Reason and Religion by Vivekananda
3March 31, 2012 by styagi68
The purpose of this blog to discuss how we reconcile faith and analysis. I read the lecture titled Reason and Religion (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_1/Lectures_And_Discourses/Reason_And_Religion) by Swami Vivekananda. It is from a lecture delivered in London by Swami Vivekananda.
It was quite comforting to read the essay as it confirmed the views that I hold that the religion which does not hold to the scrutiny of reason is not really worth following. Though the lecture is only about 17 pages long, and I would urge you to read it for yourself, I have summarized below in my words the key arguments made in the lecture.
The battle between science and religion has been created over time. Science, with its “shining instrument” of reason and religion with its reliance on “infallible authority” are destined to be at logger heads. Science has been winning as most modern educated people can no longer “believe.” They may go through the motions of some religion, like going to the temple or bowing in front of an idol, but do they really believe. Also the various religions may have some contradictory rules and without appealing to reason there is no way to resolve such situations.
First of the two rules of reason are 1) specific should be explained by general, general by broader generalizations, unless everything is explained by something universal. So we realize that we are generalized by men in general, men are generalized as animals, animals and plants are generalized as living things, living things and non-living matter is generalized as matter. All of these external material forms are universalized as existence. My own view is that material things are thought constructs are together existence.
Second rule is that the reason of everything should be explained from within itself. So when religion postulates a almighty god that created the universe and rules it from outside, it violates the basic rule of internal explanation. When we see the moon and planets moving, we can say that god makes them move or we can attribute it to the nature of matter itself (gravity). The latter is an internal explanation.
Advaita meets both these criteria. It conceptualizes only a single existence. All matter are manifestation of an Impersonal God. All senses that perceive this matter are manifestation of the Impersonal God (Sat). Our bodies are made of matter. We add mass through what we eat and constantly shed mass as dead skin, hair, etc. Today we know all matter is made of fundamental particles so it is really one. Separate in gross but same in finer detail. Similarly thoughts are common. When we hear or see something we create a concept in our mind. These conceptions are constantly changing. When you read these words your mind will absorb these words and make them your own. So all thoughts and concepts are really one big unity. Finally, the spirit is one. (Here Vivekananda simply asserts so, without much reasoning).
In this conception, the cause of everything is within itself. In this sense, there is no creation but only evolution. Every situation evolves from a previous situation, so the cause is within the effect. Since there is only one existence, all the cause is within it and it continuously evolves.
This Impersonal God can also explain a personal diety. The concept of a personal diety in our mind is another concept like a “good human being” or an “ideal teacher.” Our own attributes ascridbed to the personal are true, to the extent another concept of chair or table is true. Example is used of the clay which can be used to make an elephant and a mouse). They are two different things and can never be the same, but they both are made of clay.
In this way, we can continue to think of a personal diety as the ultimate conceptualization of good, merciful and all powerful. However, it is important realize that is not the Impersonal God which is behind everything—matter, senses and even the subject which conceives it. And we are one with this Self.
Analytical Faith 
Elephant and mouse are true in their individuality but this individuality is subject to time (kaal) so is not absolute.
Saying ” Manmohan SIngh is Prime Minister of India” may hold true today but it was not true 10+years back and may not be so 5+years ahead. “India has a prime minister” has bigger degree to truth associated with it but again not an eternal truth.
So every truth has “degree of truthfulness” which is a functions of parameters like space, time, others.
So we define an absolute truth which is beyond all such limitations of space, time, others. This truth is One and same for all.
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Human beings are constituted by two processes called “Nature and Nurture”.
Nature can be associated to our genes and is beyond our choice. Nurture is the kind of learning we have got. Nurturing ourselves is majorly in our control.
Nature can be associated to the “karma” of our ancestors which have passed on to us and affecting my constitution as a being.
Nurture (though influenced by nature) still have a “free will” associated with it so associated with our own “karma”
Now going back, we all have evolved from being animals so our Nature (ancestral “karma” or say primitive instincts) pull us back to being animals. They pull us back into behaving like an animal. Feeling insecure, showing anger, sexuality, greed. All these instincts are associated with one or other kind of animals.
So our past is rooted into being an animal and is beyond our choice. Where goes our future?
Human beings, unlike, their ancestors (animals) are precious beings as we possess free will. Ability to choose. But irony very few like Vivekananda have realized and practiced this free will, shattering the ancestral chains of animosity.
Such bearers of free will decided their future into being God. Vivekananda used to say “Only destiny of human beings is to be God”. So said Zarathustra and so said Neitzsche. They dreamed of a Super Human. Bhagats in India said that Saint is no different from God.
So they all dreamed of a super human or say God who would have surpassed the shackled of animal past. They defined their God by defining his qualities. His Almighty being free of Greed, Fear, Anger, Loving and so.
Now when they defined their future self, they had the task to nurture themselves into being such a superman.
How a child learns Alphabet or Counting? Reciting day and night.
So they started reciting the qualities of their God, days in and out, without missing a breath.
They had found the objective of their lives. It could not have been anything important than changing human beings into God. They created hymns, praising their Gods.
As we all are one consciousness and we all are eternal. A child develops into a different individual from being just a lump of flesh in mother’s womb. When I know I am eternal and have a free will, I will chose whatever is the best and long lasting for me.
What it could be other than realization of my free will?
Dear Jatinder
Thank you for your comment. The question of free will is a tricky one. Even in the above essay, Vivekananda says that everything is an evolution, not creation. Free will implies things come without cause. This would mean creation, not evolution.
Sandeep
Sandeep thanks a lot for sharing this. A really great read.
I followed the article pretty well. But I find some inconsistency on the subject of the personal god. The idea that the personal is a higher degree of expression as we might be higher degrees of expression compared to a worm. Very simply, if myself and the worm are around why isnt the personal hanging around? If we cant by anyway from real experience get to know this personal god and admit by someway (as we admit that a worm is a lesser creature) that it is a higher creature know that it exists. The exercise does allow a possibility, but not evidence.
What do you think?