SANATANA DHARMA AND THE MODERN WORLD

How Can We Integrate East and West?

We must seek to bring together what is best in both East and West, and not merely throw them together. The better part of the Eastern world is its spirituality. The better part of the Western world is its science and humanitarianism.

The Western world, particularly the United States, has made many gains in the outer world, developing science and technology. The Eastern world, particularly India, has made similar gains in the inner world, developing the science of Yoga and meditation. For a complete human development both the inner and the outer sides of the human being must be developed.

As long as the outer side of man is not developed - as long as we are living in poverty, disease and ignorance of the forces of Nature - the inner side of man, the cultivation of the spirit must be limited. On the other hand, as long as the inner side of man is not developed - as long as we have no means of developing our deeper consciousness - the outer side of man, however well-developed with science and technology, cannot bring true happiness to anyone.

This does not mean that there has been nothing of spiritual value in the Western world or nothing of scientific value in the East. It is a matter of proportion. The greatest integration will occur when we recognize that East and West are just the two sides of our own nature wherever we are born.

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