Science and Brahmoism

Sushama Joag

Regime of Science is the physical world while the realm of Brahmoism is spirituality. The two entities, Science and Brahmoism, sound to be mutually exclusive. In reality, however, they support each other.

Scientific attitude
World today can not survive without Science and its offspring called Technology. In every walk of life ranging from the basic needs, viz., food, clothing and shelter to the modern means of communication and transportation, from medicine to recreation, from peace to war we come across one or the other applications of Science. It is, therefore, logical to expect that everyone adopts a scientific attitude in various walks of one’s life.
Scientific attitude by itself is an elaborate process involving a number of steps that include observation, interpretation, prediction and experimental validation. To put it in one phrase, scientific attitude is a self consistent search for the ultimate truth.
Scientific research carried out with scientific attitude has opened a window to enormous knowledge about the universe.

Scientific disciplines
For the sake of convenience, Science is studied under the names of many scientific disciplines. Mathematical principles are applied for formulation of scientific laws and thus provide a common foundation to all the scientific disciplines.
Physics deals with laws regarding state, motion and energy transaction pertaining to objects ranging from subatomic particles to astronomical bodies. Research in Physics is also aimed at the discovery of the origin of the universe and a unifying theory that will explain properties of all the objects in the universe.
Chemistry analyses matter to discover its constituent chemicals and their interactions. It is found that the countless chemicals are ultimately made of about hundred different elements which in turn are made from just three types of particles, proton, neutron and electron. Thus all the matter is chemically made from only a few building blocks.
Biology reveals that the bodies of millions of types of living organisms are made from living cells having common structural features. Life cycles of the organisms are governed by the genetic matter in the nucleus of their cells, the nucleic acid DNA. What is remarkable is that the DNA of all the organisms is made of the same four constituent units called nucleotides. The physiological reactions in all the organisms use the same currency called ATP in the energy transaction.
Environmental Science describes natural elemental cycles. Microorganisms, plants, animals and human beings, by virtue of their own natural life cycles, are involved in driving these elemental cycles in nature. We may be considering ourselves to be an independent entity enclosed within our skin, but in reality we exchange our constituent elements and energy with the surroundings by processes like respiration, nutrition, excretion, and so on. Human beings are only one of the several components of the biosphere and owe the environment for their very existence.

Message of Science
All the scientific disciplines tell us that there is a common principle that all the living and nonliving things share.

All pervading principle :
Blissful, Benevolent Brahma
Brahmoism is the recognition that there exists an all pervading principle called BRAHMA or Supreme Spirit in all the living and nonliving things in the universe. This Supreme Spirit having the attributes such as blissfulness, benevolence is the cause of creation, sustenance and end of every living and nonliving thing in the universe.
Realisation of existence of the omnipresent, benevolent Brahma leads to love for all. Love is the feeling of belonging. Love for all results from the faith that there is some relation, a common thread amongst all the beings.

Self consistency in Science and Brahmoism
Both Science and Brahmoism uphold self consistency in their practice.
Progress of Science has taken place out of the scientific attitude based on self consistency.The message of Science that all living and nonliving things share common ingredients and their existence is interdependent gives a new perspective to look at the universe. One is astonished to see this unity in diversity.
Brahmoism recognises the omnipresent, benevolent Brahma as Almighty God. Renouncing idol worship, abolishment of any kind of discrimination amongst people, working for strengthening the bond of love with all, are the spiritual practices in Brahmoism and show consistency with the attributes of all pervading Brahma.

Message
Science and Brahmoism recognise the existence of common principle in all the living and nonliving things. According to Science the common principle is the sought for unifying theory, elementary particles, DNA units and the cyclic processes involving all the living and nonliving things. According to Brahmoism the common principle is the omnipresent, omniscient, benevolent, blissful, eternal principle called Brahma or Supreme Spirit. Self consistency is of prime importance in both Science and Brahmoism. To adopt the message of unity in diversity from Science and practise Brahmoism by following the principle of ‘Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Human’ is the perfect way of blending Science with Brahmoism.