The Relation of Spiritual Phenomena and Biology

If we trace the evolution of the interaction between modern science and religion, we shall find that at one time, may be till two centuries ago, modern science was in its infancy and there was no organized branch called holistic science. Instead, there was religion-although a science in itself - based mainly on faith. Even this faith had a rational basis, which was not well understood. During this phase, religion vehemently opposed modern science. Galileo was humiliated and Bruno was burnt alive.

But modern science maintained its relentless march and soon religion was on the defensive. Modern scientific discoveries shattered faith in heaven and hell, even disapproved God. It was during this period of scientific ascendancy that Swami Vivekananda presented Vedanta to the West as the scientific religion.

We are now in the third phase when modern science, having realized its theoretical as well as applied limitations and having appreciated the scientific nature of religion and its usefulness for the individual and society, has decided not only to shake hand with it - now called holistic science - but also try to understand it with its own tools of investigation.

The first to change science was physics - atomic physics, or more precisely, sub-atomic and quantum physics. Its discoveries were so startling that we heard great modern physicists speak like mystics, and people started telling that religion and science are shaking hands. But physics is only one branch of modern science. Biology, physiology, and medical science are also material sciences. Even psychology is a science - science of the psyche or mind. And it did not take long for honest modern scientists to realize that mysticism is also a science - science of the spirit. But there are other scientists also, who are not willing to assign the term 'science' to mysticism. Instead, they try to understand mysticism and spiritual phenomenon with the help of modern scientific methods, which they feel are the only authentic tools to understand everything happening in this world.

Cloning and test tube babies are areas in which biology is trying to interfere with the natural phenomenon of birth. It is interesting to note that Indian mythology presents a number of instances of bio-technological interferences, especially in the process of birth. We have, for example, the case of life produced from the dead matter: Lord Ganesha was born out of the bodily dust of his Mother. Another instance describes that there was a tyrant king who had to be killed. But he had no heir. So the Brahmins churned his dead body, out of which a dark dwarf with evil propensities arose.Then came out a divine couple. The male became the king and ruled for long.