Nandini
(iskconnews.org) –
“The process of bhakti-yoga is regulated by a theory of knowledge that strictly
rules out unjustifiable speculation and extrapolation, and in this respect bhakti-yoga
is methodologically superior to modern science, and goes beyond modern science
by providing the individual with practical methods of developing higher
cognitive powers that lie dormant in the conscious self.”
(Mechanistic and Nonmechanistic Science, p. 10)
The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies launched an ongoing lecture series based on the books of Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa das, 1947-2008) with a hybrid (online/in-person) event at the BIHS Headquarters in Gainesville, FL, on February 4, 2023 (Sadaputa’s birthday!). Six of Thompson’s books will be covered chapter by chapter with a lecture summarizing the contents and highlighting the chapter’s essential messages, followed by a discussion session.
Three very special guest speakers opened the Series by offering their realizations concerning the impact of Sadaputa’s research, lectures, and publications on their personal life, and on both the devotional and scientific community.
Jayadvaita Swami (Jay Israel), who served as an editor for nearly all the books published by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada during His lifetime, focused on Thompson’s “wonderful fertility of mind and openness of thought” as he “set a direction and a high bar by his probing mind and probing intelligence.”Having worked closely with him for many years as an editor for Back to Godhead magazine, which featured over 40 articles by Thompson spanning three decades, Maharaja was keenly aware of his “gift for taking complex ideas and making them accessible to ordinary persons”:
