What is science?

Modern science explains everything based on gross matter. It only accepts as true that the senses can perceive. What can be seen, heard, tasted, felt, and smelt is truth, and everything else is considered unscientific.

But what is science? When we Google the definition of science, the following is stated:

1. the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained.
2. ARCHAIC
   knowledge of any kind.
   “his rare science and his practical skill”

The first definition is modern science, empirical science based on sense perception. But when we consider science to be a systematically organised body of knowledge on a particular subject, science is not limited to only empirical science but to any systematically organised knowledge independent from the source of the knowledge. I would like to argue that science is a systematic method and must not restrict itself to a specific source of knowledge. Vedic knowledge is such a systematically organised body of knowledge, but its source is not based on sense perception but on revelation.

Four types of evidence

Even the Vedas themselves bring up this topic. They mentioned that there are four types of evidence:

1. Direct perception
2. Imagination
3. History
4. Transcendental sound

The first three types of evidence mentioned by the Vedas are also accepted in modern empirical science. They use the direct perception of the senses, and based on this, they use their imagination to create some theorems and compare their findings to historical records. In Vedic consideration, the first three types of evidence are inferior because the senses are imperfect, humans are prone to mistakes and corruption in their thought processes and logic, and historical records are sometimes contradictory.

The fourth type of evidence, transcendental sound vibration, is considered perfect because its source is the Supreme Lord Himself, and He is perfect. It is revealed knowledge.

In this regard, there are a few practical examples given. When we see a stick in a glass of water, it appears to be bent, though it is straight, or when we see a rope on the street, we might easily mistake it for a snake. Therefore, direct sense perception must lead to mistakes and wrong conclusions.

Life comes from life, not from matter.

So since modern empirical science bases everything on sense perception, it tries to explain everything based on gross matter. For them, the symptoms of life are caused by chemicals that they can measure and describe. It’s based on direct perception and then expanded upon by imagination. Modern science even has gone so far that there is any existence beyond the body, what to speak of the eternal spirit soul. But any reasonable human being cannot deny that they exist. We have a feeling of an I that goes beyond the body, and every day we experience our mind and emotions. But strictly speaking, to think there is a mind and there is a soul is against modern science. These are limitations empirical science puts on itself by its very own nature.

In Vedic science, consciousness does not depend on matter, but matter depends on consciousness. Consciousness is higher, and matter is lower. It is in our daily experience that our body moves only after we have developed the desire and expressed it through our mind. The cause for every action is consciousness. When at death, the conscious spark, the soul, leaves the body, the body becomes inactive, although all the chemicals previously inside the body are still present. Life comes from life. Life does not come from matter.

Behind every phenomenal effect, there is a conscious cause.

So, consciousness is above matter. Matter by itself cannot produce, cannot develop; it needs the presence of consciousness. A lump of the earth will never spontaneously form into a house. Only once an architect makes plans and workers execute the plans, the lump of earth will form into bricks and can be used to build a useful house. This is in our daily experience. The Vedas take this even further. Our body, to function, needs the presence of the soul. Similarly, cosmic activities like the sunshine, the rising and setting of the planets and stars, the burning of the fire, the blowing of the wind, the descent of rivers to the ocean, and the formation of clouds and rainfall also need consciousness behind them, since dull matter cannot work on its own.

For instance, the chemical process happening while a flame consumes a piece of wood is very well described in empirical science. The sugar produced by a tree is bound in the form of wood, and this sugar molecule oxidizes with the oxygen within the air and releases power in the form of a flame. The energy that was formerly gathered by the tree through photosynthesis is released again.

But what actually is the cause that this is happening? What causes the oxygen to react with the sugar molecule? Empirical science might go even deeper and say, “Well, oxygen is highly reactive because the electrons of the oxygen are not saturated and are easy to create bridges to other molecules.” But yet again, what is the cause of this? What makes the electrons behave in such a way?

Empirical Science describes, Vedic Science explains.

My argument is that empirical science describes very well what happens on the gross level but cannot explain the cause of it since the cause lies beyond sense perception. The cause is consciousness, in this case, the consciousness of the God of fire. There is no need for controversy between modern empirical science and Vedic science. We just have to understand where they’re coming from and what they describe. Modern empirical science describes everything based on sense perception and imagination, and Vedic science explains everything from the basis of consciousness. So there can be a modern empirical scientific understanding of what is happening in the world. At the same time, there can be a non-sentimental scientific consideration of Gods that rule the phenomenal world.

We can take another example from biology. In the cell, the RNA copies sequences from the DNA and produces various proteins that fulfill various functions. This process is well described, and there is no doubt that this happens. However, scientists are baffled about the question of why it happens. Who tells the RNA to do so? So again, empirical science describes well what happens, but the cause lies beyond sense perception.

The Ruler and ruled – the astrological relevancy

The fact that consciousness is above matter and that beyond all phenomena within our experience and even within our body depends on a conscious being behind it is very relevant to understanding astrology. The Veda introduces us to three concepts: the ruling deity, the ruled object, and the ruled subject.

For instance, the sun is considered to be the ruling deity of the eyes. So the sun is the ruling deity, the eyes are the ruled object, and the particular individual soul remaining in the body is the ruled subject. If someone has particularly good eyesight, he’s particularly blessed by the sun god.

Another example is Lord Indra, who is considered to be the ruling deity of the hands. So Lord Indra is the ruling deity, the hands are the ruled object, and again the particular individual soul remaining in that body is the ruled subject. If someone is exceptionally skilled with his hands or very strong, he is particularly blessed by Lord Indra.

The influence of the various ruling deities can be seen in the astrological chart, and based on that, a trained astrologer can see the health issues, talents, and hardships of the native.

The various astrological aspects and all these aspects are always ruled by a conscious individual, in other words, a God. That is Vedic science, and it is not opposing modern empirical science but instead completes it, making it whole.

Our society needs a Vedic Renaissance.

Four hundred years ago, Western society went through a Renaissance of empirical science by gaining access to the writings of the Greeks. Similarly, it is time for a new Renaissance that will close the circle and make our understanding of how the universe works complete and holistic. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, set the foundation for this Renaissance by gifting to the world countless authoritative translations of the most relevant Vedic scriptures for this day and age, the Srimad Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. The Vedic philosophy presented in this blog is based on these scriptures.

Give me this with HTML. Subtitles with H3, the paragraphs with p, and make the most important words bold.