Science and Religion interface introduced at Mathura Desh

By Jaganmohini Devi Dasi

My good husband H.G. Subal Shyam das has been on assignment at a leading educational campus at Mathura Desh (located in Persian Gulf) for the past one year. He requested me to take short break from my regular services and visit Mathura Desh for physical rest which I needed badly. After grave contemplation I decided to keep my hectic services aside and visit Mathura Desh during April-May 2009.

Back home here at India, I had been overseeing an Institute called “Institute of Science and Religion” (ISR) based in Navi Mumbai for more than two years since my physical separation from my beloved spiritual master H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami. The institute ISR was set up, guided and inaugurated by my spiritual master.

H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami during his life time was actively involved with several organizations with regard to inter-faith dialogue and synthesis of Science and Religion. One of them was Metanexus Institute, in Philadelphia which promotes synthesis of Science and Religion based on their Local Societies Initiative chapters all over the world. H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami was the Chairperson of the Bhaktivedanta Institute’s Science and Religion Group a LSI chapter based at Kolkata. He also received award from Metanexus Institute in recognition to his contribution to the world. More details can be obtained from Metanexus Institute’s website about their LSI chapters and their significant contribution to the world especially among scholarly community in the field of Science and Religion. So our institute was set up with the same spirit for blending and bringing together diverse categories of like minded intellectuals from various academic and religious background including different faiths within a religion who can guide the humanity in Science and Religion synthesis as well as in inter-faith dialogue as one of the viable approach to resolve several critical issues plaguing humankind today. Since the departure of my spiritual master, our team has been making small and simple humble efforts through various kinds of education in the campus as well as among the intellectuals. We had also been actively participating and supporting the AISSQ conferences organized by Bhaktivedanta Institute Kolkata that was initiated by H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami. At the request of my spiritual master, the institute was formally introduced to students during AISSQ 2005 at Sri Vrndavan Dham. We have also released one publication which is a compilation of lectures’ excerpts by H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami and his conversations, discussions with different scholars/academicians on the theme Science and Spirituality Interface.

After I reached Mathura Desh, the congregation President H.G. Mukunda Murari prabhuji already known to my prabhuji paid a kind visit to our residence and took interest to know about our services including ISR. Subsequently he invited us for a SB class in our area cell and healthy discussions took place during this time. The members became interested to know about our ISR education and its impact among intellectuals and other community, since they felt handicapped when it came to such preaching. After few days additional congregation showed interest when we personally interacted with them, as a result it was decided for those interested the educational seminar can be organized.

From my side, during the past, it never struck to me if this education should be imparted to ISKCON congregation or whether they really need this etc. but examining my own life as to how this knowledge helped me to grow and continues to, with regard to devotional perception and practices, I felt why not share this education to the extent I have grasped from my spiritual master with our people. I recalled, once my spiritual master remarked that, we take up Krishna Consciousness without practicing it(excludes pure devotees) while there are scientists who practice Krishna Consciousness to some level without knowing that they are practicing Krishna Consciousness. Hence he felt appropriate education on application principles has to be imparted in a very simple and scientific way among those especially the intellectuals who have taken up Krishna Consciousness so that their foundation remains very strong. This education I am realizing can make us contemplate on the impact of Science and technology in our own life. Having a broader understanding of the commonalities between science and religion can guide us how to integrate spirituality while pursuing any career including research. We begin to appreciate the complimentary approach and also gain better insights of purports found in Srila Prabhupada’s books. For example in his purport to BG 7.2, Srila Prabhupada said, “Complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them. This is transcendental knowledge.”.
Deliberating on the above, I felt there is no harm in imparting the education to practicing devotees who are really serious in their pursuit.

Also, while interacting with Mathura Desh’s intellectual congregation I felt the need to give them this supplementary knowledge of Science and Spirituality interface to strengthen their conviction, understanding and application of devotional principles in a very practical way based on reasoning. Hence I prepared the slides by considering their background of pursuing bhakti marg and within this framework of understanding; they were imparted knowledge on Applied Spiritual Technology. This was based on the difference between consciousnesses based paradigm and mechanistic paradigm and our applications on all walks of life based on this important education.
(This ‘Applied Spiritual Technology’ terminology was introduced by H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Swami in several educational campuses in tune with common understanding of technology by academicians. He said, “Technology is nothing but the practical application of the theoretical principles that science has laid out”, same way “Spiritual Technology is the practical application of spiritual knowledge into real practical utility”.)
Thru’ our seminar we did emphasize on how our KC knowledge must be linked to different kinds of actions that we perform during the day. Alternatively when we allow the knowledge of Science and technology or the mechanistic paradigm to overpower our spiritual knowledge or when the influence of former is stronger over us than our own small and slow spiritual endeavors then, even while pursuing KC path we tend to exploit the resources(including mind and intelligence) given to us by the Lord knowingly or unknowingly without having this proper understanding of ultimate spiritual reality behind material nature. This normally happens when we practice KC very ritualistically for a specific time during the day or as a part time endeavor. This separates the practice and its application in all walks of life. Quoting environmental crisis as a typical example where congregation practicing KC could have taken lead, but as of now it has not happened. Because it appears that in the name of Lord anything available can be exploited or overused without conservation attitude. For that matter even during pilgrimage tour or holy water dip or festival celebrations very few congregation partake in preventing damage to environment, by and large the understanding of Earth as conscious being is missing. But there are scientists who are practicing it, in other words they are putting KC into practice. So keeping such applications in mind, our emphasis was education on applied spiritual technology.

Well, the audience who attended received the messages very positively and did become serious in contemplating on their application. They were indeed serious about educating their children who are likely to pursue higher education with proper understanding and application of KC at the right age. The seminar lasted for one full hour and still they were waiting eagerly to hear more and more. They were keen to know something on inter-faith also since they deal with friends, intellectuals from different religions and faith. But it was late and I had to wind up.
I was little worried if my seminar was useful for all categories of assembled congregation especially those from non-science background or so, so I asked a young dynamic grahasta Vraja Prana das who is a CA working in senior position in a Omani firm, if the subject matter fitted his background, he was very positive. He said, “it was fantastic, very inspiring and very very encouraging. Meanwhile a senior medical professor H.G. Bhima Acyuta das came to me after the seminar and remarked, “It was excellent, different sciences were brought in very nicely, the features of science and religion discussed in seminar are very true, excellent communication..”. Later during the week we visited a family, mataji Malini Kanti devi dasi on invitation. She is a senior devotee who has done her MA in economics and does some preaching. She was inclined to know more. She remarked about seminar, “it was a scientific analysis of soul and matter, very useful for devotees studying BG. For the new generation it is very useful because they are so intelligent, they can grasp it quickly and present to intellectuals and implement it in them.”

Overall I thanked Srila Prabhupada and my spiritual master for their mercy over us, because the congregation did get some take home message for their own devotional growth, so this gave me inner satisfaction. Overall I thanked the temple President H.G. Mukunda Murari prabhuji for his wonderful cooperation all through out our stay. I was pleased to receive beautiful Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deities(Chinese) from him, I couldn’t have accepted any better gift than this.

Later after few days, thru’ our contact we also got an opportunity to present a seminar in a leading IT firm. It was a coincidence, the director wanted me to present on environmental protection, but he wanted without religion, since the audience had omanis also. I had a long discussion with the director to convince him on religion and spirituality, their connection etc. He said although he was religious personally but worried how omanis would take it if we bring religion etc. It didn’t end with this, just before the seminar he came to the Dias and asked me if I have used the word religion because my topic was, “Protect your Environment – Scientific and Spiritual Perspectives’. I replied “Sir please don’t worry, there are 11 living religions which religion you don’t want…I have used them all for same cause, hence you needn’t worry..”
(I understand that in gulf it is difficult to discuss about Religion among their local people, my prabhuji shared with me where even professors gets deported if they speak something not palatable to their religious ethos. I was pretty aware about this, hence was careful, at the same time my prabhuji gave me tremendous confidence that the subject matter we educate thru’ our institute will be recd. positively by them because his dean a hardcore Omani had discussions with prabhuji at length and he was very receptive to our education including inter-faith in their campus.)

The conference room was packed with 60 to 70 attendees some standing as there was no place to seat. I was at ease and the seminar went on very well.
Although glimpses of 11 religions on eco-protection was presented our focus remained on implementing consciousness base paradigm over mechanistic one, i.e. when earth is seen as a living organism, this naturally restricts the destructive actions of human beings, it is considered a breach of human ethical behavior.

After the seminar I asked the director, “Sir did I disappoint you”, he became spellbound and complimented, “you are confirmed international inter-faith speaker..”
Towards the end, I was gifted a huge wonderful memento, a silver colored dagger inside its case mounted on a silk cushion which as per my prabhuji is given as a honor representing sultan’s valor.
After I reached India he sent again an encouraging message which said,
“your session was enlightening…With people like u around I am sure Nature will be very happy.”

Although this was my 7th country where I interacted with ISKCON congregation, but this trip I felt blessed because I received Sri Sri Gaura Nitai as gift.
I thanked my spiritual master H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami and Srila Prabhupada for their kind blessings and directions all thru’ my stay at Mathura Desh.
Also I share here that several blessings I had received from H.H. Jayapataka swami in the past including the memorable one on Oct. 22nd 2008 night at Juhu, ISKCON did add to my spiritual strength. Although I visited Mathura Desh to take physical and mental rest exclusively, tired, I wanted to live and meditate in the inner world with my spiritual master but things changed when maharaj’s disciples took interest in understanding our educational services and thus I could render some insignificant service to them. I am grateful to maharaj for his special affection and blessings which he had always showered over us. I continue to pray to my spiritual master for maharaj’s quick recovery.

I conclude this article with instructive quotes by my spiritual master H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami followed by Srila Prabhupada.
Both give the essence of Science and Religion interface.
“God has created the human being with a brain and thinking faculty. He has commanded His creation that the faculty must be used with reasoning to reach Him. This is the mission of human life. Science is the best boon God has bestowed upon mankind.”

I had heard from my spiritual master the goal of scientific preaching as well as Krishna Consciousness as he heard them from Srila Prabhupada and that is
“To attain distinction in human form of life.”
Indeed Srila Prabhupada had said, “Human intellect is developed for advancement of learning art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology, economics, politics etc. By culture of such knowledge the human society can attain perfection of life. This perfection of life culminates in the realization of Supreme Being”

Hare Krishna!