THE VISION, March 2024, Vol 91, Issue 6:
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Beloved Readers,
What ails our world today? It is a poignant question that has been lingering in the minds of all those who are concerned about where we are heading. Understandably, the answers would vary depending on whom we ask this question to and their perspective. However, the most conspicuous ills, such as socio-political conflicts, economic disparity, ecological imbalance, widening generation gap, erosion in our values system, etc., that plague our society can be traced to one detrimental factor — a glaring disconnect between material science and spiritual science. These two fields have captivated the minds of countless scholars and seekers throughout history, each offering unique perspectives and insights into the nature of our reality. Unfortunately, of late, the gap between these two has widened to such an extent that our society is deprived of all the bounteous benefits that could have otherwise come from their complementarity. Material Science probes deeper into matter to know what it is. Spiritual science helps to understand what Spirit is.
This month’s issue of THE VISION delves into various aspects of matter and Spirit and in extension, material science and spiritual science.
— EDITOR
AS WE SCROLL DOWN...
- ‘Spirit And Matter’ — are not isolated entities, but one integral whole. Material advancement must be founded on and controlled by spiritual principles and values, explains Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas.
- ‘Words Of Pujya Mataji Krishnabai’ — enumerate how we need to identify every article we see with its Source, which is the Spirit.
- ‘Words Of Pujya Swami Satchidananda’ — inform us about the need for a harmonious blend of material science and spiritual science to ensure a well-ordered society.
- ‘Editor Answer’ — how spiritual science and material science are not disconnected from each other.
- ‘Material Science Vis-À-Vis Spiritual Science’ — In this article, we see that material science primarily deals with external phenomena, while spiritual science invites us to explore the inner landscapes of our being. It opens doors to profound experiences, expanded states of awareness and the potential for personal transformation.
- 'Science And Spirituality — Views Of Swami Vivekananda' — are that controlling and concentrating the mind is most essential for progress in all fields, be it material science or spiritual science.
- 'Material And Spiritual Science' — both yield proofs and demonstrations explains Meher Baba. Material science brings results through the intellect and enhances the ego-life, whereas spiritual science gives results through love and annihilates the ego-life.
- 'Dear Children' — in this story we see how a watch, which is the gift of Material Science, was lost and how spiritual science in the form the intelligence, helped locate it.
- ‘Learning From The School Of Life’ — that our imagination helps us create. However, the inspiration for our imagination and power to create are His and His alone.
- ‘Homage To Luminaries’ — Saints through prolonged communion with God are transformed into His very image. Therefore, this month we pay our reverential homage to Sri Yogananda Paramhansa and Sant Tukaram Maharaj.
- ‘Epistles Of Swami Ramdas’ — we see how God is the motive power that drives us to action. What the intellect rejects as impossible is indeed possible in the Divine dispensation.
- ‘In Memoriam’
- ‘Anandashram News’:
- ‘Book In Focus’: Thus Speak Ramdas.
- ‘Thought For The Month’
- ‘Download THE VISION’ in PDF format and the Audio Book.
SPIRIT AND MATTER
By Swami Ramdas
Material progress should not be at the cost of spiritual advancement. The two must go hand in hand. Then we will have integral evolution. Material advancement must be founded on and controlled by spiritual principles and values. That alone will maintain the right relation and balance between the material and spiritual aspects of life and thereby transform the entire life into an expression of the Spirit. Spirit and matter are not two different isolated entities, but one integral whole. It is the cry now-a-days that our life should be moulded purely on a secular basis. This means that we should build up life ignoring the soul. But man is not merely what he appears to be, a bundle of flesh, bones, blood and skin, nor a creature living and acting solely under the impulses and thoughts rising from the mind. We have to recognize that beyond the exterior dynamics of the body and mind, there is within man the Spirit, which is immortal. It is by the power of the Spirit that our life is activated in its manifold expressions. In the class-room, hospital, office, marketplace, factory and field as well as in temple, church and mosque we should tune ourselves with this Spirit. Divine thoughts and feelings should permeate us.
WORDS OF PUJYA MATAJI KRISHNABAI
As I went on doing what (Sadhana) my Guru had asked me to, I began to identify every article I saw, be it a flower, a piece of cloth or any other article, with its Source, namely, Papa (Spirit), and to tell myself: “What a beautiful thing He has wrought!”
WORDS OF PUJYA SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA
A higher standard of life and a better standard of living — are both necessary for the welfare of the society. While the norms of the former are drawn from spiritual science — religion, which deals with moral / ethical values, those of the latter come from material science, which is taught through educational institutions. A harmonious blend of the two ensures a well-ordered society.
EDITOR ANSWERS
Question: Material science can easily be understood because it is connected with our daily life. Whereas spiritual science seems to be disconnected with our life; why is it so?
Answer: Anything connected with the Spirit is called spiritual science and anything connected with matter is called material science. While spiritual science helps to ensure quality of life, material science helps to improve the standard of living. Both of them have unwritten laws, which when violated result in physical, mental and intellectual struggles and sufferings. Therefore, the two are not at all disconnected; rather they are intertwined.
Right from our impressionable age, all inputs that came to us directed our attention towards material science; the Spirit, that has been with us, was not made known to us in the way in which it should be understood. At some stage, through the words of Masters or scriptures, we gradually get to know that there is a Spirit within, by which alone we exist; and that material science itself has come from that. We slowly realise that behind every discovery, invention, innovation there has to be a human being; and the person is not merely what he / she appears to be. We have to recognise that there is within man a Spirit expressing in the form of Life Force, Intelligence and Consciousness.
MATERIAL SCIENCE VIS-À-VIS SPIRITUAL SCIENCE
Material Science is based on scientific inquiry that focuses on the study of the tangible world and its properties. Through rigorous experimentation, observation, and empirical evidence, material scientists strive to uncover the intricacies of our physical reality. They employ mathematical models, sophisticated instruments and cutting-edge technologies to explore the fundamental laws that dictate the behaviour of atoms, molecules, and larger structures.
From the microscopic world of subatomic particles to the macroscopic realm of celestial bodies, material science provides us with a systematic approach to understanding the physical universe. It has paved the way for remarkable advancements in fields like medicine, engineering and technology, transforming the world we live in and enhancing our quality of life.
Spiritual Science in contrast to material science, transcends the boundaries of the physical world and delves into the realms of consciousness, metaphysics and the human Spirit. It seeks to explore the mysteries of existence, meaning and purpose beyond the confines of empirical observation.
It encourages and empowers each one of us to embark on a personal journey of self-discovery, cultivating inner wisdom and insight. By focusing on the intangible aspects of human existence, spiritual science offers a path to explore the depths of Consciousness and the interconnectedness of all things. While material science primarily deals with external phenomena, spiritual science invites us to explore the inner landscapes of our being. It opens doors to profound experiences, expanded states of awareness and the potential for personal transformation. Through spiritual practices, individuals can tap into their innate wisdom, find solace and uncover a deeper understanding of their purpose in the world.
Source: spiritualscienceexplorer.com
SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY — VIEWS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
Scientists discover truths with the help of instruments, sense organs and experimentation. But the first flash of any discovery appears in the mind. That is why Swami Vivekananda said: “It is only when the mind is very calm and collected that the whole of its energy is spent in doing good work.” Mind is primary, that is why ancient Indian sages developed the science of the mind as a means for achieving any desired result. This science of the mind is an integral component of spirituality in general and Yoga in particular. Scientists need a powerful toolbox, consisting of observation and analysis, to detect and identify truths hidden behind the forest of data and facts. According to Indian psychology, every human being has an Antahkarana, an internal instrument, which is comprised of the mind, intelligence, memory, and ego. These functions are often erratic due to internal causes, such as Karma and desires, and external causes, such as the interaction of the sense organs with the world. Yoga practices remove the internal obstructions and protect against harmful external influences. This is why Swamiji says if he had to redo his education, he would first learn how to control and concentrate the mind, then collect facts at will.
Source: www.swamivivekananda.guru
MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL SCIENCE
By Meher Baba
Just as God is infinite, imagination is also infinite, and all that has come out of imagination, which is called the shadow of God and that imagination, is also infinite. We can imagine anything and everything ad infinitum.
Science, as is understood today, deals with energy and matter. This material science is in the domain of the mind. There is also spiritual science, which deals with the beyond-mind state. Material science and spiritual science both yield proofs and demonstrations. Material science brings results through the intellect, spiritual science through love. When love is experienced fully, the source of spiritual science, God — the Infinite, is realised and then all else is found to be just illusionary phenomena.
Spiritual science, being based on love alone and being beyond the systematic mental understanding, is full of apparent ups and downs and contradictions and vagaries, which love alone can face and overcome. This is because material science enhances the ego-life, whereas spiritual science annihilates it.
Source: www.avatarmeher.org
DEAR CHILDREN
Once a farmer lost his watch on his farm, which had sentimental value for him. After searching for a long time, he gave up and called for help from a group of children playing outside the barn.
The children went through and around the hay but still could not find the watch. Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance. The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why not.? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.” So, the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while, the little boy came out with the watch in his hand. The farmer was happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed. The boy replied, “I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction.”
MESSAGE: A peaceful mind can think better than a worked-up mind. Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind every day, and see how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lost-watch-thought-provoking-story-ajay-mishra
LEARNING FROM THE SCHOOL OF LIFE
Unveiling The Inherent Human Values From Frequently Used Articles
“Imagination is everything. If we can imagine a future, we can create it, if we can create that future, others will live in it. That is the essence of success” — Subrato Bachi
Every object used by us on a daily basis is a gift from HIM because it is He who has revealed Himself in various objects through His chosen instruments. Besides, the qualities of the Creator are inherent in the Creation and therefore let us explore what each object conveys through its existence.
Here are a couple of examples:
It gives access and freedom to choose to be in or out. Within doors confines us to our limited perspective, and stepping out offers us an expansive vision and perspective on life.
HOMAGE TO LUMINARIES
Attunement with the Eternal Reality is attainment of God. Saints through prolonged communion with God are transformed into His very image. Therefore, Satsang with saints inspires us and hastens our journey towards experiencing our oneness with HIM.
This month we pay our reverential homage to two more spiritual luminaries — Sri Yogananda Paramhansa and Sant Tukaram Maharaj:
EPISTLES OF SWAMI RAMDAS
Beloved Ram,
Often our scientific methods, our deep-laid plans and our nicely worked out theories — all go to the winds, swept off by a Power beyond our ken, which acts in its own inscrutable ways. Let us not reckon without the host. God is our guide. God is the motive power that drives us to action. What the intellect rejects as impossible is indeed possible in the Divine dispensation. When He chooses, He works miracles and wonders, at which the acute scientist and the exact theorist stand aghast. And then it is, they flounder into the inexorable truth. What insignificant and erring mortals we are!
IN MEMORIAM
- Smt Neha Gupta (aged 42), wife of Sri Sarvesh Gupta of Sagarlal family, who was an ardent devotee of the Ashram from Hyderabad, was called by Beloved Papa on the 4th of February 2024.
- Smt Jayanti Padukone (aged 81), another ardent devotee of the Ashram from Bangalore and the wife of the Late Sri PR Rao, who was the grand-nephew of Beloved Papa, dropped her mortal coil on the 6th of February 2024.
- Sri TK Subramanian (aged 81), known to all as Ramdas Mama, who was an inmate of the Ashram, shuffled off his mortal coil on the 10th of February 2024.
- Smt Pushpa Bai Kishanlal (aged 66), another ardent devotee from Hyderabad, was also called by Beloved Papa on 15th of February 2024.
We pray for Beloved Papa’s blessings on the dear departed souls for eternal rest and peace at His lotus feet.
ANANDASHRAM NEWS
t 15,500-CRORE NAMA JAPA YAGNA FOR WORLD PEACE:
The total Japa received in the fourth round of the 15500-Crore Nama Japa Yagna for World Peace in the month of January 2024 is 200 crores, chanted by 171269 devotees. The grand total of the Japa done so far in this round now stands at 1610 crores.
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t SESSIONS WITH CHILDREN AT ANAND KUTIR IN ANANDASHRAM:
In the month of January 2024, 15 interactive sessions were held with children at Anand Kutir, in which 703 students participated. As the sessions are free from teaching and preaching, they help the children to bring out their own learnings like:
- Friendship should be nurtured even when we do not agree with another’s views so that we do not develop biased opinions.
- Good habits give us joy and make others joyful too.
t 35TH MAHASAMADHI DAY OF PUJYA MATAJI KRISHNABAI:
On 16th of February 2024, Pujya Mataji’s 35th Mahasamadhi Day was observed. Pujya Mataji, on this occasion, reminded us that it would be appropriate to remember that a spiritual aspirant’s aim should be to always remain in Universal Consciousness at all times because right from our seed-level up to this moment, everything is taken care of by the Cosmic Principle alone. So, even while mingling with people, engaging in work or even while scolding someone for some fault, this dimension should be the undercurrent so that we do not lose our footing in Universal Consciousness at any point.
BOOK IN FOCUS
'THUS SPEAK RAMDAS'
A collection of sayings of Swami Ramdas that sheds light on the aim of life and how to fulfil it. These inspiring quotes of Beloved Papa serve as guiding principles for spiritual aspirants.
Available in English, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
“Every particle of the body in all its states is ever intensely alive — dust or ashes. Soul, body, universe, all beings and things are all one. Matter is Spirit, Spirit is matter. All is He and His expression!”
— Swami Ramdas
DOWNLOAD THE VISION
Devotees can download the PDF version or the audio book this issue of THE VISION by clicking on the relevant links.
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