Can one be scientific and yet spiritual?
Swami Budhananda (Bhavani Maharaj) from the Ramakrishna Math, an initiated disciple of Srimat Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, has written a short book entitled "Can one be scientific and yet spiritual?", which was published in 1973.
It packed with telling arguments related to the dichotomy between science and religion/spirituality. Its Chapter 3 on why religious influence in the world has declined with the advent of scientific discovering since the 18th century is an interesting read, especially when the reader gets to hear it from the scientific community.
Chapter 5 talks about the limitation of science and why it has not, contrary to popular beliefs, served its own purpose. Chapter 6 contains a summary of Einstain's "Out of My Later Years", and there is a good discussion of his opinions on why it is generally accepted as truism that never the twain -- spirituality/religion and science --- shall meet!
In Chapters 8 and 9, the author has defined "what is scientific" and "what is spiritual" respectively; on pages 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, he has given his reasons why the two disciplines can, in spite of their seemingly contrary approaches, actually be married.
In Chapter 11, Swami Budhananda has given convincing reasons why scientism spells danger to humanity. Further, in order to convince the readers that spirituality can submit to the tests of empiric scientific rigours of methodology, observation and experiment, he analyses the life of his param Guru, Sri Ramakrishna, who discovered God scientifically. Chapter 13 is the culmination of the arguments presented in chapters 8 and 9.
Anyone who is keen on science and spirituality, and especially people like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, who have been enamoured of scientific discoveries and of their own opinions on observable nature and phenomena, should consider reading this.
Swami Budhananda was a good speaker and a forceful writer. He wrote several articles and some books in English and Bengali. Some of his more important works are: Will-Power and It’s Development, The Mind and Its Control, The Challenge of Religion, and The Ramakrishna Movement : Its Meaning for Mankind.
Chapter 5 talks about the limitation of science and why it has not, contrary to popular beliefs, served its own purpose. Chapter 6 contains a summary of Einstain's "Out of My Later Years", and there is a good discussion of his opinions on why it is generally accepted as truism that never the twain -- spirituality/religion and science --- shall meet!
In Chapters 8 and 9, the author has defined "what is scientific" and "what is spiritual" respectively; on pages 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, he has given his reasons why the two disciplines can, in spite of their seemingly contrary approaches, actually be married.
In Chapter 11, Swami Budhananda has given convincing reasons why scientism spells danger to humanity. Further, in order to convince the readers that spirituality can submit to the tests of empiric scientific rigours of methodology, observation and experiment, he analyses the life of his param Guru, Sri Ramakrishna, who discovered God scientifically. Chapter 13 is the culmination of the arguments presented in chapters 8 and 9.
Swami Budhananda was a good speaker and a forceful writer. He wrote several articles and some books in English and Bengali. Some of his more important works are: Will-Power and It’s Development, The Mind and Its Control, The Challenge of Religion, and The Ramakrishna Movement : Its Meaning for Mankind.
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