In the Open Yoga School yoga is spoken of as a system of self-knowledge which is neither science nor religion, yoga does not replace them, but being self-sufficient and independent, perfectly complements them. Science and religion have radically opposite approaches to world exploration which practically do not intersect in any way, but the polarity of which allows maintaining a balance between them for centuries. How can the knowledge of yoga be able to complement both of these approaches, emphasizing the merits of each one and smoothing out the shortcomings? Let’s think about it…
Since ancient times a person was eager to find out what the Universe is, according to what laws everything works in it, what are the causes of certain events and what is the role of an individual in it. So a certain central concept arose which gathered around itself like-minded people interested in looking for answers to the questions about the nature of life. People, united by common tasks, formed entire systems for studying the laws of the universe. Some of them took an individual as a starting point in their studies, considering the rest of the world as its reflection or projection; others, on the contrary, considered the Universe, as the unshakable support of all living beings and events and a human is the only one of its many creations, a small particle of an integral whole.
This was how two main approaches were formed: the “collective faith” approach or religion and the “collective disbelief” or science approach. These two mutually exclusive points of view have not been able to come to a common denominator for centuries. While religion says: “if you believe you will see!”, science answers: “if I see I will believe!” And there is no right or wrong, because each of the statements has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Science: its pros and cons
Science is a field of human activity aimed at obtaining and systematizing experimentally confirmed knowledge about reality. By exploring the environment and comparing the facts, it discovers new laws explaining natural phenomena. Science has greatly accelerated the development of mankind. Due to technological progress, life has become more comfortable, and the world has become more open and accessible for travel and all kinds of research. Science has given answers to many questions about the structure of the Universe, it has given us the greatest discoveries that allowed us to lift the veil of secrets about us and the world around us. Medicine has also made a significant step forward with the help of science, making it possible for people to get rid of previously incurable diseases. You can list the pros of science for a very long time, but it also has drawbacks.
The scientific approach is that any statement, if it is not an axiom, must be proved before it can be recognized as true. Any form of science has certain indisputable points of support for all subsequent reflections within its framework. But sooner or later, science faces inexplicable things, often called phenomena, that go beyond the previously established measurement criteria and principles of understanding. Faced with the unknown, science first tries to find an explanation for this phenomenon based on its previous developments. If they don’t work, it can take the following two paths. It can either radically change the approach to solving the task, transforming itself to some extent, and thereby rise to a new level of development or completely discard anything that has no logical explanation, calling the unfamiliar phenomenon unprovable. However, there will always be an area of the unknown where science is not applicable. In this case, any scientific approach breaks the human chain of thoughts about the Supreme, without offering anything in return. So science comes to a dead end in its research, and this is its limitation.
In addition, a serious disadvantage of science is that it does not set itself the goal of observing moral principles. For the sake of getting results, scientists sometimes resort to unjustified and even cruel experiments both on individual living beings, causing them pain and suffering, and on entire ecosystems, which can lead to an imbalance in nature. Scientists justify such actions by the need for further research and search for evidence of their theories in order to achieve an ephemeral good in the future.
Religion: its pros and cons
Religion has many definitions. One of them sounds like this: religion (Latin “religio” — “shrine”, “piety”; Latin “religare” – “to bind, unite”) – a certain system of views, conditioned by belief in the supernatural, including a set of moral norms and types of behavior, rituals, cult actions and uniting people in organizations (church, ummah, sangha, religious community).
Most of the world’s religions are based on commandments and prophecies recorded in ancient sacred texts, which, according to the followers of these religions, were dictated directly by God and written down by people who reached the highest spiritual state, initiates or holy prophets. Thus, these scriptures and the names of spiritual teachers, associated with them, represent the central core, some starting point around which each religion, with all its characteristics, unfolded.
An important role in religions is played by concepts such as good and evil, heaven and hell, righteousness and sinfulness, as well as adherence to dogmas and moral and ethical principles. A religious person considers the salvation of the soul to be the meaning of his life, which is accomplished by serving God and accumulating good merit through a virtuous and moral life. In difficult moments of life, religion can really help to cope with psychological or social stress, give advice, or, as they say, direct you to the path of truth. However, all religions are different, and each of them offers its followers its own picture of the world. And such questions as “What is a person?”, “Is there life after death?”, etc., different religions interpret differently.
But despite the large number of differences, all religions have one thing in common – unconditional faith. Encouraging to perceive the world from the standpoint of only one faith, religion sometimes even warns against seeking evidence and logical justifications for its statements, arguing that any doubts can destroy faith. But in this way, religion drowns out the human thirst for knowledge. Moreover, some religions oblige their followers to obediently follow dogmas without explaining the reasons. This can lead to an uncritical perception of reality and the substitution of concepts which often becomes the reason for the emergence of such a phenomenon as religious fanaticism, which, among other things, is expressed in an aggressive attitude towards representatives of other religions and rejection of other people’s views, different from their own. As a result, the followers, instead of spiritual development, degrade and roll back on the path of self-exploration and as a result get disillusioned with this religion. This is a serious limitation of religion and its biggest disadvantage.
Yoga and its middle path
“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom”. Albert Einstein
Yoga is the analogue of this tree. It consists of both the approach of religion and the approach of science, which peacefully coexist and do not contradict each other. After all, this world is much more complicated than one-sided judgments about it. Yoga tells us that there is a single reality, which we, due to our ignorance, cannot yet recognize, all the more, we explore it from only one side. But if we combine both approaches, we can come to the realization of what true being is.
In order for a person, firstly, not to fall into religious fanaticism, and secondly, not to become a dry logician, rejecting everything that cannot be proved, Yoga suggests adhering to the position: “Trust, but verify!” That is, first we take some statements on faith, and then with practice, like researchers, we look for evidence of these statements. In this way, in the end, we implement the goal of Yoga.
From Ignorance to Higher Knowledge
Yoga teachings say that there are three levels of knowledge:
1. Illogic (stupidity, ignorance)
2. Logic (knowledge based on analytical analysis)
3. Superlogic (super knowledge, or higher knowledge, wisdom)
We begin our spiritual path from the level of ignorance, or the absence of any spiritual knowledge. But gradually, acquiring knowledge, applying it in practice and getting the result, we learn to use logic, with the help of which we destroy our stupidity. This is how we develop our body and mind, the ability to feel and analyze, which eventually leads us to the level of super-logic, or higher intuition, when we discover in ourselves the ability to draw true knowledge directly from our Higher “Self”.
The concept of the Higher “Self” is super-logical. Yoga claims that it possesses omniscience and omnipotence, and the task of every living being is to realize itself and manifest its hidden potential. But does this mean that before we begin to be aware of it, we need to believe in it? Exactly! Faith, or trust, really plays a big role in yoga. It is impossible to prove the existence of our Higher “Self”; we can only relive the experience of its cognition. But, not initially believing in the existence of the Higher “Self” and not trusting this statement, we can hardly come closer to its realization.
Superknowledge exists everywhere and always, everything is permeated with it, but without the possibility of realizing it and distinguishing it from stupidity, it is useless for us. Therefore, when embarking on the spiritual path, it is very important not only to have the ability to trust knowledge, but also to develop the mind in order to be able to rediscover and recognize this knowledge in practice. Yoga is extremely practical knowledge, which does not make sense without personal experience and practice. The closer we come to realizing our Higher Self, the freer we become from physical, emotional and mental limitations. And the easier we achieve our goals, and the quality of our life changes for the better.
Jnana and Bhakti
If we draw a conditional parallel with science and religion, all types of yoga can also be divided into two opposite approaches, where in one case we cognize the Universe by exploring ourselves, and in the second we cognize ourselves by exploring the Universe. These are so-called micro- and macrocosmic approaches. The most striking examples of such approaches can be called jnana yoga – the yoga of knowledge, and bhakti yoga – the yoga of devotion and love.
Jnana yoga proposes to develop the mind to the utmost and apply logic to all the provisions of yoga. Since the concepts of the Higher “Self” and the Absolute are super-logical, it is not possible to comprehend them with the mind, therefore the axioms about their existence are taken as an unshakable basis, and all other provisions are derived from them in a logical way. Jnana yoga practitioners rely on the strength of their Higher Self and logic. This approach is closer to the approach of science.
Those who take the bhakti yoga approach tend to trust the Universe, the Absolute, unconditionally. They experience the world through sensory perception, faith and devotion and feel its support and protection. It is the principle of bhakti yoga that underlies any religion.
Yogis and yoginis who find a balance between the approaches of bhakti and jnana reach heights on the path of self-knowledge in the shortest possible time. Ability, when necessary, to apply logic and do everything in your power; and when you need to surrender to the mercy of the Absolute – this is the most effective way of self-exploration.
Truth at the intersection of two quantities
Our world is multifaceted. It absorbs all possible judgments and views about the nature of objects and events, since it itself is the source of everything that happens in it. Neither science nor religion can be completely exhaustive systems of views on reality because of their limitations. Therefore, it is impossible to cognize this world relying only on one of the models of perception. Only when using at least two opposite points of view, we can talk about the possibility of cognizing the single reality.
As an illustration, we can give an example of a coordinate system in which, in order to find a point on a plane, it is necessary to know two coordinates along both axes, as well as the zero position from which the counting starts. Otherwise, having only half of the knowledge, you can fly away in your guesses far beyond the limits of any “schedule”, never finding the place where the treasure of truth is “buried” at the intersection of two values.
Yoga is a system capable of balancing the extremes of perception of the Universe from different points of view. It proposes to consider the approaches of religion and science as two opposite directions, the harmonious use of which makes it possible to form the clearest idea of the structure of the surrounding world.
Believe in the Supremeand develop your mind harmoniously!
Author: Marina Marcy, Olga Belous, Evgeniya Agni
Editor: Anna Vita, Maria Gayatri, Olga Belous, Evgeniya Agni
Chief Editor: Anastasia Andreichenko
Project curator: Kerigona
Translators: Elena Lakshmi, Tatiana Sugrue, Tatiana Atishaya