Gandhi Memorial Lecture
Experiencing the oneness of Science, Spirituality & Service
Speaker: Dr R Balasubramaniam (Member-HR in the Capacity Building Commission of the GoI and founder of SVYM and GRAAM)
Science, Spirituality, and Service are three pillars that shape our understanding of the world and our role within it. Science, with its empirical methods and logical inquiry, has been instrumental in unravelling the mysteries of the universe. It encourages us to question, observe, experiment, and draw conclusions based on evidence. Spirituality on the other hand, invites us to explore the dimensions beyond the material world. It encourages us to delve into our inner selves and reminds us that there is more to existence than what meets the eye. Service, in its essence, is a profound expression of compassion and empathy. It transcends the boundaries of self-interest and connects us to a higher purpose – the betterment of society, the environment, and the lives of others.
All these three are like rivers and can claim to be separate and independent, flowing from point A to point B. Every river can say that, but this sense of individual identity and existence gets subsumed into the ocean when they join it. The speaker will explain how Science, Spirituality and Service are also similar and look like three separate and independent rivers. They may seem to flow separately to the person who's not really experienced the oneness of the three. But like a person who experiences the realization that there is no true separation between the river and the ocean so can one appreciate that these three elements are not truly separate. Drawing from his lived experience, the speaker will explore this interconnectedness of Science, Spirituality and Service and present how they can be seamlessly merged for making this world a better place.
After his MBBS, he earned his MPhil in Hospital Administration & Health Systems Management from BITS, Pilani. He has a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University. His living habits were greatly influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and at the age of 19, he founded the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement based on the principles of Ahimsa, Satya, Seva and Tyaga. He has spent more than three decades of his life in the service of the rural and tribal poor in the forests of India. He is also the Founder of Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement, a public policy thinktank in India.
Dr Balu embodies a rare blend of grassroots and macro perspectives and policy through his multi-faceted experience of more than three decades. He is a Tata Scholar, a Mason Fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School and a Fellow at the Hauser Center for Civil Society, Harvard University. He was the Head and Visiting Professor of the Vivekananda Chair, University of Mysore twice. He is a regular columnist in national dailies and has authored seven books, both in Kannada and English. More about him, his work and books are at www.drrbalu.com