Is Astrology Related to Science or Religion
Question: Is astrology related to religion or science? This is a very common question.
This is indeed a controversial question. There have been many situations where I had to spend several hours providing clarifications for the same, and many classroom sessions on this topics have crossed more than 2 hours. This is an important question to be clarified because at a global level people are forever looking at astrology as a concept that is based on religion.
First of all we have to understand one thing very clearly. What is science? What is religion?
- Religion is something that determines the nature of a thing without visually looking in to it. There are likely to be different scholars who will declare the results of religious theories and facts based on their personal supportive evidence.
- Science determines something based on real-time verification of facts. It states like when something like this is done, something like this will happen and so on.
Since facts proposed by science are visually verifiable, it is considered to be authentic to propose any research scientifically.
Few of the assumptions and facts proposed by religion might fail at a point in time and the assumptions and facts proposed by science might as well fail at a point in time.
As discussed earlier, when one scientist had proposed that atom is indivisible, another scientist proved that it is divisible at a later point in time.
The Buddha had forever been declaring that changes keep taking place perpetually. The Buddha keeps saying that you cannot touch the same water in the river when you do it time next. This is because water keeps flowing. When change is a parameter that is undeniably existing, how can we determine what is the true fact.
Anything that we look at keeps changing with time and with the passing of time, its physical appearance changes and it absolutely disappears as well with the flow of time. The fact is true for now that is all. As the days keep moving, the object will be subject to many changes and it will change in to some other thing with time. Since, an object that we are able to visually perceive keeps changing with time eventually mutating to something else makes us to believe that even an object that we are able to visualize is a temporary and false! This is indeed a philosophical approach!
People who deal with religion decide several things based on the consistent change theory, without visualizing the object with naked eye. They accord the deed to something related to God. Rationalists propose the happening to the act of nature! These are all based on the mental flow of those people.
All we need to get hold of as researchers in the field of astrology is:
- Facts visually verifiable
- Facts that are not visually verifiable
The big question to be handled now is about whether astrology provides facts based on:
- Visual examination
- Non-visual perception
Here is the answer!
All facts in Astrology are based on real time visualization of planets and positions. Astrology does not provide with results based on mere assumptions.
- We are visually checking in to the planets
- Asterisms in the sky have been classified in to 12 rashis
- The infinite numbers of stars in the sky has been classified in to constellations; the asterisms have been identified, thereby creating 27 major nakshatras.
- 360 degrees have been created
- Creating imaginary images by the group of fixed stars making an asterism.
Based on the positions of these real time planets, stars and rashi – astrology declares its results.
When this is the case we need to personally decide if this is something that is based on science or that which is based on religion!
Therefore, this is based on science.
- On the basis of science, the sooner we look in to an object, how are you able to arrive at predictions? How is it possible?
By asking the above question, scientists will be asking us a long list of questions. In reality, the nature of astrology is not set in a way to make mathematical or observational study from a laboratory. This might not happen so.
ASTRONOMICAL TRIGGERS THAT CAN CAST IN THE THOUGHT PROCESSES OF THE INDIVIDUAL
What we are going to deal with is to arrive at the thought waves that trigger each and every function of an individual. We are dealing with the influence that the astronomical triggers can cast in the thought processes of the individual.
This is one of the rare arts, and it holds a credit that can be given only to the science of astrology. Astrology, when rightly executed, strong and firm declarative predications can be provided about thought patterns and real time events.
Every kind of inner process related to the psychological well-being, psychological discomfort, psychological yearnings, and lot of such stuff can be predicted about how it will happen and when it will come to a safe end. It is for this reason that astrology is an art form that can live not only today, but forever.
How to predetermine the kind of experiences that a human being might encounter? How to make others about the kind of experiences that they are destined to deal with as human beings?
Are the questions that will be pondered upon in the art of astrology, eventually providing predictions and results based on mathematical projections and astronomical basics! It is because of the reality and factual stuff related to the science and art of astrology that it continues to exist to date as well.
In the field of astrology, by considering the consistent change theory, there is place for change in predictions and assumptions as well. Every individual horoscope is subject to change.
The result that has been told for one person will change for another person. For some other person again the prediction will change. Therefore, astrology is something that is based on science. This is because it considers astronomy that is indeed science, the planetary positions per astronomy are taken in to consideration > predications are provided based on Yukthi and Sruthi experience – from the foundations drawn from pure scientific astronomical position of planets by visual reasoning – this is purely science.
When the predictions are to be said, it is based on degrees, because for every individual horoscope, the predications are drawn based on the longitudinal and latitudinal positions of the place of birth of the individual and the changes that follow vary per degrees!
While the fundamentals of astrology are based on astronomy it is science, and since the predication factor is changing with every change in the degree it is an art form.
Astrology is science and predication is an art form.
The predication part is considered to be an art form because the predication is to be told for different people in a different way in compliance with consistent changes. Whatever be the case, astrology is not something that is based on religion.
This is because if something should be declared as religious it should be dealing with lot of invisible aspects. Since astrology is proposing facts based on stuff that is clearly visible – it has created 360 degrees (this might be an imaginary map); however, the nakshatras and the planets that are visible in the sky are not invisible. They are clearly visible. And they are real. They are not imaginary. Based on the foundation of these, mathematics has been created, and the results are declared after clear visualization. This is something that has science as the basis.
Is there no opportunity for astrology to be considered to be as a religion based phenomena at all?
In reality, the answer is no. This is because astrology keeps declaring future predications and it does not at any point in time declare opportunities to change the predictions applicable for the future. It cannot tell either at any point in time.
If it becomes a reality, this can be used as a great tool to bring down our miseries and we can increase the happy effects as well. Since astrology cannot increase happiness or decrease sadness this is completely a study that is based on science and it has nothing to do with religion?
The increasing and decreasing factors are related to religion according to my perception.
Religion is forever considered as a parameter that provides with solution for the miseries of man, we have propagated it this way and this is applicable for all religions. In all religions, there is something called “forgiving”… It is considered to be a place where your sins can be cleared off.
Everything about human beings like beliefs, discipline, happiness, and everything about human beings is being governed by the principles proposed by religion. Therefore, every time we look at religion we look at it as a great let out for our miseries and troubles. And, the path that serves as our drain out for our troubles is something that is being worshipped.
Dear friends, let us list out what we are not worshipping. We keep praying to everything that troubles us. We worship everything that helps us in our day-to-day living. For instance, when you go to villages, there will be people who will be praying to knives, why knife? Is the knife God? No! If there was no knife our soul would have departed from our body and it would have reached the world of Lord Yama. What is the knife doing? When we are going along in the forest, it plays the role of a big companion and it provides us with the confidence and serves as a weapon to deal with probable dangers in our path. Since the knife as a weapon protects us, it becomes the God for us.
Our natural ancestors were real intelligent. They respected, prayed and achieved all that they wanted for their lives. Getting scared of nature formed the major belief system of our ancestors. In reality, when we least expect, we are forced to experience, every kind of natural happening in our lives. As humans we will either pray or we will oppose it and we will walk out. This is indeed human nature.
When this is the case, when we consider a list of things that are worthy of worship, what we can decide is that everything is subject to worship. This is nature and belief.
“Belief is an entirely different thing from superstition”
We are not dealing with the superstition factor now. On the basis of the belief that the knife will save us we worship it. If Shakthivel saves us we pray to it. Chakra saves us therefore we pray to it. Okay, why should we pray to water? Why should be pray to the waters of the river, why should we pray to the waters of the sea? Why should we pray to fire? Why should we pray to the earth? All these are natural things. All these things can make the most unexpected consequences happen to us.
Suddenly, the waters in the river can rise and it can flood a whole village and wash everyone and everything away. Then we will die. Suddenly, if fire catches up the whole forest will be burnt away and we will all be destroyed. If an earth quake happens and we go in, we will die. These are the many natural happenings that are beyond our control. Therefore, we are looking at all these aspects as God.
We have been converting everything that is scary to us as God. We have been converting everything that has been saving us from fear as a God as well. Therefore, anything that is based on religion is something that will somehow make human beings regain their faith in the living process despite all natural calamities.
On the basis of religion, the planets in astrology have been used as a tool to somehow make human beings regain their faith in the living process despite all natural calamities, by making the planets as Gods that is all.
In the temples, a place has been allotted to planets. In reality, before 100 years, there were no such planetary set ups in temples. If you check in to the Brahadeshwara temple in Tanjavur, there is no such planetary set up in those temples.
For further verification, Vaishnavism that evolved after separation from the Shaivism does not pose planetary gods in their temples, except in very few shrines. Why did they keep and why they did not keep is a complicated question and this is based on the beliefs of each of these religions. It is their philosophy and their sastras. There is no need to argue about the authenticity of these facts. Religion is a very big school. All these religious schools of wisdom to date continue to encourage the sustenance of mankind.
The religions which honored planets by making them worship worthy had their own methods in helping peace for the minds of many troubled minds.
Therefore, astrology is not something that is based on science, but religion had honored astrological planets by absorbing and accepting these planets in to its system. It has added glory to astrology. What we can tell about religion? Religion accepted astrology!
Even if science did not support astrology, religion has supported astrology.
Just because religion accepted astrology, we cannot call astrology as something that is based on religion.
Religion has accepted many facts in the world and astrology is one of them. Therefore, astrology is not something about religion.
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