We have been taught the ancients were ignorant, compared to our current high level of science and general knowledge. Gaining understanding of the extent of their knowledge, and how they obtained it, is most relevant to what is called Astrology, whether Tropical or Sidereal; because the ancients used both reference points.
Before we can contemplate their level of knowledge, we must be introduced to their world view which was different than that held today, although it is gradually changing. This can be accomplished by a comparison and contrast between the Eastern and Western attitudes of what constitutes reality. Two basic approaches to gaining knowledge are: objective measurement and subjective measurement. In the West, knowledge is gained through a process of objective evaluation including consistent and reliable measurement of matter.
In the East, the ancients weren’t hampered by the limitations of the materialism. Under no circumstance did they reject the value of objective measurement, they merely had a higher regard for disciplined subjectivity. They could appreciate the existence of energies and factors far beyond Western comprehension.
As a result of their bias, the West rejected Vedic knowledge as being the primitive rambling of an ignorant people. It wasn’t until the late 19 Century that Western science had advanced enough to begin to understand the Eastern ‘world view’. The explanations of the Vedic world view contributed to the discovery of what today is called Quantum Physics, and the unseen world of potential creativity.
In the future interesting questions will be explored, such as: What is mind? Where does matter come from? What is consciousness and where does it come from? What is the purpose of consciousness? The answers to these questions relate to how we see the world around us and our place in it.
