Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Physical and non-physical

This is how Vedanta viewed its Brahmavidya, science of Brahman, the term Brahman standing for the totality of Reality, physical and non-physical. The Mundaka Upanisad defines Brahmavidya as sarva-vidya-pratistha, the pratistha, or basis of every vidya, or science. Says Sri Krsna in the Gita.

Ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam
Yat tat jnanam matam mama-

‘The knowledge of ksetra, the not-self (the ‘without’ of things), and of ksetrajna, the knower of the ksetra (the ‘without’ of things), is true knowledge, according to me’.
Dealing with the all-inclusiveness of this Vedantic thought as expounded by Swami Vivekananda, Roman Rolland says (The Life of Vivekananda)

‘But it is a matter of indifference to the calm pride of him who deems himself the stronger whether science accepts free Religion; in Vivekananda’s sense of the term, or not; for his Religion accepts science. It is vast enough to find a place at its table for all loyal seekers after truth.’

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