religion can be studied through scientific method

Religion can be studied through scientific method

(By Muktipada Behera)

What is Scientific method? And can religion be studied using this method?

We are practically the worshippers of science now-a-days. With this tendency, we try to reject whatever we don't understand, by saying it is not scientific.

But what is this scientific method used to look at things? Here is few points.

1. First of all science works with a 'positive spirit' on a fact or event. To begin with, it does NOT reject any event. Rather it accepts the existence of an event occurred in past. And try to study that. Whereas we try to reject from the beginning in the name of science. And wait for USA to study it.

2. Science is based on verifiability. Science goes by data collection. First required data needs to be collected and later studied to find a pattern. If any patten is found, then it is derived into a formula or law. If there is no such pattern found, then more data is collected for further study. So there is no doctrine of leaving aside any event in science. Science never isolate or reject any event occurred. It believes in a rule - if an event has occurred, then there must be a 'cause' behind it. There can not be cause-less event. Science does not believe in accident, rather it believes in incident.

3. Science is based on repeatability. If an event has occurred once in past, then it must occur in future if similar process is followed and same environment are provided. Please note an event occurs through a particular process under an particular environment. So science not only analyses the event, but also it analyses the process and environment. So these three things are considered by science for research. Not just stand-alone event. In this way the repeatability is verified.

4. When can science say anything is unscientific? No. it does not say anything unscientific. Rather it just deny the confirmation. And open it for further study. So science goes with open mind and open question without negating the fact.

5. Always science is associated with theoretical people in the background. They are called philosophers of science or theoretical scientists. They lead and give directions to study in a particular area. They imagine the beginning of creation, what is inside sub-atomic particles, look beyond sky/galaxy, magic creation of life etc. So these theoretical people are equally respected and funded. They don't have proof, but they have logic and possibility. So attitude is quite positive and passionate.

6. Science does not believe in God and religion. However many scientist believe in God and religion. So indirectly God and religion give power or motivation for their work. For example popular scientists like Copernicus, Galileo, Pascal, Newton, Mendel, Einstein etc used to believe in God and religion. So they have not rejected God and religion as superstition even though they were best prophets of science. Simply they don't assert their believes on science until it is proved as formula/law. But they don't reject it or find contradictory in their lives or research.

7. Can God or religion be a part of science? Yes. It can be. We need to be positive and include this area of study in science - branch named 'spiritual science'. Both system of knowledge - religion and science - are now inimical in nature due to lack of communication among experts of these fields. It requires cooperation from both sides. The religious people should be open for validation. And science people should approach spirituality with a positive spirit. Now-a-days this approach is missing from both religious person and science people. We need to change this attitude and misconception.

8. Finally it is all about funding and setting an awareness. We need laboratory with conducive environment for religious or yogic study. At the same time interest and dedication is required on religion or yoga subjects. For example to prove a theory many scientists have exposed their body to chemicals (e.g. Chemist Karl Scheele died from tasting chemical hydrogen cyanide and mercury poisoning), to radiations (e.g. Marie Curie killed by radiation, Elizabeth Ascheim killed by X-Rays), by starvation (Alexander Bogdanov killed himself with blood) etc. Are we ready to take these risks for spiritual study? Since spiritual study is a subjective study, we need to expose ourselves and our body/mind for it, if we don't get volunteers for it. Like self-climbing the Everest. Let's practice Yoga or religion in a prescribed manner before saying it is wrong. We should not be coward while approaching religion.

9. Another pitfall is, we look for some foreign jack and john to give any formula/law to Indians. Anything published in USA journals, though silly periodicals, even though it is purely theoretical, lacking all kinds of experimental basis, still we Indians start believing in those. For example Darwin's Theory Of Evolution - There is no proof of monkey converting into Human, The Big Bang Theory - creation came out of huge sound, nobody has heard it, Genetic model theory - there is no such genes proved, it is just a model, Bohr's atomic model - there is no way to prove electron position. These are all theoretical concepts for many centuries and not yet proved through experiments. And we never question them. Is it not a blind belief on science? and why not - because it is preached from USA. But anything talked by Indians, we reject however intelligent they may be.

10. I strongly believe every event can be included in science including religion. It requires positive approach, faith in oneself, requires dedication to find a pattern/law/cause. And we have many intelligent people in religious field like Sankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda etc. We can not reject them in void. Sankaracharya has said - "if Veda says - fire is cold, then put Veda into fire, that will prove whether fire is cold or hot". Such a dedication to truth, even dared to burn own scripture. Sankara insisted on direct-realization of truth by an individual - Aparokshanubhuti. Also Swami Vivekananda has said - "If there is any God, we must see it". He used to ask this question - "Have you seen God?" until he found his teacher Sri Ramakrishna at Kolkata, who said boldly - "Not only I have seen God, But I can also show you, if you want". Then Ramakrishna had to show God to swamiji for his confirmation. How practical and scientific approaches are these facts in religious history!

Conclusion:

And without having all these qualities and without proper investigation, let's not reject any religious event. At best we can accept our ignorance on the 'cause' of that event and get ready for further research. This is what is expected from people while approaching religion and Yoga.

Immigrants from Myanmar[Burma] to India – talks with an eye witness

Immigrants from Myanmar[Burma] to India – talks with an eye witness

(By Muktipada Behera)

It was the time of Second World War [1939-1945]. Burma[Myanmar] was under British rule and granted independence on 4 January 1948. At that time Japanese army was trying to capture British occupied Myanmar. Out of insecurity British Govt declared evacuation of resident Indian and own British people. And asked them immediately migrate into India. It wanted to evacuate all Indians from that place, so that they won’t be able to join Japanese military. Subhas Chandra Bose [1897 -1945] was fighting against British taking the help of German and Japan. In the fear of Indian from Myanmar might join Japanese military, British Govt declared evacuation immediately from that place and move them to India. There were few instances of bomb-strike in Kolkata and Manipur by Japanese military also. So people were really scared.

Lakhs and lakhs of people without any option had to leave their property and moved towards Indian through walking. British administration had identified two routes – one for black Indian and another for white British. There was no facility for transportation, food, water, medicine on the road meant for black Indian. Whereas British had arranged proper care including food, water, medicines throughout the way on which white people were moving. Even British did not take-care of the Gorkhas in its army. They were treated in an Indian way. Nobody was there to take-care of Indian immigrants from Myanman. Ramakrishna mission decided to provide some facility to those neglected Indian victims.

Below is the situation as described by Ramakrishna mission relief documents [Book Pariprasna, said by Swami Bhuteshananada, 12^th spiritual Guru, He was an eye witness of this relief]

With a lot of request, Mission got the permission from British govt, to help migrated Indian. Nobody was allowed to work with British soldier other than few monks from RKM. At that time British govt was not able to trust Indian because Subhas Chandra Bose was with Japanese military power against British. And that area was a very sensitive area. So Indians were not allowed to enter. Ramakrishna Mission started to work with a camp at Dimapur, the largest city in Nagaland, India. This charity work was done with the help of British military. British used to give money for food and train ticket of immigrants. The mission job was to give temporary shelter in a school building for few days. Cook and feed people after they reached camp and give them free train ticket to reach natives in India. British govt had arranged special train. Mission also used to distribute dress, milk packet and medicines from own fund. Mission had dug many big holes to protect people because that was an air-strike [bombing] zone. So it was a joint charity program with British.

Many Indian even did not know where to settle in India because they were completely new to India. Based on their language, mission used to give them railway ticket to different states. Sometime whole family got scattered into different places while migration. Mother in one place, Son and daughter in another place. Mission helped them to unite in the camp by keeping the separated family members quite some days. People were of Punjabi, Gujarati, South Indian, Bengali, Gorkha etc. They had settled in Myanmar for generations.

Many people used to die due to cholera, malaria diseases attacked because of to heavy rain and lack of sanitary system. There was no facility to burn those dead bodies, causing rotten smell. Mass burying of dead bodies were done. There was no electricity at that time and military did not allow much light [lamps] at night due to fear of getting targeted from Japanese. Mission monks were not able to take proper food and good water due to pollution. Finally some of them also fall in fever and had to leave that place except two enthusiastic monks [one of them was Swami Bhuteshananda and Other was Gangadhara Maharaj] working till the completion of charity.

British govt had arranged truck to carry people after some location inside India border. There were cases out of 1200 people in a truck arrived in camp, 900 used to die. Mission used to treat them. People [including rich] used to walk in bare feet all along from Burma to India. And many died during travelling without food, water and medicine. Many family lost their babies, husband, wife, father, mother during the journey. Surprisingly Indian native villagers took it as an advantage and used to sell a glass of water at the cost of Rs 5-10/- to victims. Mission book mentions how the cooks in canteen used to cheat both mission and British Govt by mentioning bigger numbers than people had taken food in a day. The canteen manager used tamper the people count calculated by mission by adding digits on left hand side – if 5 is written in token; they used to modify it into 15. Mission was not able to get help from native Indian, because people used to leave that place in the fear of bombing. So workers and volunteers were not easily available for cleaning, sweeping, helping the victims. Mission monks used to manage all these in this unfavorable condition. They used to carry relief materials on their back due to lack of vehicle. Even there are cases where one victim was not ready to help another diseased victim - lack of compassion among victims were noticed.

Ramakrishna mission closed its branch in Myanmar during this time. Swami Ranganathananda[later 13^th RKM head], Swami Punyananda also walked down all the way with fellow Indians. They also witnessed many sufferings and deaths while travelling. Those events are described in their books. Indians should not ignore such a tremendous experience and history made by these great, but silent ramakrishna mission workers.

Reference -- 

1. Book Pariprasna [part 1], Talks with Swami Bhuteshananda, edited by Swami Ritananda, published by Ramakrishna Mission.