Beliefs of a Spiritual Scientist

by  Kaivalyam

A few days ago I was having a discussion with my friend about science and spirituality. The focus was on the verification process in each field. Science demonstrates a principle through an experiment, and those who have sufficient background can accept the principle as a fact without performing the experiment themselves. On the other hand, spiritual principles cannot be demonstrated objectively to someone else and the onus is on the individual to take up that quest to discover their veracity for oneself. Therefore, spirituality-science debates are irresolvable due to their different verification procedures. Unfortunately this self-experimentation, which is the cornerstone of spirituality, is sometimes discarded and a belief system is adopted thereby making oneself susceptible to the manipulations of charlatans commonly seen these days.

Beliefs with no support of reasoning could lead one astray, but they also form the pillar to be held onto by any spiritual aspirant, as they are the markers that need to be realized in one’s journey. Belief in the statements of great sages (of the not so recent past) that have experienced the Truth and the practices they advocate reaching the same is what constitutes an intelligent belief system. Their experiences given in scriptures are sure to be correct, as they have withstood the tests through ages by various sages later on. The very fact that they exist today confirms their veracity, as those that were not true would have lost their relevance over time. For those whose focus is on principles, such a belief system would suffice to get guided well.

However, if one wants to follow the teachings of a living person (or a person in the very recent past) popularly known to be “enlightened,” then a little more caution must be exercised, as their statements have not withstood the rigorous tests over ages. It is not for the ignorant to determine who an “enlightened” person is, and popularity is never a criterion for enlightenment. Also, people tend to make this popular “enlightened” person as a special entity distinct from every one else and begin to worship him/her as a Savior of this world. The idea of prophet, incarnation, messiah etc. is usually attributed to him/her. While some religions claim that there was only one such entity in the past and that was the only one there ever will be, some others have more open minds and accept that these special entities could come anytime anywhere. Now this particular belief leads to personality worship, which by itself is praiseworthy, as it transforms the lives of the followers for the better, but it may sometimes make one overlook the principles that form the basis of spirituality. Regardless of this special entity being actually enlightened or not, which anyway cannot be objectively verified, the same test must be applied to his/her statements and actions too: do they conform to the scriptures that withstood the tests over many ages? Remarkably, through such a test, even if a sincere worship of a charlatan is done, the follower who leads the life following the statements of this charlatan that corroborate with the scriptures will be truly benefited.

So in an experiential subjective field like spirituality, experimentation by every individual is necessary unlike in science where intellectual objectivity is sufficient. Hence in spiritual field this self-experimentation is not only for those with analytical bent of mind, but also for the devotional type.  Spirituality demands everyone, be it a devotee or a philosopher, to be an experimental scientist unlike science – it is therefore, more of a science than science itself.          

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Spiritual Thoughts

by Charles (Prana) Feldman

A personal observation:

All major religions have three sets of values: 1) Love and Service, 2) Prayer and Meditation, and 3) Liberation or Salvation.

Sayings from books that I found to be relevant:

From Sri Ramakrishna: The Great Prophet of Harmony, Chapter: “Sacred Memories of Sri Ramakrishna” by Swami Akhandananda: 

“The landlord was the first to ask: ‘Sir, He who is the Purna (full) Brahman (the Absolute) has no want in the universe. He pervades all space and time; how is his incarnation possible?’ The Master replied, ‘Well, he who is the absolute Brahman is the witness and is immanent everywhere. The Divine Incarnation is an embodiment of his power; the power is incarnate somewhere a quarter, somewhere else a half, and very rarely in full. He in whom the full power is manifest is adored as Purna Brahman, like Krishna. And three quarters of the Divine were manifested in Rama” (p. 96).


From Universal Religion and Swami Vivekananda by Swami Tathagatananda (in Swami Vivekananda’s 150 Birth Anniversary Commemorative Souvenir by the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Northern Texas):

“If one religion is true, then other religions are true. Thus Vivekananda stated that ‘holiness, purity, and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world and that every religion has produced men and women of the most exalted character” (p. 110).

“Unlike the approach of eclectics, syncretists, and sectarian religious imperialists, Vivekananda’s concept of universality does not require the creation of a universal religion, because he posits that a universal element can be found in each traditional religion” (p. 112).

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A Glimpse

by BeJoy

I was sitting alone, thinking about you at the Society, when our friend, Shankar, tapped on my shoulder. We exchanged smiles and he took the seat next to me. Soon, as always, a discussion followed.

“You never seen yourself, except in the mirror,” he claimed. A silence followed. He didn’t take his eyes off me. Then he leaned forward, and articulated each syllable, as if I didn’t quite understand the language, “You have never seen ANYONE, except in the mirror.”

That got me thinking again. I have got to know you a few years now. All in the mirror, right? But the other day when you looked deep into my eyes, so lovingly, I thought I had a glimpse! When you smiled at me, so intently, I thought I had a glimpse!

But this is what got me scratching my head, and may be you can help. Was it you I really saw or was it myself?

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Weather and Climate

by Kaivalyam
Almost all of us show varied degrees of interest in the weather news. Some of us show interest in it only when an interesting event like a snowstorm, hurricane, rain or cold/heat wave appears either in our hometown or elsewhere, whereas others pay attention to it almost daily even when nothing of unusual consequence is happening (or predicted to happen). These weather conditions, based on their intensity, influence living beings and economies all over the world – from simple changes in planning one’s schedule to very dramatic and tragic destruction of life and property.

These weather patterns studied over some years or decades constitute what is called a climate of the place: e.g. what would be the seasons in a year, what the weather in each season usually is, etc. Unlike the changes in weather, the changes in climate appear to be less dramatic as their time-scale is much larger. However, effects of human actions like deforestation, pollution, green-house gas emissions leading to recession of glaciers etc. influence the weather patterns, and if these effects persist for a significant amount of time they lead to climatic changes affecting the ecosystem.

It is interesting to note that two similar phenomena of different time-scales are seen internally in a person also. A person’s thoughts, emotions and actions constitute the weather-like time-scale, whereas a person’s character (also technically called “samskaras” or tendencies) constitute the climate-like larger time-scale.  The thoughts, emotions and actions vary dramatically within a few moments in a person, whereas the overall underlying current of character of the person is relatively stable within that time-frame. Just like climate, a person’s character is nothing but an aggregate of these weather-like thoughts, emotions or actions over longer time-scale. Akin to the external human intervention influencing the weather patterns and possibly inducing climatic changes, sustained concerted human efforts in directing the weather-like thoughts, emotions and actions over long periods of time can induce changes in climate-like character.

In case of the external weather/climate, a few meteorologists can analyze the various parameters and let the common folk know their conclusions, but an individual must do the analysis oneself in the case of internal weather/climate and arrive at conclusions suitably to direct the efforts for one’s own good. A meteorologist has to be well qualified to study the external phenomena and so also an individual must be well qualified to study one’s own internal phenomena. This expertise in internal study entails dissociating oneself from one’s own mind and observing it objectively, just as a meteorologist would do. The surprising (or maybe not) feature is that most of us hardly give any attention to the internal phenomena, whereas we spend a good amount of time in knowing the external ones. Much more care and attention must be paid to this internal weather/climate since it is always directing our life, and thereby makes us mentally peaceful or otherwise, unlike the external ones that influence us only sporadically and that too superficially.
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My Trip to India

by Charlie Feldman
I recently went on a spiritual pilgrimage to India, which was the first trip for which I have needed a passport in 42 years. I went with Ramkrishna Chatterjee, whose parents have a home in Belur. He and his family were very generous with their time, showing me holy sites and even staying at Jayrambati and Kamarpukur, where all four of us traveled together. 
Of the sites I saw, Sri Ramakrishna’s room at Dakshineshwar was the highlight of my trip. I was actually sitting in the same room where Thakur spoke with his disciples! I also made a wish when we saw the Kalpataru tree at the Cossipore garden house. At Belur Math, I liked to go sit in Sri Sarada Devi’s room at the old Math, where people could meditate for a while. Unlike the main temple, there were usually only one or two other people there, and the sounds of the birds would accompany my meditation. 

At the International Guest House at Belur Math, I met people from South Africa, Japan, the Netherlands, London, Vancouver, Boston, California, and more, showing that this really is an international movement. The main temple at Belur Math always had droves of people coming in and out to give their pranams. 

The brahmacharis at Belur Math sang arati with their beautiful voices. At the Vivekananda Birth Anniversary Celebration, there must have been about 2,000 people present. There were musicians and speakers, including Swami Baneshananda from Germany, who spoke in English. He said that religion thrives in India due to religious freedom, and that while reason can be contradicted by higher reason, and scriptures can be contradicted by higher scriptures, nothing can contradict God-realization.


My two secular goals for my trip were not to get diarrhea and not to get my shoes stolen when I went into a temple, and I was successful in achieving both of those. I did not get to have all the spiritual conversations that I imagined having, as most people spoke Bengali or English that was hard to understand, and the conversation at the International Guest House was mostly light conversation. I thought I would get to talk to the president of the order, but when I went to see him, they sent in five people at a time, and all we could do was make our pranams and leave. I found out later that I would have had to make a special appointment to talk with him. 

Seeing the holy sites and the devotees, and meeting swamis and nuns, is something I will remember for the rest of my life. The Swami at the Baranagore Math was insistent that I should come back again, and he tried to teach me that phrase in Bengali. I don’t know if I will make it back again, but this was the trip of a lifetime. 

(The photo accompanying this post is a statue of Swamiji, which I believe was taken outside his ancestral home.)
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