Science & Sri Aurobindo

As a student of Science, I am extremely proud about how science has progressed in leaps and bounds since the emergence of scientific revolution (1543 CE). Science has achieved almost everything material and rendered tremendous comfort to mankind. Science is all pervasive, starting from the mechanics of the toothbrush we pick up every morning to the smartphone kept at our desk. Despite the universality of science in all facets of our life today, it leads to several open questions. Is science complete? Can science resolve every problem of the civilization? How can science be fully realized? Can science point to ultimate reality or truth or Sachchidananda?

In this blog, we will briefly examine Sri Aurobindo’s scientific outlook. But before that let’s understand how science is limited. Let’s imagine a well blossomed flower - Jaba (Hibiscus rosa sinesis). How will a scientist approach this Jaba? First, the flower will be examined carefully to identify its floral family using the power of logic, observations, and rationality. In this case Jaba belongs to Malavaceae family. Then to dig further, it will be dissected using forceps and scissors to realize the sexual parts of the flower. But none of these scientific processes will enable us to comprehend the beauty of the flower or the spiritual significance of the flower – “Divine Power” as stated by The Mother. Therefore, despite advances, science is limited to fully uncover the beauty or nature of reality hidden within this Jaba.

Science is an evolving and powerful tool to understand the functioning of the universe, but it presents itself with several limitations. I have cited a few scenarios below to highlight the limitations of science. 

  • What is life? How did it begin on this Earth?
  • How is matter formed despite the vast presence of unrealized dark matter?
  • What truly makes us human in the scale of evolution?
  • Why is the hard problem of consciousness still unresolved?
  • Why does spontaneous remission occur (sudden cure) in medically ill patients?
In this context, Sri Aurobindo once remarked to a French disciple (1926) that,
The fruition of scientific excellence lies in the merger between Eastern spirituality and Western materialism, as envisioned by many scientists in the West and Mystics in the East.

“In the West the highest minds are turned not towards spiritual truth but towards material science. The scope of science is very narrow, it touches only the most exterior part of the physical plane.”1

Sri Aurobindo’s integral view has been precisely conveyed in his sonnet “Electron” where he drew parallels between Shiva’s cosmic dance with the pulsations of an electron in the cosmos sitting at the very heart of creation of this universe. Let’s look at these lines from the sonnet

“In that small flaming chariot Shiva rides. 

The One devised innumerably to be; 

His oneness in invisible forms he hides, 

Time’s tiny temples to eternity.”2

As a matter of fact, many years later in 2004, the Indian government gifted a statue of Nataraja (dancing form of Shiva) to CERN (European Organization of Nuclear Research), Geneva, Switzerland, representing the cosmic dance of subatomic particles.

Therefore, according to Sri Aurobindo’s model of integral philosophy, an evolving man can fully realize the potential of science by parallel cultivation of a spiritual temperament.

Blending of science with spirituality will elevate our awareness, by tightening our neural connections in the brain, causing a shift in our consciousness. This way we can become more inwards and closer to the Divine, leading to a more creative, meaningful and a fulfilling life.
As science is progressing and man is evolving, the above model is no more hypothetical but is gradually becoming a reality. The marriage of science and spirituality is slowly entering the labs and penetrating modern clinical research, leading to holistic progress. Historians and scientists are attempting to paint a picture of a hypothetical Superman, superior to Homo Sapiens, yet to be manifested upon this Earth.

Let’s continue to live the dream of Sri Aurobindo and move towards the light as the best is yet to come.

- Abhishek Ghosh, PhD (India)

1 Sri Aurobindo. Cited in Collected Works of The Mother, vol.5. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
2 Sri Aurobindo. ‘Electron’ in Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo, vol.2. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Comments

  1. Fascinating thoughts: " an evolving man can fully realize the potential of science by parallel cultivation of a spiritual temperament."

    I wonder if the integration of science and spirituality will happen primarily with the same methodology simply accompanied by a spiritual temperament, or whether the methodology itself will change.

    1. CHANGES IN THE FOUNDATIONAL ASSUMPTIONS OF SCIENCE

    I first saw the need to shift out of the materialist paradigm in 1970. I did not think I would live to see this, but in the past 10 years, Scientific American, Nature and even the highly conservative Journal of the American Psychological Association have published articles showing an exponentially increasing number of highly respected scientists and philosophers of science accepting the legitimacy of science conducted on the basis of Consciousness as all pervading, as - in Sri Aurobindo's own words - "the fundamental thing in the universe.

    2. CHANGING METHODOLOGY

    My first research experiment, a little over 30 years ago, involved the integration of qualitative (experiential) as well as quantitative (purely mathematical) methodologies. The development of the qualitative or phenomenological method has not progressed much. However, "contemplative science" is making decisive inroads. It is finally being understood that in my own field of psychology, the purely quantitive method developed initially for physics, astronomy and chemistry simply is not appropriate for a living, thinking, conscious being. B. Alan Wallace with his Samatha project, Zoran Josipovic with his non duality laboratory at New York University, the division of perceptual studies at the University of Virginia, with their studies of near death experiences, rebirth and a large variety of paranormal phenomena, along with many scientific institutions in India directly inspired by members of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram who traveled around India in an attempt to get Indian scientists inspired to look more at their own spiritual traditions - all of these signal not just a philosophic change but methodological changes as well.

    I know, just in the field of mental health, radical re-thinkings of the nature of the human being as a Soul and one with the Brahman, the Divine, will completely change our approach to so-called "mental illness" (which at present, I think is understood better in Ayurvedic terms than in most of modern psychiatry) and more important for the vast majority of human beings, human development - to the heights of sattwic development, to liberation, and most important from an "Aurobindonian" view - transformation of the mind, life and body.

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  2. I would add two pieces of information:
    1. There is a new book that has come out recently that brings together Mother and Sri Aurobindo's writings and sayings on Science. It is called "SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY (A comprehensive study) In the Light of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother) edited by Chandra Prakash Kheran and Garima Maheswari and published by The Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Trust, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan - 333001.

    2. In a recent talk that I was invited to give at Matagiri on 24 November 2024, and titled "My Life with Sri Aurobindo and The Mother" I have discussed how The Mother encouraged and directed me in studying Science and Mathematics as part of my yoga of self-development. The discussion on science appears towards the later part of the talk which has been posted on Youtube by Matagiri at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G9UTwTlGQw&t=58s

    Binu Mukherjee

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