Chapter 2.6 – Science and Spirituality

1. Get into pairs/groups and match the columns.

Ans: (1)–(c); (2)–(d); (3)–(e); (4)–(a); (5)–(b)

2. Given below are some incomplete Quotes. Complete them choosing from the words SCIENCE / RELIGION / SPIRITUAL and make them meaningful.

• Science without religion is lame; science without religion is blind.
• Science has outrun our spiritual power, we have guided missiles, but misguided man.
• On a spiritual journey, we all have the same destination.
• Religion is meant to awaken man’s love for his Source – God!
• Religion provides a means of communion with the Creator of Heaven and Earth, in the language of your heart and soul.
• Science is a beautiful gift to humanity; we should not distort it.

3. What’s the difference between science and technology? Discuss in pairs and tell your answer to the class.

Ans: The difference between science and technology is that the goal of science is the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, while the goal of technology is to create products that solve problems and improve human life. Technology is the practical application of science.

4. Do you think that science and faith are both important in our lives? Why? Discuss in your group and give a small presentation in front of the class.

Ans: Yes, I think that science and faith are both important in our lives. To believe in science you have to have faith, because unless you have faith, science of anything cannot be proved.

5. We need science / We need faith

Ans (We need science):

• to understand latest technology
• to help solve questions
• to accelerate progress

Ans (We need faith):

• to enable our spirit to soar high
• to provide perspective
• to help us succeed

6. Refer to a dictionary to find out the meanings of the following words. (Spirit – a person’s mind or feelings or soul.)

Q1. Why do science and faith have to go hand in hand?

Ans: Science and faith have to go hand in hand for the good of humanity.

Q2. What shaped Dr. Kalam’s thoughts on religion?

Ans: Dr. Kalam’s interactions with the great scientist Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and the Reverend Father Peter Bernard Pereira shaped his thoughts on religion.

Q3. Why was the site in Thumba selected for building the space research centre?

Ans: A site in Thumba, Kerala was selected to set up the space research centre because of its proximity to the magnetic equator.

Q4. What was the major obstacle in getting possession of the site?

Ans: The site was the fishing grounds of Thumba’s fishermen and also housed an old church, a bishop’s house and a school. Relocating so many people from the site and destroying religious institutions for the sake of a space research centre seemed to be the major obstacle in getting possession of the site.

Q5. Who helped to solve the problem of acquiring the site?

Ans: Reverend Father Peter Bernard Pereira helped Dr. Kalam and Dr. Sarabhai in solving the problem of acquiring the site.

Q6. How did the people respond to the appeal made by Rev. Pereira? Would you have given the same response?

Ans: When Father Pereira spoke, there was a pin-drop silence in the church for a long moment. Then everyone got up, and the whole church reverberated with the deafening noise of a collective ‘amen’, which meant ‘so be it’. If I were in a similar situation, I would have been very scared and worried at the beginning, but then after understanding the importance of the situation, I would have given my approval for the same.

Q7. How can we lead a pure life?

Ans: We can lead a pure and ethical life by removing the impurities obscuring our souls and by serving humanity.

Q8. Whose philosophy actually had an impact on the writer?

Ans: APJ Abdul Kalam’s philosophy had a great impact on the writer, because he realised that through his words of wisdom, he was getting to learn from countless great minds.

Q9. What advice did Dr. Kalam give the narrator after his graduation?

Ans: Srijan, the narrator, had met Dr. Kalam after he graduated from IIMA in 2009. At that time, Dr. Kalam advised him to use his degree and gold medal to transform the society he lived in.

Q10. What was Mahaswamiji’s tremendous contribution?

Ans: Mahaswamiji’s tremendous contribution was the establishment of a free residential education system for more than nine thousand children in the ashram.

Q11. What was unique about Mahaswamiji?

Ans: The most unique thing about Mahaswamiji was that while celebrating his 102nd birthday, an age which only 4 out of a lakh reach, he stood on his feet throughout the event without any support, and looked as steady and alert as any youngster present at the celebrations.

Q12. What was the secret of Mahaswamiji’s fitness even at the age of 102 years?

Ans: Mahaswamiji’s spirit of ‘What Can I Give’, wherein he feeds famished minds with beliefs and famished bodies with food, feeds his strength and keeps him strong. This was the secret of his fitness even at the age of 102.

Q13. Guess the meaning of: genetics

Ans: Study of genes.

Q14. What makes society corrupt and unfair?

Ans: The attitude and thought, “What can I take from the environment and other humans?” makes a society corrupt and unfair.

Q15. Which question inspires humanitarianism?

Ans: “What can I Give?” is the question which inspires humanitarianism.

1. (A) Read ‘Part I’ and match the words in Column ‘A’ with associating words given in Column ‘B’.

Ans:

1. Science and faith – Success of societies
2. Science – Solves questions, discovers truth, conceives inventions
3. Better Planet – Created by fact and faith
4. Creations and Discoveries – Betterment of humanity
5. Conflict – Believers of science and religions

(B) Read ‘Part II’. Go through the given statements and say whether you agree or disagree.

(C) Go through ‘Part III’ and complete the following statements.

2. Choose the correct alternative for the given statements.

3. Among the three parts, there are people who touched and influenced the life of Dr. A.P.J. Kalam in one or the other ways. Complete the web chart by writing the names of such people.

Ans:

4. Write the significance of the following years, as given in the text.

5. Who said to whom and when?

(a) “Can we give up God’s abode for such a great scientific mission?”

Ans: Reverend Father Pereira asked the people of Thumba at church after the prayer service.

(b) “And then God will shine through us.”

Ans: Dr. Abdul Kalam said these words to the narrator, Srijan, when Srijan asked him how one could become so academically accomplished.

(c) “I wonder what power Mahaswamiji possesses, that keeps him so strong.”

Ans: The narrator, Srijan, said the above lines to Dr. Abdul Kalam when they were discussing Mahaswamiji’s 102nd birthday.

6. Answer the following in your own words.

(a) What makes Dr. Kalam a humble personality?

Ans: The values he imbibed from his father make Dr. Kalam a humble personality.

(b) How were different virtues inculcated in Dr. Kalam?

Ans: Different virtues were inculcated in Dr. Kalam from different people who enlightened him in his journey of life. He inculcated goodness of action from Pramukh Swamiji, living a pure and ethical life from Professor Brahma Prakash, selflessness in service from Father Pereira and Dr. Sarabhai, tranquility from Swami Sivananda, simplicity from his father, and the spirit of ‘What can I Give’ from Dr. Sri Sri Shivakumara Mahaswamiji.

(c) How did the Reverend relate and compare the work that he and Dr. Sarabhai did for people?

Ans: Father Pereira introduced the scientist, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, to everyone present in the church. He then explained the relation between his work and the work done by scientists for the betterment of humanity — how he was able to talk to them because of the mic, which was possible because of science and technology that enhanced the comfort and quality of life for entire mankind. He said that both science and spirituality seek the Almighty’s blessings for the prosperity of the human mind and body, and so both are two sides of the same coin.

(d) What was so remarkable about Dr. Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji?

Ans: The most remarkable thing about Dr. Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji, who dedicated his life to the service of humanity, was that during his 102nd birthday celebrations he stood on his feet the whole time without any support and looked as steady and alert as any youngster present there.

(e) Why is there an urgent need to replace ‘What can I take’ with ‘What can I give’?

Ans: To keep our planet liveable and the human race thriving, there is an urgent need to replace “What can I take?” with the goodness of “What can I Give?”

7. Write a short paragraph on each of the following, covering their profession and personality traits with examples.

(a) Rev. Peter Bernard Pereira

Ans: He had leadership qualities which could inspire anybody. He was a selfless, dedicated person and a born leader. He was a priest in the St. Mary Magdalene Church, Thumba, Kerala. He understood the importance of science, and that science and faith have to coexist with one another for the good of humanity. When approached by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai to relocate the people and religious institutions from a site in Thumba where he preached, he was taken aback at first. Later, he convinced the people of Thumba to give up their abode and get relocated so that the research centre could be set up.

(b) Dr. Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji

Ans: He was from the Tumkur district of Karnataka. He was a remarkable person who dedicated his life to the service of humanity. At the ripe age of 102, he was able to stand throughout his birthday celebrations without any support, as fit and active as any other youngster present. His greatest contribution is the establishment of a free residential education system which could accommodate more than nine thousand children in the ashram.

(c) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Ans: He was secular in his thoughts because of his upbringing. He was an incredibly down-to-earth person who chose to live a very simple life. He attributed his humanity to his father. He was a firm believer in the Almighty, and although a scientist, he believed there is a supernatural power that helps us in everything we do, and that faith is very important, with science and faith needing to coexist for the good of humanity. He was extremely fascinated by Mahaswamiji’s words that the essence of a happy life and a peaceful society lies in one sentence — “What Can I Give?” Dr. Kalam brought this idea into reality in 2012 through the “What Can I Give Movement”.

8. Write in your own simple words what the following expressions convey in the context they occur in the text.

(a) Faith and fact can, together, create a better planet.

Ans: Inventions, discoveries and science are for the betterment of humanity. One must have positive faith in the facts of science, which will go a long way in making a better world.

(b) Dr. Kalam’s own life was nourished by multiple faiths.

Ans: Dr. Kalam grew up amidst people of different faiths, nourished by different cultures, religions, traditions and thoughts, which moulded him into a wonderful person.

(c) But there was a major roadblock.

Ans: There was a major obstacle in getting the selected site.

(d) Only when the dust is removed, does the mirror shine and the reflection becomes clear.

Ans: The reflection on the mirror clears with the removal of dust. In the same way, we live a pure and ethical life after removing the impurities that obscure our soul.

(e) Through his (Kalam’s) words of wisdom, I was getting to learn from countless great minds.

Ans: Dr. Kalam’s interaction with great minds of different faiths could be seen and felt in his discourses.

(f) He gathered the sands of conscience to be our guide, our best friend.

Ans: Dr. Kalam always did what his conscience told him to do, because it is our conscience which tells us what to do and what not to do, guiding us forever in our lives.

(g) ‘What can I take?’ is the thought which is responsible for all the wrong seen around us.

Ans: The greed of humans to only take from the environment and people, without a thought for the consequences, results in the wrong we see around us.

9. (A) From the lesson, pick out one word for each of the following.

(B) Arrange the following words in alphabetical order: inventions, indisputable, interactions, inequity, institutions, inquisitive, indiscriminately

Ans: indiscriminately, indisputable, inequity, inquisitive, institutions, interactions, inventions

(C) Find from the lesson the noun forms of –

10. Match the word connectors with reference to Part I, II, III respectively. Make sentences of each of these connectors.

Ans:

1. government officials: Some government officials came to our village to inspect the sanitary conditions.
2. betterment of humanity: Gandhiji’s efforts were for the betterment of humanity.
3. pure and ethical life: The hermit was revered for living a pure and ethical life.
4. community’s problems: We formed a core team to look into the community’s problems.
5. religious discipline: We need religious discipline in order to develop a clear conscience.
6. astonishing aspect: The most astonishing aspect of this great king’s personality is his humility.
7. technological advancement: The district required more skilled manpower for technological advancement.
8. frank dialogue: The teacher had a frank dialogue with the youth about his drug problem.
9. social service: He left his good secure job in order to dedicate himself to social service.
10. faith curbs: In order to make progress, people should avoid conservative faith curbs.
11. inquisitive person: To be a good detective, one must basically be an inquisitive person.
12. academic brilliance: All through his school and college days he displayed academic brilliance.
13. environmental degradation: Plastics are major contributors to environmental degradation.
14. pin-drop silence: There was pin-drop silence when the sad news was announced.
15. alternate accommodation: The owner was provided alternate accommodation until his flat was renovated.
16. remarkable person: Lal Bahadur Shastri was a remarkable person.
17. silent motivation: Our inner beliefs should be the silent motivation to do good to others.
18. famished bodies: The communal kitchen is a great boon to famished bodies.
19. unsuccessful launch: At the first attempt it was an unsuccessful launch.
20. space-research centre: ISRO is a space research centre in Bengaluru.

11. Simple sentence: subject + verb + object/complement/adverbial. Say whether the predicates in the following sentences have an object, a complement, or an adverbial.

12. (A) Punctuate the following sentences to make them meaningful.

(B) Copy the first paragraph on page 92, carefully. Encircle all the punctuation marks with a coloured pencil/pen.

Ans: “Dear children, Dr. Vikram says that, within a year, he wants to build scientific facilities near the sea coast, replacing all the settlements that now stand there. Now, can you give up your abode? Can I give up my abode? Can we give up God’s abode for such a great scientific mission?” Dr. Kalam recalled how he witnessed ‘a pin-drop silence for a long moment’. Then everyone got up, and the whole church reverberated with the deafening noise of a collective ‘amen’.

13. Project: Read Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s renowned books ‘Wings of Fire’ and ‘Ignited Minds’, to find the subject, special features, teachings/message, and your own opinion on the book.

(i) Ignited Minds by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Subject: Motivating Indians, especially the Indian youth, to dream big and to believe that what they dream can be true.

Special features: It is a short book of 205 pages with 9 chapters. He writes why we are not developing as we should have and how we will become a developed country, inspiring Indians to change their thinking and attitude to help India become a developed country.

Teachings/Message: The book consists of many inspirational messages from great people, meant for Indian children to ignite their thinking to think big for our country. It contains dynamic and original ideas, examines attitudes afflicting Indians, and presents a prescription for the rapid growth of India.

Opinion: The book is written in simple language, very easy to understand, and inspires everyone who reads it. It is capable of igniting a fire in the mind of anyone who reads and understands it.

(ii) Wings of Fire by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Subject: Wings of Fire is an autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, published in 1999, covering his life before he became President.

Special features: The book covers his early life and his work in Indian Space Research and missile programmes — the story of a boy from a humble background who went on to become a great scientist and later the President of India. It contains motivational quotes, a glimpse of Indian harmony before Partition, and many of his poems.

Teachings/Message: One can find a glimpse of Kalam’s positive thinking throughout the book. Despite holding many high-ranking positions, he rarely mentions corruption or bureaucratic ignorance. The secret to his success seems to be his ability to ignore negative things around him. He comes across as simple, secular and inspiring.

Opinion: Wings of Fire is an autobiography of Dr. Kalam in simple language. His words helped induce in many youngsters the belief that a fire exists in each of us and must be used the right way. The book depicts, in simple but elegant words, how the young should react and what our duties as citizens are — attracting many readers, including me.

(B) Divide your class in two groups and have a Debate on the topic ‘Science and Spirituality can go hand in hand’.

Ans: The debate on whether science and spirituality can go hand in hand is a complex one. Proponents argue that they can coexist harmoniously, as they both seek to understand different aspects of reality — science focusing on empirical evidence and the physical world, spirituality delving into the metaphysical, seeking meaning and purpose. Those in favour point out that many scientists are also spiritual or religious individuals, and that science answers ‘how’ questions while spirituality tackles ‘why’ questions, making them complementary rather than contradictory. On the contrary, critics argue that science relies on evidence and the scientific method, while spirituality often depends on faith and subjective experiences, and that spirituality can sometimes hinder scientific progress by promoting untestable beliefs. In conclusion, whether science and spirituality can coexist depends on one’s perspective. While they approach different aspects of life, they don’t necessarily have to be in conflict; with open-mindedness and respect for each other’s beliefs, they can potentially work together to provide a more comprehensive understanding of our world.