3. A Little Indian Swami

On Space Flight and Spiritual Knowledge

  His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1980) founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in America, and represents the ancient mystical tradition of the Vedic teachings of India.  The title Swami  means “who is one with Self.”   In a conversation with a modern physicist, Dr. Gregory Benford, the Swami argues that scientists should study the natural laws in order to prove that there is God.  The Swami goes on to make the most amazing claims concerning the nature of human consciousness and the possibilities for human experience:

Swami: ... Now, you are a scientist - physicist or chemist?Scientist:   Physical.Swami:   So, by your study of physical laws, if you try to prove there is God, that is your success.Scientist:  It can’t be done.Swami:   Then that is your imperfection. ... When you can come to understand Krsna (God) by studying these physical laws, then your science is perfect.  Because He is the ultimate source of everything, if you can come to God by studying your physical laws, that is your perfection. Therefore, our proposition is that you remain a physical scientist, but you should try to explain Krsna (God). ... That is real scientific discovery - to find out Krsna.  Find out how God is working in the physical and chemical laws, how His brain is working. Everything is working by His brain. There are chemical and physical energies, but everything is going on by God’s brain.  These chemical and physical laws are acting in such a subtle way that we see everything as coming automatically. There are chemical and physical laws, but how these laws are working you do not know. ...Scientist: ... you cannot find out anything about God by studying science ... .Swami:  There is nothing but Krsna. There is nothing else except God.  (1980, pp. 15-17)

    The Swami is indeed a scoundrel.  He claims that all the physical and chemical laws of the universe (and he would include biological, cosmological, and psychological laws), are operating within the mind or brain of God, and that these laws must be understood in this way if we are to perfect science!  Of course, in modern science, we never look at the world in this way. How could we relate the laws of science to the God hypothesis?  Dr. Benford  assumes that “It can't be done,” although he has not seriously considered scientific theories from such a perspective.
    Dr. Benford points out to Prabhupada that scientists now understand the nature of matter–such as the make up of the grass on which they are sitting on. He points out that we know what kind of molecules compose the grass and what forces of nature hold it together. However, the Swami is not impressed and he questions the significance of such knowledge–in that the grass grows with or without this understanding.  We could take any subject from a material, analytic point of view and compile many books on it.  Prabhupada argues:

“... you would rather study the insignificant grass than the God who has created everything.  If you could understand Him, automatically you would study the grass.  But you want to separate His grass from Him, to study it separately. In this way you can compile volumes and volumes on the subject, but why waste your intelligence in that way?  The branch of a tree is beautiful as long as it is attached to the main trunk, but as soon as you cut it off it will dry up. Therefore, what is the use of studying the dried up branch?  It is a waste of intelligence.”  (p. 9)

In Prabhupada’s view, the study of any part has to be taken in relationship to the whole, which ultimately is God. We should study the physical laws of nature and of life but not detach them from the main trunk, the mind/brain or being of God.  Everything is working as a result of metaphysical causes and therefore, science needs to approach nature in this way.    According to the Swami, the supreme knowledge is self-knowledge, or “atma-jnana.”  At one point, he questions Dr. Benford about the scientific knowledge of the spiritual self.  Benford notes that there is really “no scientific knowledge of the spirit soul.”  The Swami does not realize that modern psychologists and scientists dismissed the ideas of spirit and soul long ago.  Instead, Prabhupada responds by stating simply that: “Therefore there is actually no advancement of scientific knowledge.”  The Swami explains that there are many departments of knowledge, including the medical study of the body, the psychological study of the mind, and ultimately, the study of the spiritual and  transcendental nature of the human being.  In his view, the body and mind are simply coverings of the spirit soul,  just as the material  body is covered by clothes. Knowledge of the body and the mind is compared to knowledge of an individual's garments, while knowledge of the spirit soul is knowledge of the real person.  It certainly would be silly to study a person’s clothes thinking that this is what he or she really is. Obviously, that would not constitute an advancement of knowledge!    The Swami continues in this vein, making the wildest claims about the nature of human beings  and science:

Swami: You should try to understand this science of God consciousness. ... everyone has dormant consciousness of God. ...  It simply requires proper education to awaken it.  However, this education is not given in the universities. That is the defect in modern education. ... Because our government does not know that life, especially human life, is meant for understanding God, they are supporting all the departments of knowledge very nicely except the principal department, God consciousness. ... Reasons there may be many, but the principal reason is that this age is the Kali-yuga (dark age).  People are not very intelligent, therefore they are trying to avoid this department of knowledge, the most important department of knowledge. ... You do not know so many things ... .  (pp. 7,19)

The swami claims that we all have dormant consciousness of God which can be awakened through education.  Further, there is  a “science of God consciousness,” which the Vedas and other esoteric teachings elaborate.  From the Swami’s perspective, there is something fundamentally fraudulent about modern materialist science: scientists ignore the most important issues of self-knowledge and the spirit-soul, and study the parts taken out of relationship to the whole.  Scientists study the physical laws, but ignore the underlying metaphysical causes.
     The Swami’s comments pose many enigmas and issues, which most scientists would dismiss out of hand. The scientist can point to the material benefits of modern science as evidence that at least the scientific method works, whereas the mystical or religious method seems to be simply a matter of faith or delusion.  Scientists can split the atom and penetrate matter with particle accelerators, describe the origin of the universe, and explore the outer cosmos with telescopes and space vehicles.  Humankind has landed men on the moon, builds space stations, and is exploring the other planets of the solar system through probes, and the universe through telescopes.  How could the Swami ignore such advances of scientific knowledge and technology?
    As it happens, Prabhupada claims that advanced yogis can acquire far  more profound powers and abilities by observing the practices and disciplines of the science of consciousness and the attainment of self-knowledge.  In a book Easy Journey to Other Planets, the Swami notes:

Even if a materialist wants to enjoy developed material faculties, he can transfer himself to planets where he can experience material pleasures much more advanced than those available on the earth planet. ... one can transfer himself to other planets in the material sky by utilizing yogic powers. The playful spaceships of the astronauts are but childish entertainments and are of no use for this purpose. ...  In the higher planets of the material world, the yogis can enjoy more comfortable and more pleasant lives for hundreds of thousands of years, but life in those higher planets is not eternal. ...  the gross materialists ... reside on this seventh-class planet “Earth.” ( 1977, pp. 28/21).