05 Jan 2016
Dr. Nikhil asked: There are two approaches: 1) Studying all the existing scriptures with conservatism, 2) Evolving own theory by self-observation and analysis without touching the existing scriptures. How to correlate both?
Shri Swami Replied: These two approaches are termed as Vyutpatti and Pratibha respectively in the scripture itself.
In the first approach, there is no self analysis and self-verification. The analysis and verification done already by the scriptures are taken for granted and no further self analysis is done. It is like simply recitation following the blind process of a grinding machine. Such a person is the mobile form of a book only. No approach of research is done since variation from the scripture is not tolerated either in the analysis or in the concept. This approach is like the train running on the fixed Railway lines of iron. Most of the scholars of the scriptures belong to this type only. A concept and subsequent analysis may come out without any variation even through your self analysis. In such case, it should be accepted as it is. It is not necessary to change the concept and the analysis given in the scripture. But, when the sharp self analysis is conducted, some other concept may be found wrong by the same self analysis. The wrong concept may be associated with its own analysis in the scripture. Such analysis associated with wrong concept is also wrong. We decide the concept, right or wrong, based on its analysis. Your analysis must be impartial to decide whether the concept and its analysis are right or wrong. If the self analysis is right, it will prove the analysis and its resulting concept are right or wrong. If your analysis proves that a concept and its analysis are wrong, we will not respect the scripture as far as this area is concerned, because such area is a pseudo-scripture inserted by ignorant and selfish human being. Here, you must be careful to note that we are not disrespecting the right scripture given by God through His perfect devotees called sages. We respect the divine scripture and disrespect the false scripture introduced by fraudulent scholars. This disrespect from us should not be diverted to the original and genuine scripture given by God. We only say that the acid test proves whether some metal is gold or bronze glittering like gold. If you give Me some metal pieces in the name of gold, what I say is, that you should perform acid test and isolate the real gold pieces from the false gold pieces, which are actually the bronze pieces. You should not accept that all the metal pieces are gold only. You should not blame Me that I am doubting your statement, which says that all the metal pieces are gold only. If I rejected certain bronze pieces through acid test and do not accept those as gold, you should not give Me a colour that I am revolting against gold. I accept the gold piece and I reject the bronze piece, called as gold piece through acid tests. This is not wrong and I should not be blamed at all as a revolutionist.
First Phase of Education: Study of Scripture & Verification of Concept by Analysis
In the second approach, there is no study of scripture at all. Everything should be found by self analysis only. If the above first approach is one extreme like drought, this approach is another extreme like flood. If you leave a student in a garden asking him to develop the subject Botany, is it possible? If you leave a student in a zoo asking him to develop the subject Zoology, is it possible? If you leave a student in a shop of chemicals and ask him to develop the subject Chemistry, is it possible? You must study the already existing developments in the subject and verify them in the laboratory. This will give you the knowledge of the development already taken in the subject. Without the study of such developments that give confidence to you by subsequent practical verifications, asking you to develop all the developments already established in the subject, is full madness. Each development established took the time of one human life. Apple falling on the ground from the tree was observed by millions of people during millions of generations. Only Newton could develop the concept of gravitational force. In your short and single human life, can you develop all those established developments? Moreover, is it not unnecessary since within a short period, I can have the knowledge of already established developments with full confidence due to their subsequent practical verifications? It is utter foolishness. Hence, study of the scripture and verification of the concepts by your sharp analysis to substantiate the correct concepts should be the first phase of education from LKG to PG. In second phase of doing research, after PG level, some self developments may take place. It is not necessary that everybody doing research should invent a new concept like Einstein or Newton to get a PhD degree. This craze of developing own theories reflects ego. The concept is developed by some scholar due to the grace of God as an accidental and incidental chance only. The investigator of the new concept is not benefited specially in anyway. The user of the concept is really benefited.
A middle way of Aristotle is always the best. One should have both the above mentioned approaches. Rejection of insertions by sharp analysis is also development of a new concept or invention only. When the wrong concept is rejected, the right concept becomes clear and this results in invention of new concept. Scholars say “All old is not gold. All the latest need not be the best. You have to examine both by your sharp analysis and take the right concept, which may be old or latest. A blind fellow follows only old or latest with foolish rigidity lacking the sharp self analysis (Pranamityeya...)”.
Some people quote the philosophy of Jiddu Krishna Murthi for the second approach. His philosophy is misunderstood. The heart of his philosophy is that you have to select your own philosophy suitable to your level of liking and capability to implement the spiritual concept. Each individual soul has a specific composition of the three main qualities (Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas). One should select such form of God to suit his/her qualities and level of capability of implementation, striving to the next immediate higher level. Since the individuality of soul is highly specific pertaining to a specific composition of three qualities, the philosophy and spiritual effort of each individual is very very specific like the finger print.
The best correlation is to stand on the first approach as the basic stage and try to do sharp analysis of concepts so that one can filter the wrong concepts from the right concepts. In such analysis, the rejected wrong concepts inserted by selfish human beings expose the related right concepts and such exposure is the invention of a new theory. In this context, one should be very careful in not getting the ego of self discovery and should feel that the invention is only due to God’s grace to help the humanity in the spiritual field. The craziness for invention to get fame is the basis for the second approach.
Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva developed the philosophies standing on both the approaches only. They invented new theories and at the same time followed the divine scripture carefully. When a statement in the scripture was against the right concept, they gave a new interpretation to such statement so that the total scripture is followed and at the same time, the possibility of insertion is also avoided. You have to see the possibility of a new interpretation for the statement assuming that the total scripture is genuine without any insertion. If such possibility of new interpretation is not possible since such new interpretation looks farfetched and forced, it is not wrong to reject the original statement declaring it as insertion. In special cases, the first approach may not be necessary if special grace of God comes into picture. For example, in the case of Shankara, there was no need of studying the scripture since the scriptures got introduced in to His brain in His childhood due to special grace of God.
The Philosophers of second approach say that you should develop your philosophy observing the world. World contains books and books contain scriptures. Hence, study of scriptures also becomes study of the world only. Of course, this means that you should not stick to the theoretical domain of scriptures only and you will find out the reality only when you enter the practical life existing out of the scriptures. For example, as per scripture, you pray God saying that He is everything and above everybody. But, when the practical sacrifice comes into picture, this is proved to be false. You give all your property and earnings to your family members only and not to God. This proves that what you pray is an utter lie since practice is the only proof of love. The practical life clears the reality of the theory and hence interaction with the world outside of the scripture is also needed for a total observation and study.
(To be continued...)
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