The age-old clash of science and religion
Reviewed by Mohammad Imtiaz

Just Seven Days
by Amrit Gupta
Unistar.
Pages 158. Rs 195 

emergence of materialistic thoughts has created a spiritual vacuum in the modern world that has added to the want of divine guidance. There has been a rise in demand of yoga and spiritual masters even in the West. “The twenty-first century man is… confused like Arjuna,” observes the author of this book.The book puts non-attachment, the theme of Bhagavadagita, on “top of the ladder” of life-goals. In this context, the book helps us “to seek ladders and learn climbing.” Many practical methods of meditation are mentioned for an individual and a group. Only control on mind and emotions save the human being from becoming an animal with a tendency of exploitation.

The main character of the novel, an IIT-graduate, gets frustrated with his first job in an MNC (multi-national company), which is generally termed as the biggest dream of the youth. The protagonist gets indulged in an irregular day-routine of unnecessary office gossip, useless TV shows and untimely sleep. He is alarmed with the dangers of indiscipline and the consumer culture of a metropolitan city, when the lifestyle costs him his love and marriage.

Here start his psychological miseries and dilemmas. The situation reminds us of Chetan Bhagat’s novels, which unfold the hollowness lying beneath the colourful surface of careerism. The difference is that Bhagat’s novels deal more with the problem, while the present one has been purposely written to convey solutions. The form of a novel adds to the interest in the spiritual discourse. The protagonist is provided mental calmness with a seven-day workshop by a monk. Throughout the workshop, the author has quoted from scriptures of various religions to stress the oneness of spiritual goals.

Further, he has also attempted to resolve the philosophical clash between science and religion, as the monk claims giving an instance, “The cosmic sound Aum is the synthesis of all sounds of the highly vibrating forces (lifetrons), electrons, protons and atoms.” Like other spiritual thinkers, here also lies a tendency of describing spiritual phenomena in the language of science. But the popular trend of proving spirituality on scientific criteria only consolidates materialists’ claim that spiritualists also subconsciously put science above religion, this way.

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