Vedanta, Western Science and Intelligent Design!

After my discussion with my friend today about Science and Vedanta – I went back to the thoughts in a paper I had written long time back. In our Masters at IRMA we had a course called “Intellectual Traditions in Management Theory where the prof used to encourage us to think laterally and “outside-the-box ! It ended up with some non-traditional treatise on a topic that was not just analysis or rehash of existing thought but a new creation or thought. I wrote on the basic difference between Vedantic Science and Modern Science (Western).

While the Western Science, as it evolved during the Renaissance time, distinguished “God and Science and posited each other as opposites, Vedanta philosophers were content on approaching “God through science! Western scientists believed that if something can be proven “logically , existence of “God can be denied so Science and “God were essentially anti-thetical in nature. Vedanta, however, believed that everything in nature is but a reflection of the “God .

Hence, if we could understand the “reason behind natural phenomenon, we could possibly “get to understand and so be one with “God . That is why, in my opinion, Vedanta or Eastern Science and practices are in tune with nature and non-polluting, while everything that Western Science has created has been at odds with Nature and in a way attempts to replicate it.. and thus ending up polluting it!

The problem with the current discussion on “Intelligent Design as it is being approached in US is that it is being approached with a premise of “certainty rather than as an exploration. And exploration cannot be “taught .. it has to be experienced. That is why, any “interpretation of “Intelligent design will end up in religious coloring (and so in “folklores like the World was created in 7 days or similar stuff) – as it is the only way we understand “Nature in the West – even God and Spirituality had to be structured as a religion rather than an Exploration as Vedanta essentially was. Also, there is no one I have seen or heard or met, who possibly “even understands or is privy to the “Intelligent Design to teach it in the first place.

Now, my last thought – I have observed that every great society had the “Harbinger of its decline in two occurrences – one, Emotion taking over from reason; and second, Religion/structured faith interfering with Science. When Vedantic society lapsed into idol worship and lost the significance and also the meaning behind the “Reasoned Exploration (or even the rationale behind idols); and became dogmatic, it lost its way. People were more emotional. Like I was thinking the other day, Old age Homes concept was actually a product of that society – which said that after a certain age, every old person went to a sanctuary to pursue the ultimate exploration! Where are we now?

Persia was the same way .. from the world leaders in Science to a society where Science is supposed to be anti-Islamic is a long journey.

That precisely is happening to US – science or spirituality, as I see them, are similar and they are Explorations basically. Overlaying structure, whether of “Morality or “faith , on them damages the exploration irreparably! Morality, in my personal view, is the Greatest roadblock to Spiritual journey!