An Algorithm
Some time back, a very naive young kid, apparently a communist/marxist student leader, also an atheist, a friend of my brother, tried to trash talk me and mocked me if I had an algorithm to prove my belief in God, or an algorithm to prove God, I told him I did.
Yes, I do have an algorithm. But for that, all of us need to first understand what extrapolation means in mathematics, what inferences mean in philosophy...Please pause here and read up what these mean before continuing further.
So when I started on this path of understanding theology, I really never identified myself as a "Hindu". I never drew lines around my self. I practically still do not like to. Except now a days I am forced to do for a few reasons no acceptable to be published on a public blog.
So here I asked a question one fine day:
So there is the Bible, the Torah, the Gita/Vedas, etc etc. (add any number of books) in the world. All of them, claim, I am the truth, and the only truth ( except of course the Vedas, which are more open minded about it in saying that truth is one, but is expressed in many different ways by scholars).
But in any case, lets just say even the Vedas/Gita are competing in this crowd to be awarded the title of being the only truth.
Why should one choose one over the other? What makes the claims of one book better/more right, than the other? I ask this question, coz isn't that the reason why these other religions are trying so hard to "convert" people? no matter what the means (Sword, bribe, coercion)?
I started reading these philosophies, I read Mere Christianity by C. S Lewis to understand the philosophy of Abrahmic religions, coz at the end of the day all the three only differ in certain details of stories, but the philosophy is the same...almost.
And I also learnt the philosophy of the Vedas through my Guru.
Mythologies abound in all religions. I will not concern myself with the validity or historicity of any, coz its meaningless to haggle over it. What is relevant is, which one of these answers the difficult questions of life, and which of these stands the test of science and scientific findings, up to where ever science is unambiguous.
To me the most difficult question to answer was the problem of evil, the problem of poverty, the problem of pain, in the presence of an "all loving", all powerful God. The only answer blind faith schools give you is "its Gods plan", "its His way of testing you". And this is practically what all blind faith schools answer, including the blind faith schools based on the Vedas in India.
The more you think about it, although psychologically speaking its a great short term solution/answer to calm a person in pain, but in the long run, if you think about it hard enough, its a major logical fallacy. Coz an all powerful, all loving God, does not have to bear with Evil or the devil. The fact that he is all powerful and all loving, he should be able to destroy it in a second. Isn't that by definition of this personal God?
The only right answer seemed to come from ALL vedic schools (yes at a deeper scholarly level even the blind faith schools of India know this and accept this fact). The answer is the law of Karma. I suggest you research that. And by the work of Dr. Ian Stevenson, there are at least 2500 cases that circumstantially prove reincarnation of every soul.
The next thing that completely falsifies the very validity of any abrahamic religion is the FACT of Evolution, which is completely rejected by these philosophies.
The only philosophy that seems to not have any issue with the fact of evolution is the Vedic philosophy, as a matter of fact Adi Sankara in his Vivekacoodamani says,
"Janthoonam nara janma durlabaha"
What that literally means is, amongst all animals, human life is the most difficult to attain ( in the context of birth/rebirth/karmic cycle of the soul).
And of course the deeper you understand this philosophy, you understand that one of the most prominent names of Lord Siva is "pashupati", the leader of animals. You just have to read further on what that name means to understand that we humans are considered animals in vedanta. With of course there is a certain differentiation which you have to dig further and understand vedanta in further elaboration from a guru.
Now coming to the proof of God, or the validity of Vedanta?
I think through the many other posts on this blog, including this post, many of the things that science talks about, the nature of reality, the nature of human beings, the nature of free will (I have to elaborate on this topic yet, I will soon), it is clear that things science is finding out today with billions of dollars of advanced equipment, Vedanta spoke about it thousands of years ago.
Now its a matter of extrapolation and inference to deduce that everything else that Vedanta talks about is true. And that science will eventually slowly by steadily converge into the facts found in Vedanta. This very vedanta says, God is real. God is the only REALITY.
And this my dear friends is the algorithm.
But why is this Algorithm, the most important for all humans?
Well, its important coz, understand that all this knowledge of the Vedanta, never came from modern scientific method. This very vedanta and thus the vedas have asked humans to live in a certain way. They have also told us that the goal of a human life is to attain "moksha/nirvana/liberation" and NOTHING else. It has to be true.
So its perhaps the most important algorithm, coz once you understand that Vedanta is the only one that stands the test of any philosophical question and the onslaught of modern science in its half baked knowledge, you as an intelligent species need to choose, make a conscious choice of following the way of life described in the vedas/vedanta and try and attain that state.An d this very Vedanta and Vedas tell you that, in choosing not to do so, you are only wasting your life.
Now does it say to quit everything you are currently doing? no of course not. But find out how and what through a guru. At least start thinking.
THINK!
P.S.
Could by post be more elaborate? Sure, but I think its clear to smart ones out there what I am getting at. But definitely shoot me an email if there is something I can clarify in coming to conclusions.
Obviously a small blog isn't enough space to discuss EVERYTHING related to this algorithm. THe goal here is you will start asking questions. You will start researching. Getting to your own conclusions.
I would love to be challenged on my assumptions as well if I made any in error. I am sure I make a few errors every now and then coz most of these posts I write within an hr or so. So my thoughts usually are racing.
Yes, I do have an algorithm. But for that, all of us need to first understand what extrapolation means in mathematics, what inferences mean in philosophy...Please pause here and read up what these mean before continuing further.
So when I started on this path of understanding theology, I really never identified myself as a "Hindu". I never drew lines around my self. I practically still do not like to. Except now a days I am forced to do for a few reasons no acceptable to be published on a public blog.
So here I asked a question one fine day:
So there is the Bible, the Torah, the Gita/Vedas, etc etc. (add any number of books) in the world. All of them, claim, I am the truth, and the only truth ( except of course the Vedas, which are more open minded about it in saying that truth is one, but is expressed in many different ways by scholars).
But in any case, lets just say even the Vedas/Gita are competing in this crowd to be awarded the title of being the only truth.
Why should one choose one over the other? What makes the claims of one book better/more right, than the other? I ask this question, coz isn't that the reason why these other religions are trying so hard to "convert" people? no matter what the means (Sword, bribe, coercion)?
I started reading these philosophies, I read Mere Christianity by C. S Lewis to understand the philosophy of Abrahmic religions, coz at the end of the day all the three only differ in certain details of stories, but the philosophy is the same...almost.
And I also learnt the philosophy of the Vedas through my Guru.
Mythologies abound in all religions. I will not concern myself with the validity or historicity of any, coz its meaningless to haggle over it. What is relevant is, which one of these answers the difficult questions of life, and which of these stands the test of science and scientific findings, up to where ever science is unambiguous.
To me the most difficult question to answer was the problem of evil, the problem of poverty, the problem of pain, in the presence of an "all loving", all powerful God. The only answer blind faith schools give you is "its Gods plan", "its His way of testing you". And this is practically what all blind faith schools answer, including the blind faith schools based on the Vedas in India.
The more you think about it, although psychologically speaking its a great short term solution/answer to calm a person in pain, but in the long run, if you think about it hard enough, its a major logical fallacy. Coz an all powerful, all loving God, does not have to bear with Evil or the devil. The fact that he is all powerful and all loving, he should be able to destroy it in a second. Isn't that by definition of this personal God?
The only right answer seemed to come from ALL vedic schools (yes at a deeper scholarly level even the blind faith schools of India know this and accept this fact). The answer is the law of Karma. I suggest you research that. And by the work of Dr. Ian Stevenson, there are at least 2500 cases that circumstantially prove reincarnation of every soul.
The next thing that completely falsifies the very validity of any abrahamic religion is the FACT of Evolution, which is completely rejected by these philosophies.
The only philosophy that seems to not have any issue with the fact of evolution is the Vedic philosophy, as a matter of fact Adi Sankara in his Vivekacoodamani says,
"Janthoonam nara janma durlabaha"
What that literally means is, amongst all animals, human life is the most difficult to attain ( in the context of birth/rebirth/karmic cycle of the soul).
And of course the deeper you understand this philosophy, you understand that one of the most prominent names of Lord Siva is "pashupati", the leader of animals. You just have to read further on what that name means to understand that we humans are considered animals in vedanta. With of course there is a certain differentiation which you have to dig further and understand vedanta in further elaboration from a guru.
Now coming to the proof of God, or the validity of Vedanta?
I think through the many other posts on this blog, including this post, many of the things that science talks about, the nature of reality, the nature of human beings, the nature of free will (I have to elaborate on this topic yet, I will soon), it is clear that things science is finding out today with billions of dollars of advanced equipment, Vedanta spoke about it thousands of years ago.
Now its a matter of extrapolation and inference to deduce that everything else that Vedanta talks about is true. And that science will eventually slowly by steadily converge into the facts found in Vedanta. This very vedanta says, God is real. God is the only REALITY.
And this my dear friends is the algorithm.
But why is this Algorithm, the most important for all humans?
Well, its important coz, understand that all this knowledge of the Vedanta, never came from modern scientific method. This very vedanta and thus the vedas have asked humans to live in a certain way. They have also told us that the goal of a human life is to attain "moksha/nirvana/liberation" and NOTHING else. It has to be true.
So its perhaps the most important algorithm, coz once you understand that Vedanta is the only one that stands the test of any philosophical question and the onslaught of modern science in its half baked knowledge, you as an intelligent species need to choose, make a conscious choice of following the way of life described in the vedas/vedanta and try and attain that state.An d this very Vedanta and Vedas tell you that, in choosing not to do so, you are only wasting your life.
Now does it say to quit everything you are currently doing? no of course not. But find out how and what through a guru. At least start thinking.
THINK!
P.S.
Could by post be more elaborate? Sure, but I think its clear to smart ones out there what I am getting at. But definitely shoot me an email if there is something I can clarify in coming to conclusions.
Obviously a small blog isn't enough space to discuss EVERYTHING related to this algorithm. THe goal here is you will start asking questions. You will start researching. Getting to your own conclusions.
I would love to be challenged on my assumptions as well if I made any in error. I am sure I make a few errors every now and then coz most of these posts I write within an hr or so. So my thoughts usually are racing.
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