The Jiiva Sutras (ePub)

"Science of Spirituality"-there is no worse mockery of either science or spirituality than what goes in its
name. As of now, there isn't any scientific approach to spirituality; what is generally perceived as such
is just technobabble misappropriating science to communicate incorrect ideas about spirituality. But
science is capable of studying anything that has an inherent order to it. If it is, why cannot spirituality
be understood scientifically?

Most spiritual teachings lack an inherent order. If you examine, for example, the famous four noble truths
or Vedanta, it becomes very apparent why they cannot be true as they are generally understood. Before
attempting to approach spirituality scientifically, one must know exactly what the principles of spirituality
are. Many human beings who have spiritual feelings, but understanding spirituality is a different thing
altogether. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that the correct articulation of spiritual principles is
possible. The first condition is, thus, met.

But a question persists: "Can they be subjected to scientific scrutiny?" These principles are not physical
properties, so they cannot be tested in laboratory settings. But whether they are self-consistent can
be tested theoretically only if some aspect of spirituality is amenable to mathematical characterization.
Furthermore, spiritual principles must be rooted in our life experience because the fundamental truths
about our lives cannot be devoid of our experience of it. We now have two more conditions to satisfy for
spiritual principles to be scientific.

The science of spirituality, if it exists, must have these three qualities: clearly articulated principles, a
mathematical characterization of at least some aspect of it, and firm basis in our own life experience.
Doing science correctly is an art! The purpose of life, the nature of this existence, perennial fulfillment,
the ultimate discovery, the greatest wisdom, unbridled bliss and limitless joy, the elixir of immortality,
and the end of all pursuits-the only thread (Sutra), made of science and not of belief or delusion, that
weaves all of these pearls precious to a living being (Jiiva), into one, are The Jiiva Sutras.