By Ac.Vimalananda Avt.
The role of science has always been paramount in building a society. From time immemorial, science has been there with humankind serving as a tool in their hands, useful in supporting life. It is indeed science, which gives physical shape to the finer sentiments of human heart, we call culture. Science built the great civilizations, expressing the human culture at different times. It did so in the past and it is doing today.
“In fact all organisms in creation, according to their respective mental proclivities and powers, follow scientific thought-process. The birds’ knack of building their nests, the woodworm’s skill in constructing their roadway, the spiders’ excellence in the weaving of their webs — all these indicate the scientific make-up of the organisms’ brains and inherent intellect”, says Shrii P. R. Sarkar.
At times, science has been found caring little for the finer sentiments of human hearts. Today the situation is repeating its past. Whenever that has happened, whenever science ignored the finer cultural vibes of civilization, the worst damages have occurred. Great civilizations have been wiped out from the surface of earth. It is not any fiction but a factual history of the humanity here, which can repeat again.
Shrii Sarkar says, “We must not forget that civilization has an intimate relationship with science; they progress together. When scientific progress surpasses civilization, the latter meets its end. Take, for instance, the history of Egypt and Greece. As long as the scientific progress of these two countries did not supersede civilization, civilization prospered very well in both countries. However, when science produced enjoyments extra-abundantly the civilization of both countries was destroyed. It so happened because science occupied a position of being superior to civilization. Alternately some civilizations also suffered due to their inability of making use of
the physical science for their civilization’s growth. The Maya people make such an example. They could not use the already invented wheel, thus lagged behind, and finally perished.
In India from the Tantric period to the Gupta period, civilization and science progressed side by side and both enjoyed equal prestige in society. The Gupta period was the golden period of India. After the end of the Gupta era, scientific progress was overlooked; this resulted in degradation and downfall. In the Pathan period there was neither the development of civilization nor the progress of science, and as a result the progress of society was impeded.”
At such junctures, it becomes imperative for science to review itself and refresh itself. Taking a brief look at the history of evolution of the modern science, we find that science started in the form of (natural) philosophy only. We may say, initially, science was more a philosophy than anything else. That was the “pre-critical” science. However, with acceptance of critic new spirit transpired and science advanced with rapid steps. That provided a strong base for the emergence of modern science in its present form. In the mean time, scientific brains, the likes of Ockham (14th century), Bacon (17th century) and Virchow (19th century), insisted on a purely materialist “Dogma” for science during its formative period. But that resulted in it’s lopsided growth creating the sea of gap that is evident today between the field of science and the human factors.
Today, it is required of the scientists to shake off such materialist dogmas and liberating their intellect they re-establish its questioned links to humanity. This would again herald humanistic profundity in the scientific minds influencing both their imagination and skills, sympathetically. Else, stepping out with higher aspirations, in absence of requisite ideals, may fail us again; the lesson we have learned.
According to Shrii Sarkar, “The physical science teaches us the proper use of all material things. For the all-round progress and development of the human society, both civilization and science have got to be encouraged. The development of civilization brings intellectual development with it. And intellectual knowledge is indispensable for both — civilization as well as science. But if science gradually attains the height of development without a corresponding advancement of civilization, it only paves the way for destruction instead of benefiting humanity. So, the study and practice of science, should not be done in seclusion from civilization”.
Our Idea-centric Cosmos: (A new paradigm for re-shaping Science)
We have already seen that the geo-centric universe gave way to the heliocentric view, with the sun at its center. That was not easy though. Now, with rapid steps the universe is becoming Idea-centric. That IDEA is in the center of a phenomenon needs to be understood, recognised and accepted.
Even the crude matter as we know them (and use them), is being defined in terms of its being Idea-centric. It may be the practical way to link science to humanity. Idea is at the center stage of all, animated as well as inanimate beings in the creation. Energy is generated, attracted and carried forth by idea. We often notice that despite in possession of a healthy physique (full of mass and enormous energy i.e. E=mc2), at times we complain for lack of energy. But once we have an inspiring idea we get full of energy in an instant. And depending on our ideas we use our energies for various types of activities, crude or contemplative. With refined ideas we engage ourselves in contemplative pursuits. It is idea, which converts energy into a force and directs it to perform actions. And it is interesting to note that unless energy becomes a force, it is as good as the value of zero. Or, in other words, energy always works in the form of a force only. This is the field where science and humanity meet at the microcosmic level.
But what is “IDEA”? What are the constituents of “Idea”?
Superior Science of the Future:
The superior science is into investigating the field of “Idea”. Altogether a new science is in the making based on concepts advanced by Shrii Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar who says that the secret lies with the mysterious particles; he calls them Microvitum (or Microvita, in plural). A Microvitum has an initial (original) Macrocosmic idea at its centre, surrounded by inferences of matching types – of sound, touch, form, taste and/or smell etc. Microvita are the smallest particles of Macrocosmic consciousness responsible for carrying ideas as well as shaping and organising the world of matter in the universe.
