Spiritual Import of Religious Festivals - 17.2

04/11/2018
17 - The Awakening Message : 2.

Today the eyes of science are themselves slowly getting opened up to the truth of the matter. It is becoming self-conscious. Generally, we are conscious of others, but we are rarely conscious of our own selves. In the consciousness of the world of objects, of persons and things, and human relations and what not, we first forget ourselves.

We cut the ground from under our own feet and then go headlong into that arena where even the angels fear to tread, as they say. We are really in a pitiable situation. We are not so secure as we might be made to imagine. The future is not in our hands because we are rid of the knowledge of the future.

We are dispossessed of that real worth of man's existence and seem to be possessed of straw and dust and the husk that we call the material values of life. May I put a question – what do you mean by matter, over which you pride yourself so much and whose knowledge has given you a sense of confidence and a sense of security, though it is baseless and foundationless?

How do you know what matter is made of and what the true values of life are?

The very force behind the argument of the materialist is the reality of matter, the stability of the world as it is perceived by the senses, the realism of sensory perception. But, is this true?

Can we take for granted the presentation of the world in terms of the senses?

The very notion of the existence of material values, the material stuff or substance with which the world seems to be made – this very concept should be subjected to further analysis and investigation. It cannot be taken for granted on its surface value. The notion of the existence of the material substances and material values of life is conditioned by higher values of which we have at present no knowledge adequately.

Who knows the existence of matter?

Matter is unconscious. A great thinker of the modern times, who is known as a top scientist, has himself come to the conclusion that today we are heading towards the dematerialisation of matter itself. But, a counter argument to this conclusion was brought forth by another thinker saying that rarified matter does not cease to be matter, thereby pointing out that the world is still material and we are materially constituted in our own personalities.

But, this argument and counter argument are both, again, liable to a further investigation.

To be continued ..