Acharya Prashant explains that the only thing spirituality and science have in common is an honest urge to know the truth. Science works on observations, experiments, numbers, and data related to the external, observable universe. A scientist records what is seen as it is, without fudging the data. Spirituality, on the other hand, is about the inner world, which he defines as the mind. It involves observing the mind to understand how the entire internal mechanism functions. He states that these two domains, the inner and the outer, must be explored in tandem. Citing the Upanishads, he explains that the knowledge of the mind is called 'Vidya' (inner knowledge), and the knowledge of the universe, the domain of science, is called 'Avidya' (worldly knowledge). The Upanishads teach that one cannot have one without the other. A person who wants inner knowledge without worldly knowledge, or vice versa, will fall into a deep well. He particularly emphasizes that someone who intends to be spiritual without being scientific will suffer even more. The common value that enables the generation of true knowledge of any kind is honesty and integrity. While it is difficult to deny external, observable facts (like a moving vehicle), it is very easy to deny inner facts. Honesty becomes even more important in the spiritual dimension because the incentive to lie to and deceive oneself about internal states like jealousy or anger is great, and there are no tangible repercussions or punishments for such self-deception. Therefore, the same spirit of inquiry that is applied in science—honesty, curiosity, and an absence of bias—must be carried over to the observation of the mind. This inquiry into one's thoughts, emotions, and fears must be a live process, happening in the moment. Spirituality, he says, is about knowing what is happening within, in the very moment it is happening.
