By
Dwarkanath Munshi
'Intriguing and
even mystifying' is the first reaction to the title of the book. But the reader
soon feels comfortable with what he/she is served in simple and seemingly
familiar words and expressions.
What the author
sets out to achieve, however, is to explain in detail how the state and style of
religion, philosophy and science, as he sees the truth is in confusion and has
failed to answer convincingly human-kinds' external questions of the purpose and
meaning of life.
One of the
prime concerns of the author is to draw a clear distinction between religion and
spirituality. In his view, religion is based upon a man's attempt to discover
the quintessential truth about himself and the universe. This of course is a
very generous description in polite terms. Religion today is no longer pure
theology. Its pull arises, for the most part, from the deep-seated aspirations
in the human being for a prolonged enjoyment of every material possession. And
he seeks it through the path of codes, conventions and propitiations laid out
therein to reach God.
For the
uninitiated, only his own religion is the true guide. Today's religion thus
divides, circumscribes, limits, even cripples the flight of mind and dims the
light thereof.
Religions have
been governed by tradition and are preoccupied with statements and observations
by prophets and other authorities about truth rather than truth itself. In short
we are confused. The book strives to examine the causes and dispel the
confusion.
Spirituality on
the other hand sheds off this blind faith. This other path leads to "ultimate
bliss" through self-abidance and "consciousness". This path holds the prospect
of uniting and liberating human kind and giving the mind immensely powerful
wings of flight to infinity and thought and deed in the search for truth. It
modernises the old ways of accepting religion. That is what the Science of
Spirituality explains, asserting that it fuses the faith of religion, the
synthetic view of philosophy and the rationalization of science. It further
avers that the new science of spirituality, built on the 'debris and ruins' of
the old religions, would develop over time to meet the needs of human kind.
The author goes
on to offer the concepts and theories of the phenomenon. Yet in his
characteristic humility, he promptly disclaims any originality emphasizing that
he has only picked it up from existing sources. He is also open to reviewing or
even demolishing his assertions and theories if found weak or inadequate.
The book is
what may be called a mono-discussion, starting with "Reality" whose nature and
purpose can never be known except that one could perceive what is 'truth' which
also can contain errors of perception.
As the
discussion progresses, the subtleties and intricacies of the author's thoughts
and ideas unfold what he has felt and experienced over the years of
introspection, which keep deepening but lead on the reader in curiosity and
novelty of the subject.
That it may be
an audacious effort to walk over areas where angels may fear to tread so to say.
Yet one is tempted to add here that 'only one who has studied can teach and only
one who has acquired can give'.
The overall
result is nonetheless, stimulating in that you see a refreshing, even though at
places a fairly complex approach to age-old concepts, attributes, faiths,
expressions and definitions. Here is presented a novel face of the science of
spirituality with its own vocabulary and hypothesis, smoothly progressing
through arguments and definite opinions, graphics and equations to a wholly new
set of conclusions.
"Consciousness"
is one of the cardinal aspects of the theory which is averred to be a state of
'dynamic awareness' at different levels-spiritual, intellectual, emotional,
vital and gross. That is the real stuff of the universe. The theory claims that
each individual should achieve a dynamic equilibrium-and has chalked out a path
for it "for restoring sanity". It is a conglomerate concept made up of
awareness, existence, bliss, light, knowledge and creativity.
Rising to ever
higher levels of awareness, one can see one's identity with the Cosmic
Consciousness. Human beings acquire different attributes at different levels of
consciousness. This is achieved by continued transcendence or dissolution of the
circumscribing thoughtfield. At the superconscious stage, the author holds, the
person would be commanding extraordinary positive powers. A totally original
concept offered by the author relates to control of thought to create "thoughtonous"
analogues to e.g. protons of amazing powers of travelling in time and space. The
style throughout is of a talented knowledgeable teacher, talking to a class,
taking good care that it be all intelligible to the audience. Like Rapid Readers
for examinations, the book explains much complexity in simple modern terms.
Shri Kaw is a
reputed writer. His sweep is over vast and varied subjects-poetry English and
Hindi, fiction, short stories, one Act plays, et.al. One of his collection of
his essays is a best selling ribtickeling as well as thought-provoking humour,
pregnant and profound, boldly presenting his own tribe in "Bureaucratzy"
(presently he holds with distinction the topmost administrative position of
secretary in the Union Ministry of Education).
The Science of
Spirituality is by any standard a path-breaking "dream of a future world where
the present preoccupations of sex, food, money, power will give way to art and
music, philosophy and spirituality", a truly futuristic offering, which is Shri
Kaw's own words he "launches on the human consciousness".
His youthful
visage screens a sober, mature, sharp intellect. However, he accepts or at least
does not disapprove to be called a "pioneer". Yet he wears the celebrity status
and spectacular band rather nonchalantly. Having grown up in a middle class
family with siblings equally gifted in their own lines, there is a palpable
reserve about him, as if he should succeed at a higher level but should not
appear to stand out from the rest.
A book no
seeker of serious knowledge can afford to miss.
