Post by nathanabcede123 on Jul 31, 2015 18:45:14 GMT
Why is Faqir Chand's experiences important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles?
Faqir Chand’s experiences give us a better understanding of the projective nature of religious visions and miracles. Through his life experiences he shows us what forms God can take whether it be something physical or mental. This is supported by the passage “In the human body semen is God in gross and visible form; Mind is God in subtle form; and Surat is God in causal form. Those who do not know the art of moderate and controlled living all these stages can never attain peace” (35). He also puts the term “be careful what you wish for” in use when he explains a story of how he wished he would be able to be married twice to experience the happiness of the first one which he then later regretted. This is proven by the passage “When I was being carried I felt a great pleasure and prayed to God, “May I be married again, so that I may enjoy this pleasure of the palanquin again.” The result of my prayer was that my wife died after sometime. My second marriage was arranged. I was again made to sit in the palanquin. Then the old scene of my first marriage flashed in my mind. I repented and, instead of enjoying the palanquin, I felt unhappy and sad” (37).
What is meant by the phrase, "philosophy done well is science; philosophy done poorly remains philosophy."
The first part of the phrase “philosophy done well is science…” means that any philosophical idea that can be explained through reasonable and natural terms is considered scientific. This is supported by the statement given by Cohon (Stanford University): “Science aspires to discover truth by means of a thoroughly objective, empirical method that is repeatable and available to all, and to detect and root out erroneous beleifs by using such a method. It is not the aim of science to console people or to make them good or to bring them happiness. Although its discoveries are sometimes very useful for these purposes…” (25). The second part of the phrase “…;philosophy done poorly remains philosophy” means that any philosophical idea that cannot be proven by scientific means remains philosophical idea, in other words, it remains an unproven theory. This is supported by the statement given by Fischer (U.C. Riverside): “In science, methods are used proportional to belief and evidence. We remain skeptical and we are not going form conclusions for which there is no strong evidence” (26,27).
Faqir Chand’s experiences give us a better understanding of the projective nature of religious visions and miracles. Through his life experiences he shows us what forms God can take whether it be something physical or mental. This is supported by the passage “In the human body semen is God in gross and visible form; Mind is God in subtle form; and Surat is God in causal form. Those who do not know the art of moderate and controlled living all these stages can never attain peace” (35). He also puts the term “be careful what you wish for” in use when he explains a story of how he wished he would be able to be married twice to experience the happiness of the first one which he then later regretted. This is proven by the passage “When I was being carried I felt a great pleasure and prayed to God, “May I be married again, so that I may enjoy this pleasure of the palanquin again.” The result of my prayer was that my wife died after sometime. My second marriage was arranged. I was again made to sit in the palanquin. Then the old scene of my first marriage flashed in my mind. I repented and, instead of enjoying the palanquin, I felt unhappy and sad” (37).
What is meant by the phrase, "philosophy done well is science; philosophy done poorly remains philosophy."
The first part of the phrase “philosophy done well is science…” means that any philosophical idea that can be explained through reasonable and natural terms is considered scientific. This is supported by the statement given by Cohon (Stanford University): “Science aspires to discover truth by means of a thoroughly objective, empirical method that is repeatable and available to all, and to detect and root out erroneous beleifs by using such a method. It is not the aim of science to console people or to make them good or to bring them happiness. Although its discoveries are sometimes very useful for these purposes…” (25). The second part of the phrase “…;philosophy done poorly remains philosophy” means that any philosophical idea that cannot be proven by scientific means remains philosophical idea, in other words, it remains an unproven theory. This is supported by the statement given by Fischer (U.C. Riverside): “In science, methods are used proportional to belief and evidence. We remain skeptical and we are not going form conclusions for which there is no strong evidence” (26,27).