When Wise Men Speak, Wise Men Listen

Introduction

Nowadays, many people hold the opinion that modern science and academics can explain the origins of life, the universe and everything. From our very childhood, we are assured that physics, paleontology, archeology and social sciences can adequately explain the intricate details of where we originally came from, the evolution of mankind, the complexities of the human psyche, the mysteries of our planet, the historical events that have shaped us and the future of the human race.

But despite the prodigious stockpile of academic knowledge we have collected, the fundamental problems of life continue nevertheless. It may even be said that science and the academic world have contributed substantially to many of the disturbances that mankind presently faces.

Undeniably, over the last one hundred years, modern science has progressed in leaps and bounds. Yet despite the progressive steps it has made, many questions remain outside the purview of any experimental information that modern science may acquire. All departments of science are inextricably bound to the study of the finite – analyzing terrestrial phenomena that are observable and repeatable. While science attempts to investigate the elements that make up our universe, it neglects to answer why the universe initially came into being. What is the fundamental meaning behind our human existence? What happens to us after death? What is consciousness? In its preoccupation with the finite, modern science fails to answer those questions relating to the Infinite.

Athato brahma-jijnasa – the first aphorism of the Vedanta invites us to inquire into the very nature of the Infinite, and inevitably into the essential nature of our true self. The Vedic literatures reveal the essential features of that which is beyond the jurisdiction of the limited academic knowledge of this finite world. Thus, the timeless knowledge of the Vedic literatures bridges the chasm of enquiry left by modern science.

In the articles presented in this book, His Divine Grace Swami Bhakti Gaurava Narasingha Maharaja writes on a variety of topics from the Vedic viewpoint – in particular from the theological perspective of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the philosophical school founded by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 15th Century. Among the subjects covered in these articles are the existence of God, the Vedas, ancient history, physics and archeology.

Some of the points made by the author prompt the sincere reader to question and challenge conventional knowledge. We are encouraged to listen to the ancient Vedic wisdom, examine prevailing theories and ‘think out of the box.’

We hope that these articles will enlighten our readers and inspire them in their quest for the truth.

The Publishers