The Scientist and the Saint: The Limits of Science and the Testimony of Sages

In a world dominated by secular values, where science claims a monopoly on knowledge and truth, it often seems that there is little place for the spiritual explanation. But to reject the religious worldview is to deny answers to questions where science has so far given none. Although it can provide many truths, science, with its varying levels of precision, and continually changing theories, often contains many philosophical and metaphysical dogmas, and does not have the capacity to make a coherent and true worldview. Either implicitly or explicitly, it presents an image of an exclusively material universe, where everything happens by accident, and seems no more than a philosophical extrapolation gleaned from a few selectively chosen pieces of data. It is as a counterweight to this “blind universe” that The Scientist and the Saint, quoting both a wide array of scientists and the revelatory testimonies of centuries of saints and truth-seekers, provides a more nuanced knowledge of the heart of existence. It is a call to the inward dimension, to the mysticism that reflects the heart and the deepest meaning of every religion, and above all a way out of the confusion and lack of direction in today’s troubled world.

Avinash Chandra has spent his life between India and Europe and has a profound understanding of both cultures. Situated between two worldviews he enjoys a privileged vantage point, enabling him to shed light upon the problems faced at this decisive juncture in history.