PureInsight | September 3, 2001
The Concept of Authority and Religion within Science
"Let me tell you that science is also a religion—it's a very well-established religion." (from "Lecture at the Conference in Europe," Frankfurt, 1998)
People who are influenced by science have obtained more or less the concept of authority, which is omnipresent in all fields of science. There are two aspects to this: one is admiration toward the established "authority" of science; the other is the pursuit and yearning for becoming an authority oneself. These two are connected and complement each other. The "authority" in science is based on people's veneration of it; on the other hand, the abundant fame, benefit and privileges accorded to the authorities in science in all fields in turn encourages people to go after and respect science.
The concept of privilege can be called the extreme manifestation of the concept/pursuit of fame and interest in science. It not only hampers man's direct exploration of truth, but it has furthermore replaced man's veneration of God. People absolutely can directly learn the truth of the universe through their true nature. In other words, they can realistically perceive the characteristics of the universe and directly learn about the Fa [law, principle of the cosmos] by continuous cultivation of morality. The concept of "authority" has imperceptibly obliterated this. In scientific research, repudiating the exploration and thoughts of an authority is something unimaginable. Within the fields of science, authorities are not only the symbols who control the scientific truth; generally, they are also in charge of research money and control others' explorations, which means that authorities have the control over others' career live and deaths.
The concept of authority is actually the source for this structure and organization of science. At the same time as people's minds give up their consciousness of directly exploring truth on their own; they unnoticeably accept the administrative model of scientific "authority." Moreover, they deem it as reasonable and their only choice because science is complex; it needs cooperation, organization and authority. Of course, whoever is more capable will become the authority.
No one ever doubts that phenomena exist in science. Scientific authorities are always authorities for life, and the "nobody" usually will remain a "nobody" forever. That's because people's real thinking is clouded by this concept of authority, and they have completely lost their own comprehension. Since it's dangerous for any opinion to conflict with the authority's opinion, what people can do in science is merely do some small "repairing" around the authority's ideas.
The concept of authority seriously hinders people from independently and directly exploring science. One who doesn't obtain the Fa does not have the nerve to explore the truth and keep at it. The way people idolize such authority, which has no implication of morality, can only in turn lead to more people abandoning morality. However, if one is detached from morality, one will completely lose the necessary foothold for exploring truths. Without truth, man can only more and more blindly admire "authorities" in science, admire this science, and even suppress people who create a new path or people who have their unique opinions by using the power of an authority, in order to preserve their own fame and interests. Because of the existence of authority, in the long run people's correct views, originating from their true nature, become fewer and fewer, until they are completely gone. It causes people to be trapped within their predecessors' definitions and concepts. What is left are only veneration, dependence and a blind following of the "authorities."
The concept of authority is not any individual's concept; it's a concept of science. Throughout all fields of science, organizations, structures of society and forms of administration all reflect the concept of authority. And that's why people don't realize it's a problem. It is a cruel fact that suppresses man's true nature, which exists in all fields of science and deep in everyone's mind, and cannot be changed by any individuals. The concept of authority is a direct negation of God. It shows "man wants be in control himself."
Even today when I'm cultivating in the Dao, [law, principle of cosmos] I can often feel that I'm also using "Fa" and fighting the "concept of authority" in my heart. It's a field in which the truth dynamically triumphs over the evil and false reasoning. Within science, the ordinary people are after authority, money, and interests. During cultivation, we should strengthen our faith in Fa in our hearts, and gradually discard each and every selfishness, fame and interests, until we discard the ordinary people's concept of authority and establish genuine, mighty virtue in orthodox Fa cultivation.
The Influence of Science on Social Structure and State
"Science is just the same. Its environment has already become quite enormous. Its omnipresence penetrates almost every corner of the human dimension, including every field. It can be said that it's all-encompassing…"(from "Lecture at the Conference in Europe," Frankfurt, 1998)
Most people in the West regard "democracy," "freedom," "equality" and "law" as very holy. Of course, the most holy is still "science". Many people think these "truths" come from the bible. In fact, before the birth of science, people didn't have these ideas. I think the true origin of all these social concepts is also from science. It was brought to humans by aliens, and was forced on humans. At first, man believed in God. In order to supersede humans; they (aliens) would have to strike at man's faith in God. These concepts center on encouraging acquired social values and make people strongly pursue acquired outer-world and career accomplishments. Since careers often involve some science, people don't see that the real motivation for man's career is their attachment to fame and interests. Science also works this way. It cleverly covers up people's selfishness and makes their acquired pursuits high-sounding.
If man believes in God, why would he fight for "democracy" and "human rights"? If he believes in fate arranged by God, why would he fight for "equality" and "freedom"? If he observes morality, why would he need to be restricted by "law"? Looking back, I see these concepts are so durable and "natural" with human beings. I couldn't help but think that without Fa, we can't even judge the basics of right and wrong. After such contemplation, I better understood the preciousness of Fa and I treasure Fa even more.
Many concepts connected to science have undoubtedly become beliefs of man. As a cultivator, I don't want to get involved in the politics of ordinary people's society, so I won't make any comment on this. In my own cultivation, I truly realized that as long as we use Fa as the standard, we can easily see through things that appear to be the truth but actually are not. Moreover, after all, these things are merely social notions or ideological trends that float in ordinary human society, and they do not have any effect on a cultivator at all. After it's pointed out, it's most easy to give it up.
Science does not only repel and negate man's faith in God and orthodox morality; it limits man's way of thinking within the boundary of experimental science. Furthermore, it fundamentally destroys man's social structure. Now everyone has a job. Science makes people leave home and enter society, which provides the material qualification and environment for the degeneration of human morality. Because within the family, people are restrained by bloodline, human relations and ethics, and they would involuntarily judge and be judged using morality. Whereas in society, people don't have much morality and responsibilities and people are measured completely by utilitarian criteria such as money and fame, which causes people to further abandon morality. Looking at it from the opposite side, maybe this is another source for the birth of law.
Science has brought mankind too many errors. As man's mind is completely occupied by scientific concepts and concepts derived from science, people are unable to judge science from beings' true nature and the foundation of morality. They cannot see the truth about science at all, and cannot see the devastation, suppression and damage it has done to man's true nature.
Influence of Science on Education
I have learned from Dafa that man's notions are acquired. They are obtained from and polluted by ordinary human society. No matter from what aspect one considers it, education is important to people, especially education before adulthood. Also, Teacher has talked many times about the issue of children's education. He gave an example of America's educational system indulging children and lacking moral principles, which is a worrying situation. I think we can also learn about this issue from the angle of science's influence on human beings.
We know that for hundreds and thousands of years, no matter whether in the East or the West, the traditional, orthodox education was mainly guided by morality, especially people's early education, which was mostly centered on morality. People had little knowledge. Education mainly consisted of the repetition of sages' instructions on morality. The ancient people were able to keep a relatively high moral standard. In the present situation , because of science's all-pervasive permeation into all fields of society, science and education are almost the same thing in people's minds. Whenever education is mentioned, people think of scientific knowledge; they think of education by science. The purpose of education is just to possess more knowledge and skills. From the larger perspective it's for the development of science and society; from the personal perspective, it's so the child will be able to "live in science" and have a scientific career. If we don't judge it using the law of heart and from the angle of morality, it's very hard to see its faults.
It's easy to see that, ever since man had science, human education has begun to gradually deviate from the center of morality. Nowadays, no matter in the East or the West, the implication of morality in education has basically gone. In Mainland China, influenced by the modern imperial exam, the "college entrance exam," the educational system, seeking quick success and instant benefits, has brought homework pressure, and the implications of morality in education has been quietly but completely repelled. Because after gradual development up this stage, people just can't perceive the deviation within it, nor can they perceive the seriousness of today's problems. The root of the problems is the corruption of morality in the whole society, and it's not just a problem with education.
I have learned from Dafa that a being's wisdom is based on a being's morality and inner true nature. Nowadays, this education with a strong purpose, which pursues quick success and instant benefits, goes complete opposite to the truth and the Law of the Universe. By instilling monotonous scientific knowledge into young people, it greatly devastates their physical and spiritual health. I could say that during the whole process of human education, science, the blind belief in and respect for science, is an attachment forced on human beings, which make people lose their true, original nature even more.
Even the ancient people could realize the harmfulness of "help the crop grow by pulling it up by its root." The modern school education simply teaches knowledge to students. It is not based on any systematic educational methods, morality and ethics. I think education without morality does not have any single educational method. Nowadays many people in the profession of education try to find educational methods and generalize educational experiences outside morality, the core that education should stick to. I can only say that the professionals are unable to grasp the essence and went after the trivial instead of the important. Even the purpose of education is not right.
As ordinary people see it, it's the school that teaches knowledge to people. But to be truthful and accurate, the school learning has done no more than to provide people with an environment for exposure to knowledge. Man has inborn nature, and the real knowledge is obtained by man's inborn nature. The emphasis, quantity of one's knowledge and the extent of how cleverly one applies it also cannot be effectively changed, just because the school education simply wants to. But the current educational system doesn't understand at all the existence of man's inborn nature, nor does it understand how to respect being educated from the angle of a life's' inborn nature. In my opinion, the modern school education not only fails to nurture talent, it impairs the natural growth of talent. To put it in more serious terms, if the current educational system is not indulging man's demon nature, then it's devastating man's inborn nature. Ordinary people don't see this, because they think school education gives people knowledge. They attribute the attainment of knowledge totally to the result of education and overlook the existence of man's inborn nature, which is associated with man's strong pursuit of knowledge and blind belief in science.
Looking back on man's history, we can easily see that only 500 years after the "Renaissance" and the birth of science at the end of the Middle Ages in Europe, religion has already become history and has been merely a formality a long time before that. Science became the most sacred "holy altar" in man's numerous mindsets, and it received the universal veneration of the whole human race. In fact, this is really man's superstition. Science is already a veritable religion, but man is confused by its experimental practicability and cannot see its true face and purpose. Countless people have wasted their lives according to the model "study, research, work, career, accomplishments;" countless people have devoted themselves to science, the "fake truth" for their whole lives.
Man cannot recognize the true nature of science, but to reveal it, it's really respected because man lost the "law of heart" and concept of morality, and placed personal achievement in science, the pursuit of fame and self-interest, above the morality of life. He failed to see that the values and standards of science conflict with beings' true natures, so that these notions were pampered and allowed to exist and develop, and eventually humankind became completely controlled by this science.
Looking at its essence, science and morality counteract each other. Science is filled with purpose directed toward fame and interests everywhere. Teacher revealed the real origin of modern science and many aspects of truth about science in his Toronto lecture and Frankfurt lecture: "The aliens were controlling mankind through science and will eventually substitute mankind. Of course, humans could have returned to their true original selves through the cultivation of morality and xinxing [mind and heart nature] according to God's instructions. They could have been in charge of themselves by using their beings' inborn wisdom and enable themselves to be in a rational and noble mental state. Human beings could have had a better life. However, what we are really seeing nowadays is human society has totally lost faith in God and is in a degenerate and twisted state of moral corruption, which was mainly "contributed" by science" (broadly paraphrased). As a cultivator, completely realizing all of this, realizing the truth about science, and realizing its way of being an imposter of truth is very beneficial for our cultivation. It not only helps us to fundamentally discard some fast and durable notions brought by the science and to entirely destroy the blind worship and respect for fake reasoning, it is also beneficial for us in harmonizing Dafa in the ordinary people's environment of science. When we get rid of the superstition of science, we won't lose knowledge; just the opposite; we will obtain the real knowledge, the truth.
Teacher came to rectify the cosmos, after the Fa of the universe had deviated after a long time and taught the true Dafa of the universe to beings. I clearly realized that this was saving my real life. It is not simply a human being's life change and also it's not only a simple change in human history. Instead, it's a grand phenomenon in the universe which has never happened before in the cosmos. Today, from here in human society, we look like ordinary people, but we are practitioners of the law of the universe. We are Teacher's disciples, taught by Teacher himself. We are experiencing this great history among ordinary human beings firsthand—the re-manifestation of the real Truth of the Universe in human society after it's been forgotten by beings for a long time. No human language, no form of expression can express what we want to convey from our hearts.
Because we are cultivating among ordinary humans, we will have all kinds of tribulations. By using Fa as the standard, I saw that I still have many, many shortcomings, and I am still far from Fa's requirement for different realms/levels. What I can do is to use my life to treasure this Fa, use my life to assimilate to this Fa, and to better promote this Fa.
August 13th, 2001
Translated from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2001/8/14/11310.html
