Vedic Wisdom - Superstition and Rationalism

Vedic Wisdom

Superstition and Rationalism

The meaning of superstition is wrong comprehension and rationalism is coming to logical conclusions. In today’s context believers are believed to be superstitious and non believers are rationalists. This by itself is an irrational thought.

In my opinion to believe a nonexistent thing or refusing to accept an existing thing both are superstitions.

Let us keep the God out of the discussion for now; so that we can understand.

Assume that one person is saying he is seeing his grandfather, whom he loved so much but who has died some time ago, we tell that he is having a phobia and similarly who after having met with the shock, cries for his wife and asks for her to be brought when she is actually there, we call him insane. Both are treated as having mental disorder. One is seeing a nonexistent thing and another is refusing to see an existing thing.

Same is the case with rationalism. Denying an obvious thing is not rationalism. The real rationalism is what our sages have done by deep enquiry by not settling for anything other than eternal truth. That is why the Vedic wisdom is unable to be surpassed or uprooted.

But the pseudo spiritualists and superstitious persons harm the cause of Vedic wisdom because of their lack of knowledge and false guidance. They actually do more harm to the spiritual science than the non believers.

Similarly the so called rationalists thinking it is trendy to deny everything (like that the second man we mentioned above who even after seeing his wife is unable to recognize her) are equally causing damage to the correct scientific temper.

In other words the pseudo spiritualists defame spirituality and the pseudo rationalists defame the rationality.

Spirituality vs. Religion

There is a huge difference between spirituality and religion.

Spirituality deals with spirit-the soul whereas religion deals with regimentation- the do’s and don’ts

Spirituality is pan region and pan religion

Religion is followers specific. spirituality is universal

For spirituality God is incidental for religion it is fundamental

For spirituality realization is the goal whereas for religion orderliness more important.

Spirituality has ritual only in its name –spi‘ritual’- whereas religion has rituals at its core.

The objective of Vedas was and is to make people becoming spiritual using religion just as scaffolding or the pole vault pole. They have to be cast off to reach the goal. Imagine if you don’t remove the scaffolding when will the building be put to use and if you can’t cast off the pole how will you cross over.

This article is a snippet from the Book Vedic Wisdom, Authored by Pandit Sri Rama Sharma. Vedic Wisdom is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.