Acharya Prashant responds to a PhD student who has lost interest in her research and worldly knowledge after delving into spirituality. He begins by stating that research is not a waste, although a particular line of research might not personally benefit the researcher. He points out that everything in our modern lives, from medicines to the spectacles the questioner is wearing, is a product of research. He explains that science does not initially seek immediate practical application; its primary aim is to know, and the relevance or utility of that knowledge is often discovered later. Great scientific discoveries were made without their inventors knowing their eventual benefits. The speaker emphasizes that spirituality and science are not contradictory; in fact, this misconception has greatly harmed spirituality. The ultimate purpose of spirituality is liberation from the world, and to be liberated from something, one must first know it thoroughly. Science is the tool for knowing the world. He argues that science has been a great aid to spirituality by dispelling superstitions, such as the belief that lightning is caused by the wrath of a deity. Without science, spirituality can devolve into superstition. He asserts that a person who does not understand science will hold many misconceptions about the world and, therefore, cannot truly go beyond it. He draws an analogy of crossing a dangerous jungle to reach the 'realm of truth' (Satlok). To cross the jungle, one must have knowledge of its paths, animals, and rivers. Similarly, to transcend the world, one must first know it. There are two ways to know the world: the way of the scientist and the way of the saint. The scientist delves into matter to find electrons and protons, while the saint delves into the human mind to find lust, anger, and greed. Both are researchers uncovering subtle truths about the world. The discoveries of both are beneficial; the scientist's findings provide tools to navigate the physical world, while the saint's insights provide the wisdom and discrimination to navigate the inner world. Therefore, spirituality can be beyond science (trans-scientific), but it can never be anti-science. Anyone who pits spirituality against science understands neither.
