Holistic Vision and Integral Living

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Holistic Science is an interesting, insightful and thought-provoking system propounded by Dādā Bhagavan which is of practical value and utility, if properly understood and practiced. Some of its instructive and illuminating points are worth pondering. Vitaragavijñāna, its central thesis, is an innovative interpretation of these minal ideas and practices of Indian culture. It is a fresh approach to understand the nature of Reality and shape a new mode of living in accordance there with. In this sense it is enlightening. Because of its comprehensive, inclusive and integral outlook this system is rightly characterized as "Holistic".

"Vitaragavijñāna" is a vision and a mission, a view of Reality and a way of life. Basically, it is an enterprise of self-realization through self-awareness.

Suresh Chandra Ghosh held the Chair of History at the Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies at JNU, New Delhi, till his retirement in August 2002 Author of 15 monographs including two published at Leiden and Frankfurt and of 15 research papers mostly published abroad, he was until recently a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Paedagogica Historica, edited at the University of Gent, Belgium. While at JNU, he visited a number of universities and institutes abroad and spent a year between 2000-2001 as a Guest Professor at the Friedrich Schiller Universitat, Jena, known for its association with Goethe, Schiller, Hegel and Karl Marx.

On the auspicious occasion of establishment of Holistic Science Research Center (HSRC), sponsored by Holistic Science Charitable Research Foundation (HSCRF), Oak Ridge, USA, under the inspiring leadership, guidance and patronage of His Holiness late Sri Kanudadāji, an International Conference on the theme "Holistic Vision and Integral Living" was held from August 27 to 29, 2010. It was attended by more than 200 distinguished scholars and observers from different parts of the world. The opening of the Foundation itself heralded a unique and wonderful platform for the manufacturing of what can be called as "Peace Bomb" at a place where Albert Einstein worked to produce Atom Bomb. It was hoped that establishment of the Foundation and the Center under it would be significant steps towards fulfilment of Dada Bhagavan's wishes to disseminate and spread the message of Holistic Science across the world on the foundation of his sublime, noble and liberating visions for enlightenment and upliftment of the whole humanity. It was further hoped that with the grace of Dada Bhagavan and under the benign direction and stewardship of His Holiness late Sri Kanudādāji the activities of the Foundation and the Center will usher in universal peace, prosperity and happiness for the whole humanity and the cosmos.

The Conference began with the blissful blessings of his holiness Śri Kanudādāji, the Founder of HSCRF, and an illuminating presentation by Pujya Dr. Shailashananadaji which made it a great accomplishment. There were enlightening presentations on the topics of 'Holistic Science and Metaphysics', 'Holistic Science and Quantum Physics', 'Holistic Science, Spirituality and Quantum Physics', 'Holistic Science and Philosophy', 'Holistic Science and Integral Living', 'Holistic Science and Harmonious Living' and 'Holistic Science and Natural Living'. They pertain to philosophy and metaphysics, physics and quantum physics, consciousness studies and spirituality, in the context of holistic vision and integrated living. They cover both the Eastern and Western traditions, and classical and modern viewpoints. They put forth diverse perspectives with commonalities as well as differences on basic issues of life and Reality and they are highly useful in proper understanding of holistic vision and integrated living. Out of these, eighteen papers were published in the volume of the Journal "HOLISTIC VISION" Vols. I and II, 2011. They were edited by me. Now they are being reproduced in a book form. It is hoped that these learned papers will stimulate further thinking. It is further hoped that the valuable contents of these papers will promote harmonious living and enrich individuals and communities to attain inner peace and happiness and final liberation.

Before a brief Overview of the papers of this book is presented it is desirable and needful to delineate on "Holistic Science" to get the required background.

Holistic Science is an interesting, insightful and thought-provoking system propounded by Dada Bhagavan which is of practical value and utility, if properly understood and practiced. Some of its instructive and illuminating points are worth pondering. Vitaragavijñāna, its central thesis, is an innovative interpretation of the seminal ideas and practices of Indian culture. It is a fresh approach to understand the nature of Reality and shape a new mode of living in accordance therewith. In this sense it is enlightening. Because of its comprehensive, inclusive and integral outlook this system is rightly characterized as "Holistic". The word 'science' is not used here in a restricted and limited sense of natural science like physics. Instead, it is used in a wider sense which is more common these days. The meaning of science here is systematic reflections on lived experiences with the aim of being profited from them for betterment of living. So, it envelops all cognitive and volitional enterprises like natural sciences, biological sciences, mathematics, social sciences, arts and humanities and all behavioural patterns based on them. It is inclusive of all learning and behaviour. It stands for a symbiosis of all knowledge-disciplines and virtuous behaviour-patterns. The basic framework in terms of postulates and premises is already laid out by Dada Bhagavan and the corollaries and other details need to be worked out as per the requirements and aspirations of the age. This is a task in which intellectuals and practitioners have to do through seminars, conferences, workshops, publications etc. This has to be an ongoing process with the involvement of all concerned people.

"Vitarigavijnana" is a vision and a mission, a view of Reality and a way of life. Basically, it is an enterprise of self-realization through self- awareness. Only the real is given to us in our experiences. The unreal is never experienced but only hypostatized. The real is perceived in its pure form as it is intuitively experienced or it is conceived with the mediation of senses and mind. In this holistic approach centricity of experience is well recognized and primacy is accorded to inner experience which is most intimately realized. Inner experience is immediate and suigeneris, self-evident and self-luminous. That is why it is regarded as infallible or apauruşeya. It is free from the perverting influences of mind, senses, body and external surroundings. It is referred to in Indian tradition as parividya. It is pertaining to asambhuti (eternal and imperishable). It is the realm of spirituality. Different from this is outer experience which is mediated by several factors like object, circumstances, senses, mind etc. and may be partial, faulty and deceptive. It is contingent and conditional. That is why it stands in need of verification. It belongs to the realm of sambhuti (mutable) and it is called aparividya. This is the area of empirical science. Both are equally valuable in their own spheres and must be resorted to with judicious discrimination. Dada Bhagavan names them as Real and Relative.

A corollary of the above distinction is the difference between inner happiness which is enduring and external pleasure which is evanescent and fleeting. The values pertaining to the two realms are different. In technical terms they are known as freyas and preyas. Both are significant and valuable in their own spheres and should be resorted to in a balanced and judicious way. Thus, there are two facets of reality and accordingly two levels of knowledge and values. In holistic approach this distinction is well recognized and integrated into a single whole.