can Science and spirituality co exist?

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]Can Science and Spirituality go together? Science questions and reasons with every query and tried to find an answer. Spirituality is based on faith. The general saying is that ‘Faith begins when reasoning ends’. Can the two co-exist? This is a true-story trying to find out the answer.[/FONT]

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif] He was a typical poor Kerala Brahmin living in a tiny village in Thrissur District of Kerala. Not far from his place was the famous temple of Guruvayur, dedicated to Lord Krishna. Guruvayoorappan,
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]It was one day that he noticed some rashes on his skin. Within a month these rashes had infected his skin. Because of that a foul smell emanated from his body .Some fluid and blood started oozing from these rashes. The society including his own family members started shunning him as if he had leprosy.Home and herbal remedies didn't yield any result.[/FONT]

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]Months passed.He visited a famous Ayurvedic physician Dr. Moosad. The Brahmin had to rub the fat-extract of a python-snake on all affected parts of his body for atleast a month, to get rid of his ailment, and that was the only remedy,the doctor said.[/FONT]



[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif] Being an orthodox person there was no chance of rubbing any animal-content on his body, though he might be able to procure the fat with difficulty.The man lost all hopes.[/FONT]

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif] The prevalent practice (even now) at Guruvayoor is that when some one wanted some relief from any type of calamity, they stay in the vicinity of themple for 41 days (One Mandalam), take bath daily at the Narayan-Saras (Temple-Pond), have Darshan of the Lord, and continue to chant Bhagawath-Puran or Narayanaeeyam in the temple premises.The man wanted to try this last resort. [/FONT]

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif] The temple authorities drove him away because of the foul smell.However the chief priest took pity and agreed to allow him inside the temple subject to certain conditions. [/FONT]

• · He will have his Darshan in the early hours before the people start coming for Darshan.
• · He will not take bath in the temple pond.
• · He will be allowed to take food at the Oottu-para (community kitchen) of the temple, and not mingle with anyone in the dining space.
• · He should cover his body on all occasions when he steps out of his room.

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]The Brahmin agreed to the conditions and decided to start his vow from the next day. [/FONT]

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]When he was asleep that night, Lord Krishna appeared in his dream. The Lord asked him to take bath in a small stream which was running about a mile away and then have his Darshan. [/FONT]



So the next morning he got up at 2 am and went to the small stream which the Lord had informed, took his bath, reached the temple at 3 am, had his Darshan and then went to his room for the Parayana. He would have his food at the temple sitting alone. This strict routine went on for 40 days.


[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]On the 41[SUP]st[/SUP] day the Brahmin had his bath and went to the temple. By chance he met the main-priest and while receiving the prasadam from his hand, his upper-cloth( angavastram) slipped and fell down. It was then that the main-priest observed that the Brahmin was completely cured of his ailment. His skin rashes had completely disappeared and the body odour had also disappeared. [/FONT]

[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]The Brahmin was extremely happy and so were the other devotees. The Lord had answered the Prayers of this poor brahmin and completely cured of the dreaded disease, After thanking the Lord profusely this man went back to his village where every one welcomed him joyously. [/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]After a few days, this Brahmin decided to call upon Sri Moosad, the great physician and inform of his miraculous cure. Moosad was wonderstruck at the development. Though he himself was ardent devotee of the Lord, his scientific mind could not accept the miracle-theory propounded by the poor Brahmin. He was firm that the only cure for this disease was the one he had prescribed (python-fat). His Aurvedic prescription could not be wrong. After all the Ayurveda also emanated from the same Lord. So how could it become untrue ? Hence he wanted to check out on the facts.[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]So he asked the Brahmin to accompany him again to Guruvayoor. Now the scientific physician went about checking each and every facts, associated with the stay of the brahmin. He checked the room where he stayed and the food which he ate during the 41 days. There was nothing special in any of these. Then he asked the Brahmin to lead him to the place where he took his daily bath, The Brahmin lead him to the small stream a mile away. It was small stream with crystal clear water flowing down a small cliff on to the land. The Brahmin used to take his bath just below the cliff.[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]Sri Moosad examined the stream very closely, He went around the small cliff but could not find anything suspicious. Then he climbed the small cliff to check the stream there. He found that there was a small crater (hole) on the cliff. The flowing stream would fall into the crater and then flow down from the cliff into the plains. He then observed the most astonishing thing in the small crater on the cliff. There was carcass of a dead python in the crater in a highly decomposed stage. Moosad assessed that the python should have died about 40 days back and the flowing stream should have brought the carcass to this small crater where it had been lying all along. Now he was a happy and satisfied person as his diagnosis and the cure prescribed were both correct. The poor Brahmin was taking bath in the water which was washed with the carcass of the python and that had actually cured his disease.[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]He slowly got down from the cliff and embraced the waiting Brahmin. He said with a huge smile ‘ Yes the Lord has cured you of your ailment and it is indeed a miracle’. But what he did not say was that the Lord also acted as per the Ayurvedic prescription only. The only thing was that while Moosad told the Brahmin of the details of his possible cure , the Lord decided to hide it. Ultimately the cure was as per the prescription only.[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=comic sans ms, sans-serif]Yes miracles do happen. But the Lord sticks to the rules and regulations which He Himself framed. The Lord does not meddle with the Natures' Law unless and until it is absolutely warranted.
This is where science and spirituality co exist.

Jayasala 42
[/FONT]

 

Dear Madam superwoman09,
Thanks a lot.Within our range we can perceive certain things. Other things are beyond our comprehension.
Jayasala 42

 

Dear Girvani,
Thank you for the response.
Jayasala 42

 

Dear RGS,
Many things that happen either in our favour or against our wishes and the scheme of things seem to have charted and designed by somebody, we call it God, Destiny or Fate.In the story cited, the doctor also feels the hand of nature which has worked out scientifically. Had Lord Krishna not appeared in the patient's dream, he would have taken bath in a well attached to his residence and even then he might have been cured by some other means.
With all our education, academics and degrees we don't have correct perception of many things. On many occasions wisdom dawns only after failure.
Jayasala 42

 

Dear Kishoreg,
You have beautifully summarized the main theme.There are certain things for which we have to take the 'reasoning route' alone. Certain other things, which are beyond reasoning we take the'faith' route.On many occasions we are puzzled which way to go. Mostly we would like to use our Free Will first and then try to accept the reality. That is life.
jayasala 42