Practical Vedanta

Practical VedantaPractical Vedanta11. CosmologyThere are two worlds, the microcosm, and the macrocosm, the internal and theexternal. We get truth from both of these by means of experience. The truthgathered from internal experience is psychology, metaphysics, and religion; fromexternal experience, the physical sciences. Now a perfect truth should be inharmony with experiences in both these worlds. The microcosm must beartestimony to the macrocosm, and the macrocosm to the microcosm; physical truthmust have its counterpart in the internal world, and the internal world must haveits verification outside. Yet, as a rule, we find that many of these truths are inconflict. At one period of the world's history, the internals become supreme, andthey begin to fight the externals. At the present time the externals, the physicists,have become supreme, and they have put down many claims of psychologists andmetaphysicians. So far as my knowledge goes, I find that the real, essential partsof psychology are in perfect accord with the essential parts of modern physicalknowledge. It is not given to one individual to be great in every respect; it is notgiven to one race or nation to be equally strong in the research of all fields ofknowledge. The modern European nations are very strong in their research ofexternal physical knowledge, but they are not so strong in their study of the innernature of man. On the other hand, the Orientals have not been very strong in theirresearches of the external physical world, but very strong in their researches of theinternal. Therefore we find that Oriental physics and other sciences are not inaccordance with Occidental Sciences; nor is Occidental psychology in harmonywith Oriental psychology. The Oriental physicists have been routed by Occidentalscientists. At the same time, each claims to rest on truth; and as we stated before,real truth in any field of knowledge will not contradict itself; the truths internal arein harmony with the truths external.We all know the theories of the cosmos according to the modern astronomers andphysicists; and at the same time we all know how woefully they undermine thetheology of Europe, how these scientific discoveries that are made act as a bombthrown at its stronghold; and we know how theologians have in all timesattempted to put down these researches.I want here to go over the psychological ideas of the Orientals about cosmologyand all that pertains to it, and you will find how wonderfully they are inaccordance with the latest discoveries of modern science; and where there isdisharmony, you will find that it is modern science which lacks and not they. Weall use the word nature. The old Sânkhya philosophers called it by two differentfile:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Chitra%20Selva...oksBySwami/PracticalVedanta/PracticalVedantaPDF.html (83 of 113)2/26/2007 12:24:34 AM