Science-Grounded Dharma

Scientific methods of analysis and research have become the prerequisite of all fields of study today.  The trend began in the 15th century with the advent of scientists like Copernicus and Galileo and continued with the theory of Newton, Dalton and Darwin. Consequently, by the 19th century all spheres of study, inclusive of religion, could be explained scientifically.

The founder of science-grounded religion, Devatma felt that like other sciences, religion also could be studied on a scientific basis.
Even if a man of religion, the light of the universe who challenged all religions, he never put his deliverance outside the possibility of error and insisted that whatever in his philosophy will not satisfy the scientific criteria of truth must be rejected. He writes ‘If any of the teachings of the Devatma also fails to satisfy any one of these four criteria, it too does not deserve to be accepted as true. The religion of Devatma is the only religion in the world which has accepted the scientific method as central to its investigations into truths about soul-life. Devatma, the founder of science-grounded religion, thus writes in his autobiography about his truth investigation in the soul-life of man:

“Owing to the evolution of all-sided love of truth in me, I had arrived at a stage of growth in which I could accept old or new beliefs only after placing them on the touchstone of scientific test…

“I was anxious to test every one of my religious beliefs on the basis of scientific test and thus make them matters of true knowledge rather than that of mere faith.”

What is the implication of accepting the scientific method in the field of religion? A religion which accepts the scientific method has within it, the power to reject any of its beliefs, if its deduction fails to be verified. It cannot regard its beliefs, if its deductions fail to be verified. It cannot regard its beliefs, as beyond the possibility of error. It has a completely different mentality from revealed religions which admit of no errors, for they hold their beliefs to be word of an omniscient being called God. A religion which accepts the scientific method accepts that it is impossible to avoid error in every case and hence beliefs are subject to revision in the light of new facts which may come to light.

Devatma holds that no one is above. He writes, “The path of acquiring true knowledge was for ever opened wide for me. But this path is not free from error. It is not a path, treading on which man is not liable to go astray and fall into error. Eternally, error-free path is impossible for everyone in the Nature. Therefore there is no possible for any man to tread to tread an eternally and absolutely error free path. No doubt, Dev Dharma is the only religion that can claim to be scientific in spirit, for it alone openly accepts scientific methods as necessary for truth discovery and verification in the field of religion. When it is said that Dev Dharma is scientific in spirit, it means more than that it rejects supernaturalism or it accepts the findings of science at any particular period. It means that like science it accepts that no belief is too sacred to be re-examined and re-evaluated or rejected if new facts come to light which make that imperative. Just as it is no loss to the prestige of science, rather it is to its glorification when it modified any one of its theories to meet the demand of facts and truths, similarly Dev Dharma holds it be its glory that it permits its beliefs to be revised if scientific method so demands it.

Dev Dharma avoids conflicts between science and religion, because it accepts that scientific verification is necessary for a belief to be true. This is the first offering that Dev Dharma makes to modern man in search of a religion which does not compromise his scientific makeup. Devatma brought the field of religion under investigation by scientific method and therefore founded the science of religion. The scientific method must be employed in the field of religion and religion can be made into a science, like other sciences.