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Re: Fact or fiction?

From the Bhakti List Archives

Krishna Kalale • January 18, 1998 


Sri Mani Wrote:
>
>P.S. Vedanta, particularly as interpreted by Ramanuja,
>is explicit that when the sastras contradict our direct
>experience (i.e., our senses and scientific data), the
>sastras have to be reinterpreted to agree with our
>experience (pratyaksha).  In fact, it is Sankaracharya's
>advaita philosophy that believes the opposite! We can
>discuss this further if anyone wishes


This article is well written.  The last statement regarding pratyaksha and
shastras is to be noted by us modern folks.  In fact, this aspect of our
philosophy gives a sort of an eternal validity of our shastras (without
getting into trouble with science). Science can find what it thinks is true
in the course of eternal search for the truth. Our system does not come in
science's way and infact can benefit and get enriched by scientic findings.
 Thus our system basically leaves the pratyaksha pramana to science or
actual empirical studies and only concentrates on supra-sensory (ie.
spiritual) issues which do not come under the realm of the senses. 

I was reading an article of astronomical distances etc. of bhumandala as
explained in one of the Hare Krishna articles.  This article tries to
explain the apparent differences between the scientific and Bhagawatam's
views.  It does a good job to reconcile the differences thus proving that
Srimadbhagawatam is not contradictory to reality as understood scientifically.

adiyen krishna