Can science help us know the the very word ‘God’ are much nature of God through his more likely to be sympathetic to creation? the God of Spinoza or Einstein in which, in the words of Einstein, So much depends on what one there is a cosmic “intelligence of thinks or imagines ‘God’ is. If there such superiority that, compared is some sort of a personal God with it, all the systematic thinking nothing in science can show us the face of such an anthropomorphic and acting of human beings is an Being. Those scientists who are utterly insignificant reflection.” not completely driven away by (Ideas and Opinions, 11) 6 What science can do and is doing emphasis. As a general comment, quite well, is to reveal such amazing the God of process theology rejects Intelligence pervading the cosmos. the omniscient God knowing and But when it comes to ‘personal determining all future becomings. God,’ this is what Einstein said, This release of the process of “In the struggle for ethical good becoming is much more congenial teachers of religion must have the to scientific activity dealing with stature to give up the doctrine of events and the process of change a personal God, that is give up the in time. source of fear and hope which in the past placed such vast powers How can religion help us solve in the hands of priests.” (Out of scientific problems that humanity My Later Years, 28 -9) faces today like global warming? It is useful to remember that all the major theologians even There is no monolithic meaning in the Biblical traditions, where of ‘religion’ any more than that of the idea of a personal God is so ‘God.’ For a great many people, predominant, would be aghast at religion amounts to a set of beliefs imposing human characteristics on in some ancient scripture and God. In other traditions, especially codified by some councils many in Buddhism and in Vedanta, centuries ago. Mostly what goes the Ultimate Reality transcends any notion of God in the Biblical on in the name of religion is close- traditions. These trans-theistic mindedness; unfortunately far too perspectives are sometimes often resulting in fanaticism and erroneously regarded as atheistic. bigotry. However, for some people a religious mind is a learning What does process theology tell us mind, willing to be surprised, about the nature of God? and open to all reality. For such people, concern for and care of Different process theologians all of nature, including the planet have understandably different Earth, is a part of being more 7 and more fully human. For them Can science explain religion? any problems facing our planet I have an impression that much or humanity in general need our of what goes on in the name of attention, resources and energy. religion, and the consequent Depending on their sphere of psychological attitudes and activity, such religious people will behaviour, can be fairly well make their contributions as voters, explained by increasingly subtler tax payers or as scientists in solving scientific investigations in the the relevant problems. fields of psychology and psychiatry, largely because much of this Can nature and beauty help so called religious behaviour is bring together scientists and driven by ordinary fears of the theologians? unknown and desires for comfort and security. However, the religion Both nature and beauty help pertaining to the spiritual realities human beings towards a clearer experienced by the great sages mind and a larger heart whether and mystics in all traditions—such they are theologians or scientists or as the Buddha, the Christ, John anybody else. Then it will be easier of the Cross, Rumi or Ramana—is for them to feel that there cannot beyond all categories of interest in principle be any contradiction available to science. between scientific research and spiritual search. However, if the Is science capable of proving scientists in question are addicted the reality of the transcendent to scientism and regard the dimension of life? universe wholly in materialist terms, or the theologians in question No, simply because the are dedicated to the defense of transcendent dimension some dogma, it is unlikely that transcends the very categories anything—including nature and and aspects—such as space- beauty—will bring them together. time, matter-energy, causality and the like—in which scientific 8 research operates. One can come from which previous scientific to the Sacred only at the end of attainment is invited to retire is knowledge—vedanta. Knowledge with admirable dexterity claimed is always not only in time and as a playground of some religious space, it is of time and space. The ideology that cannot really use it Sacred manifests in great vision profitably, because its [religion’s] which cannot be formulated or true domain is far beyond anything codified. in reach of scientific explanation” (Nature and the Greeks, 8). Would science better serve the spiritual potential of the human How does your interest in the race by acknowledging the various religious traditions of the inherent limits of its domain? world inform your practice of science? Most if not all of the first class scientists—Einstein, Newton, What interests me in the various Swedenborg, Darwin, Neils Bohr, religious traditions are the various Schroedinger, to name only a spiritual practices and disciplines few—acknowledge the inherent and not so much their dogmas limits of science. Here are some or belief systems. Even a slight comments of Schroedinger, awareness of any of these the father of Wave Mechanics: disciplines, and certainly a serious “Physics has nothing to do with engagement with any one of religion. Physics takes its start them makes one aware of the fact from everyday experience, which that all spiritual traditions speak it continues by more subtle of various levels of reality both means. It remains akin to it, does inside us as well as outside. Just not transcend it generically, it as a human being has physical, cannot enter into another realm” emotional, mental and spiritual (Science, Theory and Man, 307 -8). aspects so does the cosmos. Also, He characterizes such attempts that there is a correspondence as “sinister.” “The territory between internal and external 9 levels. In the words of St. Paul, the hand, is not especially interested eyes of the flesh can see the things in the quality of the persons of the flesh and the eyes of the practicing science. However, any spirit the things of the spirit. serious spiritual undertaking is Therefore, the purpose of the suffused with a scientific temper spiritual disciplines is to cleanse so that one relies on a clear mind our perceptions qualitatively so and direct perceptions, not on that we can begin to see, feel and somebody else’s authority. sense the spiritual dimensions of whatever we look at—nature, What is it that really motivates other people, other cultures and science? And how is that different the whole universe. The more from what motivates spiritual one is spiritually oriented, the pursuit? more one can engage in scientific research out of wonder and joy, Other than survival, food and not necessarily out of competition. the like, there are two great human needs, needs of the soul: Has being a scientist affected your knowledge and meaning. Science spiritual evolution? is the quest for knowledge. The search for meaning in one’s life The entire enterprise of spiritual immediately brings one towards disciplines is oriented towards the relationship—with oneself, with enhancement of the quality of the other humans and with the the person, ultimately resulting Ultimate Reality. That is why in in a complete freedom from me- spiritual literature one can hardly me-me. If one is not moving escape the great emphasis on towards more compassion and love, compassion, freedom from love, a clearer understanding of selfishness and the like—all the one’s place in the cosmos which necessary requirements for any naturally frees one from more pride meaningful relationship. and arrogance, one is not spiritual. Scientific research and spiritual Scientific research, on the other search both proceed from a sense 10 of Mystery—mystery inside and primarily by the measure and the mystery outside, both aspects of the sense in which he has attained Great Mystery. Scientific research liberation from the self.” (Ideas has to do with trying to know and Opinions, 12). the unknown, but this unknown is in principle knowable. Spiritual How can the internal process of search, or search for the Sacred, religious and scientific thought be has to do with the cultivation of a reconciled? relationship with the Unknowable Mystery. Spiritual mysteries—such It should be clear from the answers as God is love (1 John 4.16), or to the previous questions, that Atman is Brahman (Mandukya according to my understanding Upanishad 2)—cannot be solved there cannot in principle be in the sense that the solution can any conflict between scientific be articulated in rational terms research and spiritual search. No and passed on to someone else. true scientist can be untouched However, in a contemplative state by the grandeur of the vastness of a quiet mind these mysteries can of the cosmos and the harmony be dissolved. Then one no longer of the intricate natural laws. If denies the Mystery or fears it; one such feelings are not suppressed celebrates the mystery. A dancer by some cultural conditioning, the celebrates the Mystery in dance, a resulting rapturous amazement musician in music; and a physicist is bound to lead one to an by engaging in doing physics. ardent reflection on one’s place Although it is not generally the in this immensity. These feeling case, science itself can be, and has experiences are the intimations of been for some scientists, a spiritual the Sacred. path gradually freeing them from Similarly, anyone touched by the ego. As Einstein said, echoing the spiritual Truth is naturally the insight of all the great spiritual interested in the incredible order sages of the world: “The true value displayed by the manifested of a human being is determined universe. In principle, even at 11 the most ordinary level, every be open to the Great Mystery. The human being is both potentially more science reveals the workings a scientist—interested in the of great nature, the deeper the external cosmos as it presents Mystery becomes. itself to our senses and mind—and Two forms of awareness can reside a spiritual searcher—interested in in the same person: on the one the meaning of one’s life and one’s hand, direct subtle supersensuous true place in the vastness. perceptions and, on the other, reasoned scientific theorizing What is your view of the future and experimentation with its perspectives on the intersection of corresponding philosophical science and religion, especially as abstractions—however rare scientific discoveries and advances actual instances of this may be. continue? The reconciliation of religion and science needs to take place in the Treating science and religion as soul of the same whole person abstractions and trying to oppose so that there can be purposive them or to reconcile them is a action without self-centeredness, wrong-headed approach. Each individuality without egoism, human being wishes to be whole— wholeness without loss of uniquely oneself but participating uniqueness. For many great in the oneness of all there is. These scientists, the Sacred was not abstractions interfere with the discovered or proved by science. search for wholeness. At the end of The Sacred called them, pervaded learning, a serious person returns their lives, and gave significance to to himself. Then one sees that not their scientific activity, as it would only I know very little, but that the have to their other activities, such whole of humanity knows very as music or poetry or painting, if little. This sense of not knowing they had been called to celebrate is not a celebration of ignorance, the Sacred through the arts, as but a quality of innocence in the were Bach, Kalidasa, and El Greco. presence of the Vastness. One can 12