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Scientific Temperament and the ‘logic’ of Vastu

Namaste.


I was reading an interesting debate on the usage of modern scientific terminologies to explain our ancient Bharatiya sciences. My belief is that this approach will not work. It is like trying to explain the intricate principles of machine learning, organic chemistry, quantum physics, or laws of relativity etc by someone whose knowledge is limited to primary school science.


The ancient sciences of Bharat have a deep spiritual foundation and the scientists who propitiated them were Rishis whose spiritual insight into the subjects gave them a profound understanding. The pursuit of Knowledge to them was a pursuit of Truth in which they acquired Knowledge not merely through observation and logic, but also through intuition and Divine Grace. How else could they have determined the structure of the atom and also the galactic distance between the grahas. And unlike the modern scientists, they had no need to quantify and prove every finding about Ishwar who was as much outside as was within them.


The modern scientific terminology and the richest of the European language is unable to express Bharatiya spiritual sciences, for three reasons.


One reason is that no language comes close to the richness, complexity and intricacy of Sanskrit. This language enabled thinkers and sages to capture complex abstract spiritual thoughts. I will quote here a shloka from Saundarya Lahari:


क्षितौषट्पञ्चाशत्द्विसमधिकपञ्चाशदुदकेहुताशेद्वाषष्टिश्चतुरधिकपञ्चाशदनिले।दिविद्विष्षट्त्रिंशन्मनसिचचतुष्षष्टिरितियेमयूखास्तेषामप्युपरितवपादाम्बुजयुगम्॥


Thy pair of lotus-like feet are far above the 56 rays of Muladhara of the character of Earth, the 52 rays of Swadhishthan of the character of Water, the 62 rays of Manipura of the character of fire, the 54 rays of Anahata of the character of Air, the 72 rays of Visuddhi of the character of Akash, and the 64 rays of the Ajna of the character of the Mind.


Amazing poetry, and amazing भाषासौष्ठव. I could not think of any English expression for भाषासौष्ठव 😀. English stops at Shakespeare because his poetry is the pinnacle. But we must take pride that Bharat had not one but hundreds of poets who excelled in Sanskrit poetry. The language itself has its roots in a divine story of originating from Shiv Sutras.


The second reason is that modern science is still in its nascent stage; it is evolving, and in the process first it arrives at a principle only to later negate it and arrive at another one. The abstractions of astronomical, pure physics and mathematical sciences have several such examples, and therefore the western sciences whose theories are still work-in-process are unable to explain by their standards and terminology our spiritual sciences.


The third reason is that in the name of scientific temperament modern science has denied the existence of Ishwar. For it, the world is based purely upon tangible cause and effect and all that happens in the universe is the result of a cause. The Big Bang theory, the Higgs Boson particle which is claimed to be its own antiparticle (I wonder what it means) and which still has a number of Ifs and which, after spending billions of dollars has not proven anything, the theories of Dark Matter, the shape of the Universe, the Dark Energy and hundreds of such theories have remained unanswered in the name of ‘scientific temperament.


Therefore, we must take pride in what we have, and boldly negate whatever does not conform to it, rather than trying to explain with the modern jargon.


The other issue concerns the use of instruments like Dowsing Rods, Pendulums, Scanners, EMF Meter, Lecher Antenna, Kirlian Cameras etc. These are two categories of instruments – standalone and handheld. The stand-alone instruments are the Kirlian Camera and EMF meters, and the dowsing instruments are handheld. The standalone instruments are not dependent upon the operator, but the handheld instruments are totally dependent upon the dexterity of the person who handles them. The use of instruments in Vastu is the personal choice of the practitioner and is not a matter of criticism, although too much dependency on instrumentation should also be avoided.


Arun Vyas

 

©Arun Vyas. This article may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author. Arun Vyas may be contacted at arun@arunvyas.com


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Aun-Vyas-logo_edited.png Vastu Sindhu by arun vyas Logo

”Indian sacred architecture of whatever date, style, or dedication goes back to something timelessly ancient and now outside India almost wholly lost, something which belongs to the past, and yet it goes forward too, though this the rationalistic mind will not easily admit, to something which will return upon us and is already beginning to return, something which belongs to the future.”

                                                         -Sri Aurobindo, The Renaissance in India  

Vastu Consultant & Teacher

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