yesterday i was watching the episode of நீயா? நானா? in vijay tv. It was an interesting topic - Is Astrology true/false? Can and should one believe in Astrology?
The Pro astrology team was lacking any strong speakers and was in a pathetic shape to take on the *so called logical* questions of the other side.
It was a pity watching how they were being taken for a ride. (Unfortunately, this alone proves how weak and deep was the expertise :( )
As such am very neutral when it comes to this topic of Astrology. As a study, i have been awed by the length and breadth of rules, calculations and combinations of various factors and elements involved in the study of astrology. It isn't a conjured junk of vomit of imagination. Nope! whoever it was in the ancient past, who have come up with the study of astrology aren't any lesser genius(es). And this point was never emphasized by the pro Astrology group. Pity! They failed to set the strong base and thus in answering the actual questions.
Astrology by itself might remain a perpetually debated area of study, but it is certainly marred by the people who practice it. In this case, because of the lack of the practitioners' expertise and understanding of this vast ocean of a subject, the subject itself is given a black name. This was accepted well by the pro Astrology group themselves.
As i was watching - a doctor, who was on the other side was attacking with logical questions & his own interpretations of why astrology should not be believed. And discussing these they deviated to the subject of questioning the study of astrology itself with all the tell tale stupidness of the *learned ones* who wouldn't accept anything that they cannot fathom or understand with their puny little minds! This is what got me furious. Learned Fools!
Even a cursory peek in to the structure, relations, rules, factors, permutations and combinations & the calculations that make the basics of astrology, should really trigger a thought process in any decent man who'd like to call themselves learned, intelligent and wise. Yes! One should first learn to identify, inspect and respect any area of study (even the ones they dislike) to be fair. Failing which, i'd not qualify such a person fit to argue/discuss - as it would be foolish to do with a fool. They'd systematically drag us to their level and beat us! :)
Coming back, I had this itch of taking the same case against a proven scientific area - medicine.
- The human body is a marvelous piece of engineering.
- What more, it can heal itself.
- Medicines are but helpers to this healing mechanism and they don't themselves are the cure *always*!
- They stimulate and help the body to heal itself.
- The ingredients of these medicines - herbs, minerals & metals - the potions etc., - well, nobody invented them by a flash of vision in their heads, while they were in the loo!
- These were based on the observations, trial and error of research over the ages - by countless practitioners across the world.
- In-fact, doctors don't know the roots & causes of many an ailment that affects a human body today.
- And there are so many diseases which can't be cured either.
- And to add to the pity, they don't even see the ailment holistically....
- We have specialists... who treat individual organs of the body and forget the root cause - they treat the symptoms (I'd consider this more dangerous - Its like suppressing unhandled exceptions)!
- Alas, but there are far and few who master the art of identifying, understanding, analysing & tracing back the symptoms to nail a particular ailment and provide treatment accordingly.
- In medicine, the same symptom could be caused by various factors/ailments.
- So, it comes to the doctor/practitioner to interpret the symptoms and provide treatment.
- Now, which doctor do i trust? Two doctors interpret and prescribe medicines to the same ailment differently.
- And today, we have ultra modern - sophisticated equipments, which take pictures of the body to help these practitioners diagnose... and make more money too.
So, my question is how reliable are medicine & doctors - and - how different are astrology & astrologers from medicine, on the grounds of expertise and application.
How much of medicine is left to hope, belief and prayer and how different is astrology?
When the question of which astrologer to trust, the same question arises to me - which doctor to trust?
Atleast astrology impacts directly on hope and belief of a human but in case of medicine, it directly affects the machinary that's called the human body.
The world has its share of great astrologers who are experts and predict accurate having their basic concepts strong and apply their knowledge with passion ... and great doctors who are experts in their area of work.
For either case, what matters fundamentally is the knowldge, concepts, depth of understanding, practice, passion towards their chosen subject and above all *Experience* (which comes only with time and instances posing challenges to be overcome).
I would rather summarize - we rather restrain ourselves from opinionating and be driven by lacklustre experiences to drive at conclusions on any study. Seldom is the science/art and their principles which are wrong - they are but an accumulated knowledge source of various minds woven through the fabric time - and to question them, is a privilege that i personally feel, we neither deserve nor are eligible/capable.
It is but the human touch - the practitionars of such science and art who might go wrong.
In this fast paced world, we jump to conclusions without due credit and contemplation, without analysis (or with wrong analysis - thanks to the poisioned mind which thinks they know it all!) and without realizing that everything is relative in this world! (Yes! All's relative in this world - Even right and wrong - true and false - they are all relative to one's levels of knowledge)
Bottomline: It is we who are wrong... Our beliefs and understanding is half baked... We make the wrong choices... We are the ones who can't accept things as they happen! By questioning others and in the name of "பகுத்தறிவு" - we are just trying to find a hole in the sink to let out the filth and intellegently convincing/making believe ourselves superior ... Superior Fools!
One who has questions will search ...
and find answers...
and when he knows in his heart - reaching a point of realization that he doesn't have the bandwidth for ascertaining "right" and "wrong" - while analysing the answer...
He learns to accept. To accept that he is limited by his knowledge.
Once accepted the same question would not arise again...
he'd be filled with peace and silence. :)
And He'd be filled with a different question the next time.
This time his earlier acceptance would have enhanced his knowledge...
Leading him to the next levels of realization...
And the layers of life, the levels of realization will unfold as that of an onion.
Finally, it all leads to - whether you accept or not!
Acceptance is the base for true knowledge.
