Spirituality and science

Though the development of modern Indian spirituality is inextricably linked with the history of colonialism and, later, nationalism, its causal connections with the two are not all that direct or determinate. Under colonialism, traditional Indian spirituality encountered modern Western ideas, including modern science. Indian spirituality, though not necessarily as challenged as religious practices and dogmas were, had, nevertheless to re-invent itself, a process that still continues.

One way it coped was by identifying a distinct realm for its own functioning. Yet, several Indian spiritual leaders, starting with Rammohun Roy, took an active interest in Western science. Sri Ramkrishna’s disciple, Swami Vivekananda, best exemplifies not just the curiosity of Indian spirituality in respect of modern science. Other spiritual masters such as Sri Aurobindo and Paramhansa Yogananda also continued this interest in and partial approval of modern science.

India’s national struggle for independence  had a distinctly spiritual colouring to it. Not only was the Indian National Congress founded by Alan Octavian Hume, a Theosophist, but many of its prominent leaders, especially Sri Aurobindo, and later, Mahatma Gandhi, had an overt interest in spirituality. Yet, India as a secular state, kept itself aloof officially from matters religious.

We thus have our first contrast between science and spirituality. While modern science was seen as superior to traditional science, modern spirituality was seen as a flowering of traditional Indian spirituality.

The co-existence of multiple, incommensurable systems, both spiritual and ‘scientific’, persists. But this plurality of knowledge systems is also characteristic of the metaphysical and epistemological multiplicity of modern India. This is what makes India a special space from which to reflect on the relationship between science and spirituality.

The writer is a professor at JNU.