Dharmikta ane Adhyatmikta

Religiosity and Spirituality

The Darshan (philosophy) of Bharat has never had a quarrel with science. Adi Shankaracharya went so far as to declare: "If even the Shruti itself says that fire is cold, we are not bound to accept it." In other words, when it comes to direct, observable experience — the domain of science — even the Vedas do not speak against it. Nor do they wish to.

Students of history know that in Europe, religion and science waged outright wars against each other. When science declared that the earth revolves around the sun, the religious establishment opposed it, claiming it contradicted their scriptures. So-called religious authorities persecuted scientists terribly — going so far as to imprison or even execute them. Galileo proclaimed that the earth orbits the sun and was jailed for it. But this kind of conflict never occurred in Bharat. Shankaracharya, that crown jewel of knowledge, declared openly: "Gyanam na Purushatantram, kintu Vastutantram" — knowledge does not depend on human will, but on the nature of the thing itself. The nature of an object is determined by the object, not by human intellect. A person cannot convince anyone that a circle is a triangle, or a triangle is actually a circle. The triangle's nature is determined by the triangle, the circle's nature by the circle.

It is essential to understand that religiosity and spirituality are two different things. Dharma — in the sense of organized religion (Mazhab) — is not the same for every era, every community, or every time. But spirituality is. For example: love one another, speak the truth, cultivate compassion — these belong to the realm of Adhyatma (spirituality). To hold Bhakti toward Bhagwan — that is Adhyatma. But which prayer to recite, which Stotra to chant, which direction to face, which Asana to sit in — these rules and prescriptions come from Dharma in the organizational sense.

Dharma gave us a ladder for the growth of life. A person climbed the ladder — and stopped in the middle. Instead of reaching the top, they got stuck halfway. Dharma helps a person up to a point, but if it then becomes an obstacle — what then? The practices and beliefs of organized religion keep changing. The thing that does not change is Adhyatma. After death, you may cremate, bury, or leave the body in an open field for the vultures. But no matter what their Dharma, no one keeps a dead body in their home. Everyone entrusts it, with respect, to the Pancha Mahabhutas — the five great elements — to Bhagwan.

You want to reach Delhi. There are five or ten roads to get there. Take any road and you will arrive at your destination. The various Dharmas are like various roads. "My road is the best, the most comfortable, the fastest" — such quarrels among victory-seeking religious partisans are pointless and endless.

Acharya Vinobaji says: "I will read the Gita, the Quran, the Bible, the Granth Sahib — all of them. From each I will take what is useful. But I am not prepared to carry the burden of those books on my head." Are the Dharma-Granthas and Dharma-Shastras meant for people, or are people meant for them? Take from the book what is necessary and useful. A medical textbook describes remedies for every disease — does that mean you take every medicine? Of course not. You take only what cures your ailment.

Yes, some remedies are universal — meant for everyone. Help one another in the practice of Satya. Teach one another Karuna (compassion). Dana (charity), Sahansheelta (patience), Bhagavad-Bhav (devotion to the Divine) — these apply to all. That is the essence of Adhyatma.

Fasting, ritualism, differences in Puja methods, attachment to particular language, superstition, miracles, black magic — none of these are Adhyatma. Whether you eat before sunset or observe Roza and eat only at night — there may be a difference. But the acceptance of fasting for the sake of health — that is Adhyatma. Leaving home for the sake of Bhakti — that is Adhyatma. Whether you then go to Mecca, or Ajmer, or Kashi, Rameshwar, or Amarnath — those are the directions given by organized Dharma.

Those who rigidly cling to the customs of their own Mazhab — therein lie the seeds of every quarrel. The essential truth gets forgotten. The kernel is gone, and people go on worshipping the husk. The snake has passed, but people fight to the point of madness over preserving its trail. The Paigambars (prophets), Buddha, Ram, Krishna, Shiva, Shakti — they did not fight among themselves. Then why does the conduct of their so-called followers turn out so differently?

The desperate attempts to prove one's own path supreme, the quarrels waged in the name of Dharma, the conflicts staged to feed false ego or serve self-interest — the remedy for all of this is the understanding of true Adhyatmikta. Not Mazhab — but Ruhaniyat. Not mere religiosity — but genuine spirituality.

Let these truths form the foundation of Adhyatma:

1. Faith in absolute, Sanatan, ethical values — Satya, Prem, Karuna.
2. Respect and a sense of sacredness for all living beings. No one is high; no one is low.
3. The understanding that life continues after death.
4. The inexorable law of Karma — the Law of Justice. As you act, so shall you receive. Karma and its fruits cannot be avoided.
5. Faith in the governing Shakti of the universe.

When we become aware of the secondary, changeable aspects of Dharma, human minds will open. An atmosphere of natural acceptance of others and their views will emerge. Exploitation will stop, and the problems born of sectarianism and narrow-mindedness will be resolved simply and peacefully.

The great physicist Albert Einstein said it truly: "Science without Adhyatma is blind, and Adhyatma without science is lame." The eye of Adhyatma and the wing of science — both are essential for human progress. Vision and Energy — Drishti and Shakti — both are needed. Acharya Vinobaji says: to achieve Samya (equality) and Samatva (equanimity), training of the Head, the Heart, and the Hands — all three — is necessary.

There can be no quarrel between Adhyatma and science. Science validates experiments; Adhyatma validates experience. Science dwells in time and space; Adhyatma seeks to transcend them. Metaphysics starts where Physics ends. Science speaks of Development; Adhyatma speaks of Growth. Science and systems strive to increase Gross Domestic Product; Adhyatma points the way toward Gross National Happiness. The harmony of both — their dialogue — is what truly serves human life.