All this adversely effects the nerves, and in turn puts stress on the brain and the heart. Heart failures and mental agonies are the inevitable by-products of science and technology. Spiritual practices, which calm the nerves, are therefore indispensable if we intend to master science and not be mastered by it. Sarkar's concept of progress has profound implications for humanity. It suggests that scientific change and intellectual transformation, unaccompanied by spiritual advance, would lead not only to degradation in the physical arena such as our environment, but also to racism, bigotry and social conflicts.
Spirituality is the foundation of all progress.
During the 20th century, thousands of remarkable inventions and new theories have almost totally transformed our way of life. But spiritually, we have stagnated and even moved backwards. Consequently, battles and wars have been deadlier in the current century than ever before. Rising greed, crime, drugs and environmental pollution threaten to overwhelm the delicate thread of life on our finite planet. The moral is that change in the physical and mental sphere, without spiritual advance, is ultimately self-destructive.