Between Material Science and Religious Miracles is the Consciousness Layer
As the comment of Amit showed on the blog about Miracles – there are two extremes around which the human thought has unfortunately swung in terms of “Extra-ordinary” – or as some people call them “Miracles”.
The two sides are defined by the:
1. Materialist scientists – whose minds were inherently products of the Newtonian era which was a reaction to the dark ages – where post-Christ many superstitions had been started by lesser able people. So, as a reaction the modern science started with the assumption that what can be proved logically can prove denial of “God”. The only problem with that stance was (and is) that nobody had really defined “God” adequately or properly. First, in its true sense, God cannot be defined. Its oxy-moronic. Second, if one has to define this quest, one can at least have the correct “Context”. The problem with Western theology was that it was predicated on a completely distorted view of Jesus himself. He was supposed to be a proxy for pardoning of all perceived “ills” of the people who were in anyway trying to subjugate others. Their main aim was to colonize the others and Jesus (of their own definition) served as a perfect accomplice! So, to “wash away” all the guilt the entire edifice of a “Savior” was created. As if Jesus’ only aim was to save all the others who would try and do wrong. For someone who was an epitomy of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE – an un-ending motive was ascribed. A Love that can pardon all – even enemies – is not a directed or a conditional love and its certainly not – as is commonly understood – the “opposite of hate”. It just is.
So, it was this conditional love – this directed love whose ONLY motive was to pardon all the ills that the coming generations were to do – was invented. Incidentally, if on the other hand, Africans had become strong and attacked the Europeans and made them slaves.. or maybe Hindus of India had done that and made Europeans as perennial slaves.. I doubt Jesus would have been characterised as a “savior”.
In any case, it was this setting that Materialist scientists rallied against. It was a good start.
2. Religious – they were obviously looking for some miraculous “quality” in their savior. So, they devised many ways to perpetuate it. Its not just the Christians but its true of everyone. Take Sai Baba or take the hugging Amma or others. Many have showed or done things that cannot be seemed to be explained. So, we call them miracles. Even the materialist scientists cannot explain them. That is a further “shot in the arm”. Now, if science – which is so advanced and is inherently anti-God – cannot explain it then it must have “lost” – meaning since the hypothesis that was at the basis of science is proved wrong.. “God” is the doer of miracles!
Since God was defined as an inconsistent monarch or patriarch who gives or takes away something, thats the best estimation of “Him” (another issue with most religious definitions – God even has a gender!).
What both religious or the materialists did not see or do not see is that there is an entire layer of consciousness that is missing from their worlds. Both do not understand or acknowledge the existence of that layer. That layer makes the God with human-like Monarchist qualities redundant and indeed, useless! Suddenly, the Sai Baba or Jesus stop seeing to be doing miracles.. instead its their consciousness that starts to manifest in different ways. Those who manifest the “hidden powers” of consciousness either do so because they don’t know better or dont seem to realize what is “natural” to them is a miracle to another! Whatever it be, it is NOT really a miracle if one goes above the Material explanation of the world and gets into the consciousness layer.
Scientists more easy with going to the uncomfortable area – where they have to say “I Don’t know” have now confirmed through empirical evidence that there is something more than just the physical body. In fact according to new research of these neuroscientists, Mind affects and creates the Body and NOT the other way around. Mind comes FIRST! So, the question is – what is this “Mind”?
Between the Material and the Highest Consciousness – there is a region that is this mind. That is what the new discipline of science wants to go to. It is NOT about proving the any scriptures or the folk lores of “world built in seven days” etc. It is about going beyond mere material understanding of the Enlightened (like Jesus) to see the True Light.
Humans as a species have been here before. When I read Yoga Vasistha I can see where we are headed. I can see the answers we will get and the hindrances we will face. For any exploration – complex mathematical calculation or not – started with the question “Who am I” – will lead to the same answer in the end. That there is no “God”… but everything is IT. That quote of Saraswati from Yoga Vasistha – however blasphemous it may seem to the religious – will be proved true.. that there is NO Divine. Looking for Divinity is Ignorance, as Vasistha tells Ram. Only Consciousness is there. Try and locate that layer.