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Re: Faith & Healing
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To: ghen@netcom.com
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Subject: Re: Faith & Healing
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From: Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian <rbalasub@ecn.purdue.edu>
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Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 11:27:54 -0500
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References: <4qshtp$iv@babbage.ece.uc.edu> <4r8u94$3da@babbage.ece.uc.edu> <ghenDtz4q9.35D@netcom.com> <ghenDu7Hrn.AIK@netcom.com> <ghenDuBB7F.1Au@netcom.com>
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Sender: rbalasub@ecn.purdue.edu
Shrisha Rao wrote:
[snip]
> I also do not see any "danger in the direct association of dharma with
> science." To me, science is not a laboratory experiment (or
> Gedankenexperiment, for that matter), or the results derived thereby,
> or the dogma fo specific scientists (quite unfortunately, all of these
> things are considered to be science, more often than not). Science is
> a method of investigating, an approach to understanding, and a way of
> thinking. The so-called "scientific method" is, to its utmost
> perfection, already a part of our philosophical tradition, and nowhere
> is one advised to ignore the truths and lessons of physical science in
> developing one's metaphysical understanding.
Thst may be your definition of science. However, science as it developed in
the Western world and scientists restrict themselves to observable facts and
inferences drawn from them. Anything which does not come under this is covered
by Philosophy. Philosophy can be "scientific" (your definition of scientific),
however it does not make it science. See Russell or Feynman's books for
discussions on "science" as used by Westerners. Trying to "scientifically"
justify the bhagavatam etc will result in really fifth-rate stuff like Vedic
Cosmography (sic). OTOH, there are lots of things which science does not cover
(admitted by scientists themselves, eg., schrodinger) and are admirably
covered by Indian Philosophy (also schrodinger's opinion).
Ramakrishnan.
--
Two monks were arguing about a flag. One said, "The flag is moving." The other
said, "The wind is moving." The sixth patriarch happened to be passing by. He
told them, "Not the wind, not the flag; mind is moving." - The Gateless Gate
