Laymen and scholars
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A conversation:
This imaginary conversation takes place in the Pandian Express train which goes
from Chennai to Madurai. The layman is also educated, but not a scholar.
The scholar is a PhD in Science.
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Scholar: Why is the train so crowded?
Layman: The Chitthirai festival is coming. That is the reason.
Scholar: Even in this modern age when so much scientific knowledge is known, there are so many people!
Layman: Is belief in God madness?
Scholar: Yes, without any doubt.
Layman: How are you so sure?
Scholar: Science! From scientific research we know that everything takes place according to the Laws of Nature. There is no need of God. Belief in God is superstition.
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Essay
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Our country is full of temples. Lakhs of people come for worshiping at Madurai, Palani or Thiruppathi, especially during the festival time. If one sees their devotional fervor, even those without devotion, will experience devotion (bakthi).
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The majority in our country are laymen. Among them there are a few who are educated. But the word "scholars" in this essay refer to those who are well educated in Science. Many of them do not believe in the existence of God.
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The laymen who believe in God do not stop there. They believe in a lot of superstition. Astrology, palmistry, magical cures and so many blind beliefs! They are unable to distinguish between belief in God and these superstitions.
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Even the scholars do not see this distinction.
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Today scientific knowledge has grown so much. Scientists have studied the history of the Universe for 140 billion years. How the Universe started with the Big Bang, how stars and galaxies were formed, how on a planet around a star life started and evolved into human beings - all this is now taught in schools.
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In their inward bound journey to know the secrets hidden deeper and ever deeper inside matter, scientists have found that all matter, whether animate or inanimate, are made of a series of structures: elements, molecules, atoms, electrons and quarks. They have also discovered what kind of forces hold them together.
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In these studies of the big Universe and the small atom, scientists did not encounter God. Hence many scientists argue that God does not exist.
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This chasm - the chasm between theists and atheists - has existed for thousands of years, ever since humans began to think. But in the present age when Science has grown much, this chasm affects people greatly. So it is good to think a bit about this serious matter.
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Belief in God is not superstition. The supreme entity that governs the whole Universe is called God.
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What is the first law which is the cause of all the Laws of Nature? Our brain cannot catch this first cause. Our brain and its thinking capacity have been so perfectly constructed as not to reveal that there is a limit to our rational powers.
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But however perfect it is, our brain and its thinking is only a part of the Supreme entity that governs the whole Universe. How can a part comprehend the whole?
This will be like a snake devouring itself by putting its tail into its mouth. However strong a person is, he cannot lift the platform on which he is standing. We cannot lift the first cause on which we are standing.
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There is no point in celebrating Nature saying that everything takes place according to the Laws of Nature.
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Nature which appears to be beneficial to us was not beneficial to humans or other forms of life at earlier times. Millions of years ago, Nature has
destroyed itself many times. Many species of living beings have been destroyed. Even today Nature takes the forms of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and floods and destroys life. This will continue.
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Hence, if we lose belief in God, that void cannot be filled by belief in Nature.
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The basis for the belief in God resides in our inner mind, called conscience. That is the inner command that tells us what is good and what is bad. When we are about to do anything, even if it is beneficial to us, if it is harmful to others, our conscience commands us not to do it. This is the voice of God. We may not listen to it and do as we wish. That is a different matter. But it is true that such a voice exists. Hence God exists.
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Let us forget all this. Whether God exists or not, belief in God is essential for our life. It is belief in God that keeps a society or country going in
the right direction. If we remove the belief in God, we have to put something equally strong into people's mind. Otherwise society will go astray.
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At least for this reason, scholars must teach people how to keep belief in God while rejecting superstition.
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In the name of rationality and abolition of superstition, there have been many movements. But the founders of these movements and their followers have not understood the distinction between superstition and belief in God and so have not conveyed that to people. So all these movements have gone astray. And we see the consequences everyday.
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Scholars and scientists try to prove that there is no God. Although this is impossible, let us assume it is possible. Even then the laymen, that is the
majority of the people will not be able to understand it.
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Once Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said: " Just as the husk is covering the rice inside the paddy, many religious ceremonies and traditions are covering belief in God and devotion. We remove the husk, before cooking the rice for eating. Like that we must remove all the ceremonial observations from our mind and feel the existence of God in our inner mind. But for the preservation of rice for a long time, the covering husk is essential. In the same way, religious ceremonies are essential for preserving the devotion to God in
the minds of people for thousands of years."
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If we remove the religions and their ceremonies along with God, it will be like throwing the baby with the bathwater. Scholars must understand this.
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If we remove belief in God from people's minds, that space cannot remain empty. Only bad thoughts will enter the mind. An empty mind is a devil's workshop.
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In the lives of many people, it is belief in God that has remained as a support and a light in the darkness of life. Scientists might think that it is Science that must be this light. But that is not practical.
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Those who have studied Science well must remember how long they had to study. Laymen do not have that much time and so cannot understand
Science to that level. So science cannot fill the void in their minds.
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Scholars must keep the matters discussed here in their minds and try to lead the laymen in the right direction. This small essay was written just
to point this out.