big bang but then what did ? As I have pondered these questions, I am reminded of a human, who lived, I imagine, near a river bank in a forest in India some 3500 years ago, and who reflected as follows : (1)

At first there was neither being nor nonbeing There was not air nor yet sky beyond. What was its wrapping ? Where ? In whose protection ? Was water there, unfathomable and deep ?

In the beginning Love arose, Which was the primal germ cell of the mind. The seers, searching in their hearts with wisdom, Discovered the connection of being in nonbeing.

Who really knows ? Who can presume to tell it ? Whence was it born ? Whence issued this creation ? Even the gods came after its emergence. Then who can tell from whence it came to be. …. Rig Veda (M10, S129)

A few centuries later and from the same region, there arose this clear clarion call, expressed with confidence of one who knows the truth (2),

Hear, O children of immortal bliss ! You are born to be united with the Lord. Follow the path of the illumined ones, And be united with the Lord of Life. …. Shvetasvatara Upanishad

It is with these two sayings in mind that I shall approach the task before me.

Goal :

There is a deep desire in many humans to know the reality of the universe we live in. When this search for reality is confined to the realm of space and time we call it, by convention, research in the natural sciences. When it is confined to the inner reality of the spirit it is called the search for spirituality.

This distinction is relatively recent. The ancient Indians did not make this distinction for spirituality was a part of the Vedas or the books of knowledge (science) and neither did the mystic Imam Junyad al Baghdadi (ca 900), when he declared (3),

“If I had known of any science greater than Sufism, I would have gone to it even on my hands and knees”

Natural science is a systematic understanding of the reality of the world around us.

Spirituality is a state of a being, where the individual lives in a reality illuminated by the purity of the spirit.

There are two components to spirituality : that of knowing the reality of our being and that of living it.

Methodology :

Science is based on knowledge, which is gained from information collected by the senses or their extensions, such as instruments. Reason is essential for scientific knowledge. Discernment, determination, patience, and persistence are required. Comprehension can be the culmination of many investigators effort.

The method by which we gain knowledge of physical reality is through experimental observations and theory. The guiding philosophy in science is reductionism.

There is a great diversity of physical phenomena, sometimes apparently unrelated. Scientists try to extract the essence of the cause of a phenomenon.

In some cases, once understood the process of synthesis begins. For example, electricity and magnetism, once separately characterized, were shown by Maxwell to be interrelated. For some physical scientists, this process will be completed when they have unified all of the diverse manifest and measurable forces of nature into one.

There are, however, a wide class of phenomena which emerge from the collective behavior of a large number of entities. The activity of our brain, the emergence of life, the phenomenon of superconductivity, thermal vibrations of atoms, called phonons, in a solid are some examples Here reductionism to the ultimate force is not useful and reductionism carried to an understanding of the cause of emergence of a particular phenomenon is the goal. Spirituality : The method by which journey back to the true nature of our being is through self-observation and awareness. The guiding philosophy is reductionism.

This truth has always been present in us. We cover it by a darkness generated by our minds. I am reminded of a striking saying in the Gospel of John (1 :5), “The Light shines in the darkness but the darkness comprehends it not.” John was referring to Christ in the midst of people, who could not see him for what he was, but we could equally well interpret this saying as the truth exists within us but the darkness prevents us from becoming aware of it.

Not only the truth but the potential to discern and become aware of this truth is present in all of us. The unfolding of it is, however, difficult. This has been known since ancient times (2,4,5).
“Like the sharp edge of a razor, the sages say, is the path . Narrow it is and difficult to tread !” Katha Upanishad (ca. 750 BC)

“Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” Jesus Christ (ca. 32)

“Guide Thou us on the straight path, The path of those to whom Thou has been gracious ; — with whom Thou art not angry, and who go not astray.” The Prophet Mohammed (ca. 610)

If the truth is present in us, how and why did we cover it ? As a child grows, the external environment and the genes he inherited shape him. He adopts a value system that appears to assure his survival and pleasure. Many of these values are incorporated instinctively and without examination. They are frequently based on illusions, driven by fears and desires. These enslave us, limit us, and determine our thoughts and who we are. This is eloquently summarized in the opening sentence of the first verse of the Buddha’s Dhammapada (6),

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”

Progress in spirituality relies on the use of reason to dispel illusions, which can be uncovered by self awareness or self examination, with or without the help of others. Discernment, determination, patience, and persistence are required. We may start our journey with the wisdom, experience, and guidance of others but in the final stages of spiritual realization, our reliance on others or on reason can, however, be an obstacle. Spiritual realization is experienced and not deduced from reflection.

The Buddha (7) put it this way when asked by his follower as to why perfect wisdom is beyond thinking.

“Why is perfect wisdom beyond thinking ? It is because all its points of reference cannot be thought about but can be apprehended. One is the disappearance of the self-conscious person into pure presence. Another is the simple wakening to reality. Another is knowing the essenceless essence of all things. And another is luminous knowledge that knows without a knower.” Gautama Buddha (ca. 530 BC)

The same point has been made by many others and from diverse cultures (8-10).

“The chief difficulty is this : awareness of the One comes to us neither by knowing nor by the pure thought that discovers the other intelligible things but by a presence of transcending knowledge.” Plotinus (ca. 250)

“The inner, subtle essences can be contemplated only by sucking, not by knowing.” Issac the Blind (ca. 1100)

“Sound knowledge is not given by reflection, nor by what rational thinkers establish by means of their reflective powers. Sound knowledge is only that which God throws into the heart of the knower.” Ibn al-’Arabi (ca 1200)

Once we embark on this road there is no turning back, for the pull of the truth within us is difficult to resist. We may start with strong faith, as Abraham did, or with little or no faith and discover that our awareness of our underlying reality, albeit slowly, is undeniably established.

There is an observer in all of us that notes our thoughts, emotions, and actions. The ancients expressed this poetically as follows (11) :

“Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions The individual self and the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the selfsame tree. The former tastes of the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree ; The latter, tasting of neither, calmly observes. … Mundaka Upanishad

It is this observer that unerringly guides us to a state where there is no more to discard. As we approach the end of this journey home, the process of integration begins to dominate and our actions are motivated increasingly by our inner reality and not by our illusions.

In spirituality the process of reductionism is complete when the “two birds” become one in action.

Feelings : Love

Science can evoke wonder and awe. It frequently contradicts our sense of expectation based on a casual observation of the world around us. In nature, depending upon the circumstances, causality does and does not exist and, yet, to our immediate senses it always exists. Creativity leads to discovery and to a love of creativity. There is nothing more joyful than the moment of scientific discovery or truth ; an all too rare and brief interval of time that bares the soul and immerses the being in the sensations of humility, gratefulness, and love

Spirituality is full of wonder and magic. As a human approaches his pure state he increasingly senses eternal love and the source of creation. At this point in the human’s development, the individual’s self identity does and does not exist. The being grows in the intensity and clarity of pure consciousness and is suffused with joy. His love and yearning for unity are frequently palpable (12-14) :

Oh night that guided me, Oh night more lovely than the dawn, Oh night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved ! … St. John of the Cross (ca 1580)

Forever you have claimed me That forever I may know you are mine. Your love has pierced me to the depths, Its ecstasy entwines both bone and nerve. …. Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi (ca. 1100)

“O eternal Truth, true Love, and beloved Eternity, you are my God, and for you I sigh night and day.” …. Saint Augustine (ca. 397)

Freedom and Values

Science is liberating. It frees us from superstition and often confronts us with truths that defy our senses or our desires. It challenges our beliefs of the physical world. Its bright light removes the darkness of ignorance and exposes our fears to be without merit. Its beauty and, frequently, the simplicity of its truths amaze us. Science provides us with information that enables us to live in harmony with nature or to destroy our selves. It makes no value judgment. Science documents the rules by which the physical world of space and time has, is, and most likely will evolve.

In Spirituality, we see the magnificent beauty that nature presents us and sense that the seen and the seer evolved from the same source. We start by groping in the darkness for the truth we sense is within us. Hesitantly at first, tentatively at best, we begin to explore our self. Thoughts bombard us, reason reprimands us, desires’ treacle slows us, the emptiness and darkness of our initial experience, into this unchartered territory of our self, questions our wisdom and, yet, something beckons, some tendril of a feeling that swirls and flows in our heart and mind and ever so gently and incessantly tugs at us, tells us that there is more to life than space and time. As we stay the course, we see our illusions for what they are ; we sense our freedom and “see” our inner light. The origin of our values shifts from one of principles to one based on naturalness that comes with living increasingly in truth. A transformation of the human begins and life has intense meaning during this period. The process continues till the being, space, and time become entangled in a dance we call life. There is continuous joy, love, and freedom. There is no longer a distinction between the scientist and the science he does. Two of the world’s greatest spiritual figures have summed this state as follows : (7,4).

“The true way has but one savor, the savor of freedom.”

… Gautam Buddha (ca 530 BC)

“The truth will set you free.”

…. Jesus Christ (ca 32 AD)

Living in the truth.

Well before we reach the stage where the truth is a constant basis, we realize that our life in the world of senses is inconsistent and, sometimes, incompatible with the truth we know. This begins a struggle for living increasingly in the truth. This struggle is far more difficult then knowing the truth, where only the individual is involved. Our sense of existence in the physical world is established by a myriad of relationships. Most of these have to change as we change. I do not have time to speak anymore on this subject so let me end by making the following observations. We know it can be done for at least two historical figures have demonstrated it. Gautama Buddha knew the truth and lived his long life in it. The other, Jesus Christ, short as his life was summed it in the following powerful way (4).

“I am the way and the truth and the life.”

Summary :

I would like to summarize what I have said by quoting from Lao-tzu (15),

In the pursuit of knowledge, Every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, Every day something is dropped. Less and less do you need to force things, Until finally you arrive at non-action. When nothing is done, Nothing is left undone.

The first two lines refer to science, the next two to shedding illusions until we reach the reality of our being and act through it.

References

(1) There are many translations of the Rig Veda. In some, the word love is replaced by desire. Here I have chosen one in which love is used. An example of this hymn on creation where ’desire’ is used see the translation by A.A. Macdonell cited in Indian Philosophy ed. By S. Radhakrishan and C. A. Moore, Princeton University Press, 1957, p23. The version I have used in the text was translated by R. Pannikar and is cited by M. N. Nagler in The Upanishads translated by E. Easwaran, Nilgiri Press, 1987, p257.

(2) The Upanishads translated by E. Easwarn, Nilgiri Press, 1987, p220, p112

(3) The Elements of Sufism” by Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri, Element Books Ltd. Boston, 1998, p98

(4) The Holy Bible, New International Version published by Zondervan Bible Publishers, Michigan, 1996, Matthew 7 :14, John 8 :32, John 14 :6

(5) The Koran, translated by J.M.Rodwell, Ballantine Books, New York, Sura 1

(6) Wisdom of the Buddha, translated by F. M. Mueller, Dover, New York, 2000, p 1

(7) The Buddha Speaks, ed. A. Bancroft, Shambhala Press, Boston 2000, p9

(8) The Enneads by Plotinus, translated by S. Mackenna, abridged by J. Dillon Penguin Books, London, 1991, p245

(9) The Essential Kabbalah by Daniel C. Matt, Harper San Francisco, 1986, p113

(10) The Sufi Path of Knowledge, Translated by W. Chittick, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1989, p170

(11) The Upanishads translated by Swami Prabhavananda and F. Manchester, Mentor Book, New York 1948, p46

(12) The Dark Night of the Souls by St. John of the Cross ; translated and edited by E. A. Peers, Image Books, Doubleday, New York, 1990, p34

(13) The Rumi Collection by Kabir Helminski, Threshold Books, Brattleboro, Vermont, 1998, p108

(14) The Confessions by St. Augustine, translated by M. Boulding, Vintage Books, 1997, p134

(15) Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu, translated by S. Mitchell, Perennial, HarperCollins, New York, p40 and p48 Science et Quête de Sens Science and the Spiritual Quest II 19/20 avril 2002, UNESCO, Salle 1