SPIRITUALISM – THE THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS


SPIRITUALISM AND THE THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS :

The Vitruvian Man. c. 1492. The painting by Leonardo da Vinci displays the spirit of scientific inquiry. The inquiry of Man must begin with the investigation of Consciousness.

 What is Man? The motivation for asking this question comes from a statement expressed in Sanskrit language: “Sarvesham Swastir Bhavatu”, a statement which seeks the well-being of all humans, of all races, of all cultures, of all religions, and of all nations. The meaning and purpose of human life are affected by whatever we think is the real or true nature of man. But, more importantly, our efforts to support the well-being of Man would require correct understanding and knowledge of the real or true Man. Consciousness is the biological characteristic of Life or of living matter and this functional attribute must be distinguished from ‘Mind’, the chief organ of Sense Perception( such as vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch ), the seat of thoughts, feelings, moods, cravings, emotional states, dreams, intellect, and self-pride. Knowledge about Self begins with Consciousness and not as sense experience.

THE THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS :

In the Divine Song of the Lord known as the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter X, Vibhuti-Vistara Yoga, The Opulence of The Absolute, verse 22, Lord God Krishna states: "Indriyanam Manah, bhutanam asmi Chetana." The Divine is associated with the attribute called Mind, the chief organ of Sense Perception and other mental functions; and among all living entities the Divine is associated with the function known as Chetana or Consciousness.

 “INDRIYANAM MANAH, BHUTANAM ASMI CHETANA” – MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS: I would like to propose The Theory of Consciousness to explain the Spiritual nature of Consciousness which is stated in the Divine Song known as the Bhagavad Gita. Human Mind and its uniqueness as an organ of Sense Perception( such as vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch ), the seat of thoughts, dreams, emotions, desires and cravings, intellect, and self-pride represents the operation of a divine attribute, or of divine potency. The Human Mind is not an attribute that is shared by all living entities. The biological attribute that is shared by all living entities is known as Consciousness. The contents of Consciousness would help us to identify Consciousness as the following: 1. Consciousness is a mental experience, 2. Consciousness is a sense experience, 3. Consciousness is a homeostatic experience, 4. Consciousness is a social experience, 5. Consciousness is a moral experience, and 6. Consciousness is a spiritual experience. These various aspects of Consciousness could be verified by examining the features of Man that identify him as a Physical, Mental, Social, Moral, and Spiritual being. At a fundamental level, the role of Consciousness in a living organism relates to its ability to acquire energy from its external environment. A living cell is conscious or aware of its energy dependent existence in the given environment. The nature of conditioned existence that involves dependence upon continuous supply of energy from an external source is the essential, or primary content of Consciousness. In the human organism, the cells of the gastrointestinal tract are primarily involved in energy acquisition. The cells of the brain are not involved in primary energy acquisition. The cells of the human gastrointestinal tract have the awareness or Consciousness of the substances present in the digestive tract, they recognize the presence and nature of specific molecules, and interact with them in selective manners either to absorb or reject those substances for the benefit of the entire human organism. Hence, The Theory of Consciousness that I propose would define Consciousness as the spiritual mechanism to support the living organism to maintain its living functions.

“I AM CONSCIOUSNESS” – MAN’S ESSENCE AND EXISTENCE :

It would be helpful to understand the difference between Spiritualism and the Philosophy of Existentialism shared by Jean Paul Sartre. The Man described by Sartre "exists" in his thoughts, feelings, and consciousness that is viewed as a mental or psychological function. The 'Consciousness' described by Sartre is not the Essence of a Substance and he thought of it as 'Nothingness'. I describe a Man who exists in the physical world because of his Consciousness which is the functional characteristic of Man's corporeal substance and this functional mechanism is operated by Spiritualism, the potency that brings human essence and existence to come together.

 In this proposition, “I am Consciousness”, the subject known as “I am” is related to an object or an idea described as “Consciousness.”  The truth or reality of a relationship or correspondence between the subject and its object could be verified. The subject is the entire human organism consisting of trillions of individual cells which function as tissues and organ systems of the human body. The subject “I am” cannot be merely defined as a single, individual, specific organ like brain or entity called mind. The functional relationship between the subject and the object operates and involves the activities of the entire organism and not limited to the activities of brain, or mind. The body organ called brain has no independent existence of its own. Brain and its neuronal structures, tissues, and cells need energy to sustain their metabolic functions and activities. The process, the mechanism, and the power by which a living cell acquires energy to perform its living functions is called ‘Nutrition’. Consciousness is the awareness of energy dependent existence in a given external environment. Consciousness is the biological characteristic of all living cells irrespective of their functional adaptation, functional differentiation, functional subordination and identification as specific organs or tissues such as brain and nerves. The idea or object called “Consciousness” is fundamentally related to the subject called “I am” both at the level of the entire or Whole Organism and at the level of individual living cells that constitute the Organism. Hence, Spiritualism could be stated as the potency of the subject called “I am” who is associated with the object called ”Consciousness” to maintain his own existence and living functions.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April,  1970.  

SPIRITUALISM – HUMAN NATURE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR


HUMAN NATURE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR : “SARVESHAM SWASTIR BHAVATU”

The Vitruvian Man c. 1492. The painting by Leonardo da Vinci displays the spirit of scientific inquiry. We must know the distinction between Human Nature and Human Behavior.

What is man? The motivation for asking this question comes from a statement expressed in Sanskrit language : “Sarvesham Swastir Bhavatu”, which seeks the well-being of all humans, of all races, of all religions, of all cultures, and of all nations. Our efforts to support the well-being of man would be affected by our understanding the ‘real’ or ‘true’ nature of man. I recognize that man exists with the following five forms, 1. the Physical Being as described by Human Anatomy, Human Physiology and other Medical Sciences, the human being in health and sickness, 2. the Mental Being, the intellect and emotional aspects as described by Psychology and Psychiatry, 3. the Social Being as described by Social Sciences, 4. the Moral Being as described by Morals and Ethics, the power of discernment used by man to make the distinction between good and evil, and right and wrong, and 5. the Spiritual Being as described by the spiritual nature of man’s corporeal substance that develops and builds the cells, tissues, and organs of the human body. While most religious and philosophical traditions explore spirituality by understanding human thoughts, and feelings, I try to know this spiritual aspect of human nature by observing the functional behavior that is displayed in the interactions of cells, tissues, and organs that constitute the human organism. If man is viewed as a multicellular organism, human behavior must be observed in the biotic interactions of cells, tissues, and organs because of whose functions man lives in the world. The five aspects of man contribute to the five kinds of behavior of man; the physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual behavior. A muscle cell displays the behavior of contraction in response to a stimulus and it is able to contract because of its contractile nature which gives it the power of contracting. I would like to explain that Spiritualism is the human nature that gives the man the power or ability to perform his living functions and display his characteristic behaviors like feeding, and reproduction.

HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND ENVIRONMENT :

Burrhus Frederick Skinner( 1904 – 1990 ), Professor of Psychology at Harvard University( 1948 – 1974 ) proposes that the empirical study of human behavior is the only way to arrive at a true theory of human nature. He had published several books, The Behavior of Organisms:An Experimental Analysis(1938), Science and Human Behavior(1953), and Verbal Behavior(1957).

B. F. Skinner studied behavior and the environmental causes of behavior mediated through conditioning mechanisms. In his opinion, all behavior is a function of environmental variables. He proposed a thesis of ‘Universal Determinism, and thinks that every human event including all human choices has a set of preceding environmental causes. In Indian tradition, the Bhagavad Gita also explains the relation between human behavior and environment or ‘Prakriti’. Chapter XIV, verse 5 states : “Sattvam, rajas, tama iti gunah prakriti sambhavah”, the modes of human behavior such as Sattva( the mode of goodness ), Rajas( the mode of passion ), and Tamas( the mode of ignorance ) are generated by the interactions between human body and the environment in which he lives. At the same time, Indian tradition makes a very clear distinction between true human nature and the three modes of human behavior. The real, or true man is described by the spiritual characteristic of human nature. The Bhagavad Gita in Chapter XVIII, verse 20 claims that all living entities share a single reality even while they are divided into innumerable forms( “Sarva bhutesu yenaikam bhavam avyayam iksate” ) and directs us to recognize that spiritual nature as the true reality that is common among different living forms. B.F. Skinner paid attention to the external causes or influences that generate or modify human behavior and has totally avoided the study of innate or inner cause of behavior. He did not give any importance to the role of heredity in human behavior. This internal influence on an organism’s behavior is not directly observable and an experimenter cannot manipulate such internal influences to conduct experimental studies of behavior. Skinner’s findings about external influences and environmental conditioning mechanisms explain several aspects of human behavior but they do not explain the relationship between human behavior and human existence. To understand human existence, we have to learn about the nature of man’s substance and the behavior of the cells, tissues, and organs that provide the structural and functional basis of the human organism. Man is a very complex living organism that shows structural differentiation and the functional organization of various tissues and organ systems. The specialized functions of tissues and organs is possible because of the functional subordination of the cells to the requirements of the organism as a whole. In other words, the specialized functions of tissues and organs could be described as ‘altruistic’ behavior, a behavior that promotes the well-being and appears to favor the individual’s chances of survival and reproduction. Man may exhibit behavior under the influence of environment and may act in the modes of behavior such as goodness(Sattva), passion(Rajas), or ignorance(Tamas), but his existence is made possible by his innate human nature which acts as an internal influence and determines the characteristics of the biotic interactions between the cells, the tissues, and organs of his own body.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April,  1970. 

ARE WE LIVING IN A DESIGNER UNIVERSE ? Article by Astronomer John Gribbin


THE DESIGNER AND THE DESIGN : 

A Designer Universe is described by a Greek word called ‘COSMOS’ which means Beauty and Order.

If an object comes into existence as a new object, and if it is unique, distinctive, and one of its kind, I would describe that object as a created object and it cannot be described as a manufactured object. The distinction between creating an object and manufacturing an object is that of inspiration; the action must be characterized by creative thought or influence. Astronomer John Gribbin in his article about the origin of Universe makes an attempt to discuss “Unknown” “Unknowns”. He considers that God is unknown and incomprehensible. Instead of discussing “Unknown” ‘Unknowns”, we may rather try to understand known “Unknowns”. If the Universe is a “Multiverse” with unknown physical laws operating equally unknown universes, the discussion would be futile. We are not present at the time of the birth of this Universe in which we exist today. The birth and the origin of this Universe is unknown. However, we know the Universe as it exists today and it is partly known and comprehensible. It is reasonable to reflect upon the known aspects of this known Universe. 

PLANET EARTH IS A CREATED OBJECT : 

Different planets have different rates of Rotation. Earth’s Rotational Spin makes it a unique Celestial Body. This Rotational Spin is a characteristic of its Design with purpose, and imagination.

This is the photo image of a new Exoplanet. It is not an Earth like object. This new planet has a different rate of rotation.

There are good and valid reasons to believe that planet Earth is unique, distinctive, and one of its own kind. Man has not discovered any object in this Universe which could be comparable to planet Earth. Man is endowed with Sensory Perception, Mind, Intellect, and Consciousness. The sky that man visualizes while existing on Earth is BLUE in color and the color of the sky beyond planet Earth is BLACK. This Visual Sense Perception demands existence of special organs for Color perception and an appropriate physical medium that can scatter Light rays. Man has organs for Hearing, his environment has the natural ability to propagate Sound Waves, and several of the living entities have special organs to generate Sound. This ability to produce Sound, Propagate Sound Energy, and Perception of Sound is unique to our planet Earth. Unless demonstrated by evidence of Sound Recordings, this Auditory Sense Perception prevails only on planet Earth. Apart from the Soil of this Earth which has a unique fragrance of its own called ‘GEOSMIN’, Man exists in a fragrant world. This Olfactory Sense Perception is a unique experience and could exist only on planet Earth. For this Olfactory Sense function we need the simultaneous operation of physical, chemical, and biotic factors. The Fresh Water that supports Man’s Life has an original, and distinctive pure taste of its own. Man lives tasting unique organic molecules which produce the Gustatory experience. As the saying goes, ‘The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating’; we need acceptable proof about the existence of such unique organic molecules in the rest of the Universe. Today, planet Earth is the only place where Man can Dine and Wine. Man has the ability to actually experience the Power of Creation. The Tactile Sense Perception gives Man the ability to hold his own Baby in his arms and directly experience the New Product as a Created Object. Man always comes into existence as a new, distinctive, unique, and one of his own kind Object. The unique GENOME with which Man takes his birth and comes to Life has not existed before and would not exist again after his Death. 

Astronaut Edwin Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Mission on Lunar Soil. Man has not yet discovered “BLUE SKY” in the rest of the Universe away from his Planetary Home.

INTELLIGENCE AND CONSCIOUSNESS : 

Intelligence is the ability to acquire and to retain Knowledge. Hence, it may be stated that Intelligence is characterized by the presence of Knowledge. The Laws that operate in the material universe have no intelligence. Nonliving matter has no intelligence. Intelligence can only exist in living entities that have the abilities of Perception, Cognition, Awareness, and Consciousness. Knowledge means the Act of Knowing, the State of Knowing, and the Fact of Knowing a range of information. Man, and other living entities which are endowed with Intelligence can use and exploit the Natural Laws that operate in the material Universe to sustain their own existence. Physical Systems do not need Intelligence in their mechanical operations. I must also add that “Unintelligent Laws” that operate material Nature and Universe cannot give birth to “Intelligent” minds. Intelligence and Knowledge are Biological Functions and they characterize only Living Systems. Both Intelligence and Knowledge are revealed in application of information in a function/action/activity of a living organism. This ability which gives a sense of ‘Awareness’ of the environment in which a living organism exists is called ‘Consciousness’. The Living Organism is a Conscious entity, and it demonstrates its intelligence and knowledge in its living functions. Man uses his intelligence to exploit the Laws of Nature to his advantage. Man harnesses energy from wind, sun, flowing water, and surf. He generates a new form of energy using these resources of energy. He uses intelligence to transform coal energy into fossil fuel, or to generate electrical power. If water flows only in the direction of a natural gradient, man installs a pump and makes the water flow in the opposite direction. Similarly, plants trap light energy and transform radiation energy into chemical energy and create organic molecules. Man oxidizes these organic molecules and converts oxidative energy into chemical energy which he further uses for all of his living functions. A stone could also get heated by Sun and trap some light energy. Stone has no Intelligence or Knowledge and it cannot convert the energy it gained into a different form of energy and use it to build molecules of its own kind. Metals, liquids, and gases do physically expand upon heating and such expansion is not associated with addition of new molecules of their own kind. Only living entities have the “ability” to exploit energy from material nature. The “DESIGNER” who has Mind and Intelligence could be defined as a Living System as Life could be defined as “Knowledge in Action.” 

The Mind and Intellect of the Designer is always imprinted on His Design. Man experiences his Life on planet Earth with the help of a ‘Biological Clock’ which acts as an internal timing mechanism.

Indian Tradition offers a very simple and reasonable explanation to all this. Bhagavad Gita, Chapter VII( Knowledge of the Absolute ), verses 4 and 5 states that “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego – altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies. ( Material Nature is known as ‘Prakriti’ ). There is a superior energy of Mine; which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and who sustain the universe.” Further, verse 9 states that, “I am the life of all that lives.” Verse 10 states that, “I am the original seed of all existences.” Verse 8 affirms that, “I am …… ability in man.” If Mind, and Intelligence are viewed as forms of material energy, the embodied Soul has the “ABILITY” to exploit that energy apart from energies of material nature or Prakriti. The Knowledge of the Absolute describes Living entities as manifestations of Lord Krishna’s Superior Energy. Man is related to the Superior Energy and hence the Living Systems and the Absolute share the same characteristics like Knowledge, Intelligence, and Consciousness. The Bhagavad Gita in Chapter X ( The Opulence of the Absolute), verse 22 states that “……… in living beings I am Consciousness.” The Status of Man in Nature and his conditioned Existence on planet Earth describes the Design and testifies about the Mind and Intellect of the Designer, a Creator God. 

The Bhagavad Gita reveals the Mind and Intellect of the Designer. The Design for this Universe and the Plan of Creation are Revealed in Chapter X ( The Opulence of the Absolute ), verse 8 states:”I am the source of everything; from Me the entire Creation flows.”

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XVIII ( The Perfection of Renunciation ) in verses 13 and 14 explains that there are five “causes” in the accomplishment of any action, or any kind of work including that of creation and designing the Universe and the living entities that struggle and sustain this Universe. If there are no living entities, there would be no struggle with material nature, and there would be no purpose for the Universe to exist. The five factors of action are 1. the Place of Action, 2. The Doer, 3. the Senses, 4. the Endeavor, 5. and ultimately the Super Soul (which is often stated as the PRIME CAUSE). The Absolute, or the Super Soul has functioning Sense Organs or a Sensory System, and has Intelligence, Mind, Knowledge, Ability, and Consciousness. Lord Krishna has described Himself as the “Consciousness in all the living entities.” 

There are five factors of action; the place of action, the doer, the senses, the endeavor, and the Supersoul or Prime Cause. This Designer Universe in which Man exists reveals all the five causes that accomplished the Act of Creation.

Please review my blog post titled “I am Consciousness, therefore I am” for further discussion about ‘SOUL AND CONSCIOUSNESS’. 

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/i-am-consciousness-therefore-i-am/ 

Rudra N. Rebbapragada/ R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S., 

Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A., 

Organization: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Spirits-of-Special-Frontier-Force/362056613878227  

http://richarddawkins.net/articles/508460-are-we-living-in-a-designer-universe 

The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science 

Are we living in a designer universe?

By JOHN GRIBBIN – THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Added: Tuesday, 31 August 2010 at 4:41 PM 

The argument over whether the universe has a creator, and who that might be, is among the oldest in human history. But amid the raging arguments between believers and skeptics  one possibility has been almost ignored – the idea that the universe around us was created by people very much like ourselves, using devices not too dissimilar to those available to scientists today. 

As with much else in modern physics, the idea involves particle acceleration, the kind of thing that goes on in the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. Before the LHC began operating, a few alarmists worried that it might create a black hole which would destroy the world. That was never on the cards: although it is just possible that the device could generate an artificial black hole, it would be too small to swallow an atom, let alone the Earth. 

However, to create a new universe would require a machine only slightly more powerful than the LHC – and there is every chance that our own universe may have been manufactured in this way. 

This is possible for two reasons. First, black holes may – as science fiction aficionados will be well aware – act as gateways to other regions of space and time. Second, because of the curious fact that gravity has negative energy, it takes no energy to make a universe. Despite the colossal amount of energy contained in every atom of matter, it is precisely balanced by the negativity of gravity. 

Black holes, moreover, are relatively easy to make. For any object, there is a critical radius, called the Schwarzschild radius, at which its mass will form a black hole. The Schwarzschild radius for the Sun is about two miles, 1/200,000th of its current width; for the Earth to become a black hole, it would have to be squeezed into a ball with a radius of one centimetre. 

The black holes that could be created in a particle accelerator would be far smaller: tiny masses squeezed into incredibly tiny volumes. But because of gravity’s negative energy, it doesn’t matter how small such holes are: they still have the potential to inflate and expand in their own dimensions (rather than gobbling up our own). Such expansion was precisely what our universe did in the Big Bang, when it suddenly exploded from a tiny clump of matter into a fully-fledged cosmos. 

Alan Guth of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology first proposed the now widely accepted idea of cosmic inflation – that the starting point of the Big Bang was far smaller, and its expansion far more rapid, than had been assumed. He has investigated the technicalities of “the creation of universes in the laboratory”, and concluded that the laws of physics do, in principle, make it possible. 

The big question is whether that has already happened – is our universe a designer universe? By this, I do not mean a God figure, an “intelligent designer” monitoring and shaping all aspects of life. Evolution by natural selection, and all the other processes that produced our planet and the life on it, are sufficient to explain how we got to be the way we are, given the laws of physics that operate in our universe. 

However, there is still scope for an intelligent designer of universes as a whole. Modern physics suggest that our universe is one of many, part of a “multiverse” where different regions of space and time may have different properties (the strength of gravity may be stronger in some and weaker in others). If our universe was made by a technologically advanced civilization in another part of the multiverse, the designer may have been responsible for the Big Bang, but nothing more. 

If such designers make universes by manufacturing black holes – the only way to do it that we are aware of – there are three levels at which they might operate. The first is just to manufacture black holes, without influencing the laws of physics in the new universe. Humanity is nearly at this level, which Gregory Benford’s novel Cosm puts in an entertaining context: an American researcher finds herself, after an explosion in a particle accelerator, with a new universe on her hands, the size of a baseball. 

The second level, for a slightly more advanced civilization  would involve nudging the properties of the baby universes in a certain direction. It might be possible to tweak the black holes in such a way that the force of gravity was a little stronger than in the parent universe, without the designers being able to say exactly how much stronger. 

The third level, for a very advanced civilization  would involve the ability to set precise parameters, thereby designing it in detail. An analogy would be with designer babies – instead of tinkering with DNA to get a perfect child, a scientists might tinker with the laws of physics to get a perfect universe. Crucially, though, it would not be possible in any of these cases – even at the most advanced level – for the designers to interfere with the baby universes once they had formed. From the moment of its own Big Bang, each universe would be on its own. 

This might sound far-fetched, but the startling thing about this theory is how likely it is to happen – and to have happened already. All that is required is that evolution occurs naturally in the multiverse until, in at least one universe, intelligence reaches roughly our level. From that seed point, intelligent designers create enough universes suitable for evolution, which bud off their own universes, that universes like our own (in other words, suitable for intelligent life) proliferate rapidly, with “unintelligent” universes coming to represent a tiny fraction of the whole multiverse. It therefore becomes overwhelmingly likely that any given universe, our own included, would be designed rather than “natural”. 

While the intelligence required to do the job may be (slightly) superior to ours, it is of a kind that is recognizably similar to our own, rather than that of an infinite and incomprehensible God. And the most likely reason for such an intelligence to make universes is the same for doing things like climbing mountains, or studying the nature of subatomic particles – because we can. A civilization that has the technology to make baby universes would surely find the temptation irresistible. And if the intelligences are anything like our own, there would be an overwhelming temptation at the higher levels of universe design to improve upon the results. 

This idea provides the best resolution yet to the puzzle Albert Einstein used to raise, that “the most incomprehensible thing about the Universe is that it is comprehensible”. The universe is comprehensible to the human mind because it was designed, at least to some extent, by intelligent beings with minds similar to our own. 

The great British astronomer Fred Hoyle suggested that the laws of physics were so uniquely conducive to human existence that the universe must be “a put-up job”. I believe he was right: the universe was indeed set up to provide a home for life, even if it evolved through a process of natural selection, with no need for outside interference. It isn’t that man was created in God’s image – rather that our universe was created, more or less, in the image of its designers. 

Dr John Gribbin is a visiting fellow in Astronomy at the University of Sussex and author of ‘In Search of the Multiverse‘ (Penguin), available from Telegraph Books for £9.99 plus 99p p&p. Call 0844 8711515 or go to books.telegraph.co.uk 

 

A SQUIRREL STORY TO EXPLORE CONSCIOUSNESS


Neural Correlates Of Consciousness

Image via Wikipedia

A SQUIRREL’S CONSCIOUSNESS AND DISPLAY OF MATERNAL INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR LEADS ME TO EXPLORE CONSCIOUSNESS.     

IRATE MOTHER SQUIRREL ATTACKED A VISITING TEACHER ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUS :     

The Ann Arbor News has reported this story about a mother squirrel’s angry attack. A 52-year-old Detroit Public School teacher was with a group of students touring the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor on Thursday, April 23. She had spotted some baby squirrels that were outside of their nest. The teacher had tried to alert the mother squirrel that was at a distance about a baby squirrel that was left behind. The mother squirrel could instantly recognize that the teacher was giving unwanted attention to her baby. The mother squirrel was instinctively aroused, turned on the teacher. The teacher tried to run away from the angry mother squirrel. She slipped and fell on the ground and injured her ankle. Seizing the opportunity, the mother squirrel bit the teacher on her leg. The teacher managed to escape and went to the Hospital Emergency for treatment.     

PARENTAL CARE IS AN INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR :     

Parental care is an aspect of social behavior exhibited by all animals. This is a complex unlearned or innate behavior that is influenced by heredity(genetic basis) as well as by experience. The study of behavior provides valuable information about relationships among animals. No animal is ever completely isolated from some kind of environment. Animals exhibit social behaviors and form parental societies to care for their offspring. This parental care/maternal instinctive behavior is highly organized amongst mammals. The young are part of the mother while growing inside the mother and are nourished before birth by the ‘placenta’ of the mother. After birth, the young still seek nourishment from the mother and suck or lap milk produced by the mammary glands of the mother. This ensures that there is a strong family association between mother and the offspring.     

BEHAVIOR AND CONSCIOUSNESS :     

The mother squirrel while displaying its maternal instinctive behavior has demonstrated that it is a ‘CONSCIOUS’ entity. Consciousness is defined as the state of being ‘conscious’ which has two components. 1. Being ‘conscious’ means being aware or recognizing the fact of one’s own existence. 2. Being ‘conscious’ also means being aware of our natural environment and it represents the state of knowing what goes on around one. Being conscious gives us the ability to interact with our environment and display an appropriate behavior. In higher animals this consciousness or awareness is also characterized by the presence of mental activity which includes an awareness of our own thoughts and emotions. A living entity is always conscious of its own existence. A living entity always exists in a state of consciousness. We identify a person as ‘UNCONSCIOUS‘ if the person is not spontaneously interacting with his environment. There are several medical conditions that alter and affect our state of consciousness. Several drugs and intoxicants such as alcohol and poisonous agents like carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide cause drowsiness, stupor, and various levels of semiconscious to deep unconsciousness. Consciousness is very important in evaluating people with head injuries and neurovascular accidents such as ‘stroke’. While a person is unconscious of his environment, he is still aware of his existence. This fact could be easily demonstrated by conducting tests. A living organism or a living cell responds when exposed to a stimulus. For example, an unconscious individual is evaluated by testing to see the response of the pupil of the eye which reacts by constriction of its size on exposure to a light beam.     

CONSCIOUSNESS AND SURVIVAL :     

An organism uses its awareness to survive in the environment. I could illustrate this by narrating my personal experience. While I was camping in the Himalayas, We were using the quarters left by the British while they ruled India. On a cold winter night, I was sleeping in a small room that was not heated, and the room had no fire-place or a chimney. However, I had used a coal burner to heat the room. The coal burns very slowly giving heat and it lasts for several hours and needs no attention. On that particular night, I did not recognize, the coal was of poor quality and it was not burning as expected and was giving away smoke. The door and the windows were shut, and the smoke started filling up the room. The smoke is lighter than the room air, and it slowly went up filling the room from top. While I was fully asleep in a dark room, unaware as to what was going on around me, I was suddenly alerted when I experienced ‘palpitation’, a consciousness of my heart’s rapid beating. I awoke, but still could not see the smoke in the dark room. I had evaluated my condition to understand my rapid heart rate. I was in good health and there was no reason to experience an increased heart rate. I had decided to investigate my problem and walked up to the door to turn the light switch on. The moment I had turned the light on, I could immediately see the smoke-filled room and the fresh, clear layer of room air was below my bed level. I immediately left the room to get fresh air from outside and saved my life. Many people are not that fortunate, and we read about entire families losing their lives while sleeping in rooms that are heated by improper burners. I was not conscious of what was going on around me while I was sleeping. However, my body was aware and conscious all the time. The chemical sensors in my body worked alright, they sent signals to my brain centers, which in turn sent signals to increase my heart rate to improve the oxygen delivery. It fortunately worked like an alarm for me. Very often, people become more drowsy, become fully unconscious, and lose life while asleep in smoke-filled rooms.     

THE SQUIRREL IN THE STORY OF RAMAYANA :     

 

Three striped Indian Palm Squirrel, a native of India, and Sri Lanka is mentioned in the epic poem of Ramayana. All living entities are conscious.

Just like the mother squirrel in Ann Arbor which demonstrated its consciousness, in the epic poem of ‘RAMAYANA’, the awareness and the behavioral response of a squirrel is described. The story narrates the construction of what is popularly known as “SETHU” or a bridge across the sea from the southern shores of Indian peninsula to the island of LANKA. The squirrel was apparently conscious of its environment. It had observed the activities of thousands of monkeys throwing stones to build the ‘ADAM’S BRIDGE’, and recognized the presence of LORD Rama who had initiated the effort to build the bridge. The squirrel had volunteered to help and in its behavior it showed attributes of devoted service. The abilities of the squirrel are very small and yet it won the favor of the LORD and is blessed. The LORD is pleased with the squirrel’s conscious efforts to offer devoted service.     

CONSCIOUSNESS AND ENERGY :       

 

In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explains the nature of Human Existence. Consciousness gives the ability to seek and establish a connection between an energy seeker and an energy provider and both are Conscious entities.

The living human entity or man is known as “NARA” in the Sanskrit language, and the superior energy is personified and is known by the name “NARAYANA”. The poem of ‘BHAGAVAD GITA’( The Divine Song) narrates the dialogue between ‘Nara’ known as prince ARJUNA and ‘Narayana’ known as LORD KRISHNA. The LORD describes the relationship between the human soul( ATMA) and the divine soul( PARAMATMA). In Chapter 7 which is called ’PARAMAHAMSA VIJNANA YOGA’( The Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth), verse 5 describes the ‘energy’ relationships. The material nature which is composed of sky, earth, air , water, and fire are constituted of ‘inferior energy’ of the LORD. The superior energy of the LORD is manifested as the embodied soul of all living entities. This superior energy of the LORD which is in the living entities gives the ability to the living entities to exist in the world by exploiting the inferior material energy from nature.     

THE ENERGY PROVIDER AND THE ENERGY SEEKER :     

 
 

What is Consciousness? Consciousness is not a simple psychological function. It is a mental experience of thoughts, moods, feelings, and emotions; a sense experience provided by organs of Special Sense and also other sensory input; a body experience of its state of existence like temperature, oxygenation of blood, and hydration; a cellular experience of its motion, nutrition, and other metabolic and physiological functions. The Composition of Consciousness, and the content of Consciousness includes both body, and mind.

Humans like other living entities supports his existence by deriving energy from the environment. Living cells obtain nutrients such as sugars and use oxygen in their metabolism to generate energy to carry out their vital biological functions. The primary source of energy of all living entities on planet Earth is derived from Sun. The Sun provides energy by burning its hydrogen fuel. It is reasonable to assume that Sun has derived its energy from a higher source of energy or “Higher Power”. This is evidenced by the observation of stars in various stages of their natural cycles of birth , and death. We can observe the birth of stars, the stars that are existing for a long time, the dying stars, the spectacular supernovas, and the dead stars like the white dwarfs, and the brown dwarfs. Human consciousness brings us the awareness and sustains the connection between the energy provider and the energy seeker. We manifest our existence with this unique ability to gain energy from the environment. Just like the squirrel in the story of Ramayana, if we use our awareness, we will become ‘CONSCIOUS’ of LORD’s presence whose superior energy we manifest.       

 

Can man know God? How does man acquire knowledge of God? Does man come into existence with this fully developed organ called brain? How does human embryo, a mere clump of cells with no brain establish an anatomical connection with a host whose physical identity in the real world is not known or experienced by the embryo seeking its own growth and development.

 

Belief in God - Is it a matter of Faith or is it a matter of Pure Reason? What can be known? How it can be known? How certain man could be about his intuition, sense experience, or deductive reasoning? Is there an acceptable method to know God? Consciousness of Innate Knowledge with which man exists in the natural world would provide information and knowledge about God Connection.

 

Please also view related blog post titled ‘I am consciousness, therefore I am’.  

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/i-am-consciousness-therefore-i-am/  

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,   

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,   

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

EARTHLY EXISTENCE – ENJOY THE FRAGRANCE


“I AM THE ORIGINAL FRAGRANCE OF THE EARTH”-LORD KRISHNA IN BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 7, VERSE 9 

WHAT IS MATTER ? 

To understand existence, it would be relevant to know about the nature of matter. Matter, either living or nonliving is made up of basic building blocks known as atoms. All atoms contain particles called electrons that carry a negative electrical charge. At the center of the atom lies the atomic nucleus which is composed of two types of particles; the proton which carries both mass and a positive electric charge, and the neutron which has about the same mass as a proton but is electrically neutral. Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the constituents of ordinary matter. But these are only three of a vast number of similar particles which differ only in a few properties such as their mass, electrical charge, and their stability against spontaneous decay. Protons, and neutrons are part of a much larger family of similar objects which are collectively called nucleons. Many of these fundamental particles are combinations of elementary particles popularly known as ‘QUARKS’. 

THE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL INTERACTIONS 

Any influence that causes a collection of particles to undergo some change is known as FUNDAMENTAL INTERACTION. 

All known physical interactions of matter occur through the agency of four basic physical or fundamental kinds of forces. These Four Fundamental Forces, in decreasing order of strength are, the Strong Nuclear, the Electromagnetic, the Weak Nuclear, and the Gravitational forces. Each force has a characteristic strength and a range or distance over which they can exert their effects. The Strong Nuclear force is the strongest force known in nature. Its range is about a distance of 10 to the power of(-)13 cm. It weakens rapidly with distance. The particles of the atomic nucleus are tightly bound by the Strong Nuclear force. The Weak Nuclear force is involved in nuclear decay processes and in interactions involving the fundamental particles called neutrinos. If the Strong Nuclear force between two protons is assigned a strength of 1, then the Electromagnetic, Weak Nuclear, and Gravitational forces between the same two protons have relative strengths of 10 to the power of(-)2, 10 to the power of(-)5, and an incredibly small 10 to the power of(-)40. Thus the effect of Gravitational force on interactions among particles of atomic size is negligible. The Electromagnetic attractive force between a proton and an electron is several (10 to the power of40) times greater than the Gravitational force at the same separation. 

GRAVITATIONAL FORCE 

Gravitation has several basic characteristics that distinguish it from the other Fundamental Interactions. First, it is universal, affecting all forms of matter and energy in essentially the same way whereas all the other interactions directly affect only certain types of particles, for example, Electromagnetic force affects only charged particles. Second, Gravitation is always ‘attractive’, since it interacts with mass-energy which is always positive, whereas Electromagnetic forces can either ‘attract’ or ‘repel’. Third, Gravitation is a long range interaction, Electromagnetism is also long-range, but the Strong and Weak Nuclear forces generally operate only within a distance, the size of an atomic nucleus. Fourth, Gravitation is the weakest of the Four Fundamental Forces with negligible effect on elementary particles. 

Sir Issac Newton made the most significant contribution to Gravitational Theory when he perceived (1666) that the orbit of the Moon depended on the same type of force that causes an apple to fall on Earth. According to Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Gravity affects all forms of matter and energy, all of which move in Space-Time (SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM). 

Gravity is by far the weakest known force in nature and therefore plays no role in determining the internal properties of everyday matter. Gravitational force becomes appreciable only when at least one of the attracting masses is very large, typically of planetary size. A Gravitational force exerted by the Earth on the Moon keeps it in a circular motion about the Earth. The trajectories of planets in the Solar System are determined by the Laws of Gravity. The revolution of the Earth in relationship to the Sun, the motion of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, and the geometric structure of the universe itself are the results of the Gravitational force. Because of its long reach and universality, Gravity plays a central role in shaping the structure of stars, galaxies, and the entire universe. Hence, it would be correct to claim that Gravitational force is the most pervasive and dominant force in the universe. 

TERRESTRIAL GRAVITATION 

It is the force that tends to draw all bodies in the Earth’s sphere toward the center of the Earth. The fall of bodies released from a height to the surface of the Earth and the weight of resting bodies at or near the surface are the most familiar manifestations of Terrestrial Gravitation. 

Because of the Gravitational force exerted by the Earth’s mass, all bodies have a weight or downward force of gravity proportional to their mass. The word ‘GRAVITY’ is derived from the Latin word ‘gravitas’ which means weight or heaviness. 

Atmosphere, the nearly transparent envelope of gases that surrounds the Earth, profoundly influences the environmental, and the climatic conditions on the planet’s surface. Life could not exist without the physical and chemical processes involving the atmospheric gases. Terrestrial Gravitation is the force that holds the atmosphere in its place. 

EARTHLY EXISTENCE 

Human existence upon planet Earth is possible only because of the Four Fundamental Interactions of matter. All living entities are energy dependent. The primary source of energy is Sun. The Strong Nuclear, the Weak Nuclear, and the Electromagnetic force interactions provide the energy that we need for our Earthly existence. According to the Laws of Nature, this source of energy would eventually bring about disastrous consequences to Earthly existence. The Sun continues to spend its abundant hydrogen fuel and the fuel supply is not everlasting. 

The Gravitational force maintains Earthly existence in two ways. Firstly, it maintains Earth’s relationship with Sun and secondly, it firmly holds the Earth’s atmosphere in its place. The most important effect of Gravity is that it provides us our body weights which help us to appreciate the physical reality of our Earthly existence. 

EARTHLY FRAGRANCE 

Soil is the earthen material that covers land surfaces and is formed by the action of natural physical, chemical, and biotic forces on the rocks and minerals on the Earth’s surface. Among its many important functions, soil serves as a substratum of plant life. It provides the terrestrial home for land based animals and humans. 

This surface layer of Earth has a characteristic fragrance of its own. It could be described as a sweet smell, a pleasant odor. It is not fruity, flowery, or spicy. The volatile compounds that generate this odor should reach our noses and the gas molecules should get dissolved in the nasal mucus and activate the receptors of s
mell sensation. To perceive this scent, the soil should not be too cold and frigid. At cold temperatures, the odor generating chemicals do not get vaporized. The soil should not be too hot, as excessive heat tends to destroy these scent chemicals. The Earthly fragrance is best appreciated after rain showers and also during the Spring Season. This fragrance is unique and makes planet Earth a special place. This scent is original. In nature, all products such as flowers, fruits, and herbs which are fragrant could be easily identified as the fragrance and its source are connected. The individual components of the soil is not the direct source of earthly fragrance.The physical, chemical, and biotic factors that interact to generate this fragrance are not available on any other celestial body in the universe that we know today.The Four Fundamental Forces are united in their purpose to produce this new and original product. The originality of Earth’s fragrance could be deemed as an act of creation.
 

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, A.P., India.,

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

REPENTANCE – DEFINING INDIAN IDENTITY


The idea of repentance is well expressed in different Cultures but the interpretation of its consequences is not the same. The Jews associate the idea of repentance with Divine Atonement and Absolution of sins. Repentance, and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus is the theme of the Books of The New Testament. Christian faith calls upon man to repent and be converted through the act of Baptism. In Islam, true repentance means that man must reject all other forms of belief and avoid the worship of false gods. By repenting, a Muslim agrees to truly believe in one and only God(ALLAH) and live in strict obedience to His Five Commandments and other ordinances as revealed in the Holy Scripture of Quran. Islam also demands that the true believer must ask the non-believer to repent. Islam encourages the idea of harshly punishing all individuals who fail to truly repent. In India, the Land described as ‘Karma Bhumi’, repentance is viewed upon as a personal choice. Repentance could only be used to change one’s own conduct. Most importantly, in the Land of Bharat, the idea of repentance is not associated with the idea of converting the religious beliefs of a man. The idea of ‘repent or perish’ does not define Indian Identity. 

JUDAISM AND THE DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT  : 

Repentance is a common theme of Old Testament Prophets. Prophet Jeremiah had more to say about repentance than any other Prophet. He called upon Jews to repent and condemned them for their false worship and social injustice.

Repentance is a common theme of Old Testament Prophets. Prophet Jeremiah had more to say about repentance than any other Prophet. He called upon Jews to repent and condemned them for their false worship and social injustice.

To Jews, repentance means living in obedience to Yahweh’s Will for the individual and the nation of Israel. For a Jew, atonement is expiation for his own sin in order to attain God’s forgiveness. He may achieve this in various ways, including repentance, payment for a wrong action, good works, suffering, and prayer. Repentance and changed conduct are stressed as the most important aspects of Atonement. 

God set up Laws for the Israelites mostly regarding holiness and worship. The Old Testament Book of Leviticus, Chapter 16, verse 34 :"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you; Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."

God set up Laws for the Israelites mostly regarding holiness and worship. The Old Testament Book of Leviticus, Chapter 16, verse 34 :"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you; Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."

The Day of Atonement or YOM KIPPUR is the most important and solemn of the Jewish holidays. It is the tenth and final day of the Ten Days of Repentance which begins with Rosh Hashanah. 

God has issued a lasting ordinance and has called upon the Jews to obtain Atonement once a year.After the destruction of the Second Temple at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Jews discontinued the practice of ritualistic animal sacrifice to make the sin and burnt offerings to seek Atonement.

God has issued a lasting ordinance and has called upon the Jews to obtain Atonement once a year.After the destruction of the Second Temple at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Jews discontinued the practice of ritualistic animal sacrifice to make the sin and burnt offerings to seek Atonement.

The observance of Yom Kippur includes 25 hour period of fasting and intensive prayer. At the end of Yom Kippur, the man considers himself absolved from his sin and is reconciled to God. 

Repentance is not a personal choice for the Jews.

Repentance is not a personal choice for the Jews.

THE MESSAGE OF JESUS – THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR AND THEREFORE  REPENT  : 

"REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!" - Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 3, verse 2.

"REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!" - Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 3, verse 2.

The Baptism of the sinless Man. From that time on Jesus began to preach, "REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR." - Gospel of Matthew,Chapter 4, verse 17.

The Baptism of the sinless Man. From that time on Jesus began to preach, "REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR." - Gospel of Matthew,Chapter 4, verse 17.

Jesus announced the approaching Kingdom of God and therefore called people to repentance. Jesus’ call to repentance is grounded in this message of the approaching Kingdom of God. In Jesus’ preaching, repentance does not mean a prerequisite or precondition or even a penitent contemplation of oneself but, rather a consequence of the proximity of the Kingdom of God. 

The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, verse 38 :Then Peter said to them,"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, verse 38 :Then Peter said to them,"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Christians believe that the redeeming of mankind and the reconciliation of God with man is brought about by Jesus’ suffering and Crucifixion. As per Christian belief, Jesus came to Earth and became the sacrifice for all mankind. It was the sins of all mankind that has put Jesus on the Cross. Christians seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ the Savior. 

Risen Lord - Jesus the Redeemer. The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 3, verse 19 :"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

Risen Lord - Jesus the Redeemer. The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 3, verse 19 :"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

LENT SEASON : The period of forty week days from Ash Wednesday to Easter is observed variously in Christian Churches by fasting and penitence. Christians do not celebrate a 'Day of Atonement'. Christians seek forgiveness of sins through GRACE of their Risen Lord.

LENT SEASON : The period of forty week days from Ash Wednesday to Easter is observed variously in Christian Churches by fasting and penitence. Christians do not celebrate a 'Day of Atonement'. Christians seek forgiveness of sins through GRACE of their Risen Lord.

Christian traditions accept the announcement of God’s willingness to forgive all those who truly repent of their sins. Christians are sharply divided about the Doctrine of Conciliation and the power to “bind and loose”. Jesus after the Resurrection told the disciples :”If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”( Gospel of John, Chapter 20, verse 23 ) This statement is interpreted in different ways. Catholics believe in Sacramental Absolution of sins and they extend the power to “bind  and loose” that was conferred by Jesus on the Apostles  to all of their priests. Martin Luther, the leader of Protestant Reformation in Germany had asserted that daily repentance is the repeated actualization of Baptism. The Protestants have ruled out the Fourth Sacrament of Roman Catholicism. 

ISLAM - “ALLAH IS HE WHO ACCEPTS REPENTANCE”.   : 

"Know they not that Allah is He who accepts repentance from His bondsmen and taken the alms, and that Allah is He who is the Relenting and Merciful." SURAH IX, At-TAUBAH,verse 104, Holy Quran.

"Know they not that Allah is He who accepts repentance from His bondsmen and taken the alms, and that Allah is He who is the Relenting and Merciful." SURAH IX, At-TAUBAH,verse 104, Holy Quran.

The Revelations stated in the Holy Book of Quran state that it is always possible for a sinner to repent( Taubah or Tawbah) and redeem himself by a genuine conversion to the truth. Genuine repentance has the effect of removing all sins and restoring a person to the state of sinlessness with which he started his life. 

(Triumphant) are those who turn repentant( to ALLAH ), those who serve( Him ), those who praise ( Him ), those who fast, those who bow down, those who fall prostrate ( in worship ), those who enjoin the right and who forbid the wrong and those who keep the limits ( ordained ) of ALLAH - And give glad tiding to believers! - Holy Quran, At-Taubah, Surah IX, verse 112.

(Triumphant) are those who turn repentant( to ALLAH ), those who serve( Him ), those who praise ( Him ), those who fast, those who bow down, those who fall prostrate ( in worship ), those who enjoin the right and who forbid the wrong and those who keep the limits ( ordained ) of ALLAH - And give glad tiding to believers! - Holy Quran, At-Taubah, Surah IX, verse 112.

In Surah IX, At-Taubah ( Repentance ), Holy Quran issues stern Commandments against idolaters, disbelievers, transgressors, the Jews and the Christians for they have taken as lords beside ALLAH their rabbis, and their monks, the Messiah, and that son of Mary. 

Quran was sent down as a guidance for the people.( Surah II, verse 185 )

Quran was sent down as a guidance for the people.( Surah II, verse 185 )

The ninth month of the Muslim Year during which the Quran was sent down as a guidance for the people is observed as a period of daily fasting from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is seen as an obedient response to a Command from God and to a lesser extent it may represent a period of Atonement. 

THE LAND OF BHARAT : SUBMISSION OF ALL ACTIONS TO GOD : 

Kaaye na vaachaa manasem indriyairvaa, Buddhyaatma naa naa prakrutey sva bhaavaat, Karomi yadyatsa kalam parasemai, Naraayanaa yeti Samarpayaami.

Kaaye na vaachaa manasem indriyairvaa, Buddhyaatma naa naa prakrutey sva bhaavaat, Karomi yadyatsa kalam parasemai, Naraayanaa yeti Samarpayaami.

While the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims are constantly reminded to repent and to seek forgiveness of God for all of their sinful actions, in the Land of Bharat, the people are counseled to submit to God all of their actions; either good or bad. Whatever actions that a man accomplishes with his body, with his speech, with his mind, with his organs of motor function, or because of his attitude or temperament; all of those acts without any exception should be dedicated or submitted to the Supreme Lord known as Narayana. Without making any distinction between good or bad actions; man should refrain and should not  desire the fruits of his actions. 

Sattvam, rajas, tama iti gunah prakriti- sambhavah, Nibadhnanti Maha-Baho, dehe dehinam avyayam.

Sattvam, rajas, tama iti gunah prakriti- sambhavah, Nibadhnanti Maha-Baho, dehe dehinam avyayam.

THE THREE MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE – ‘GUNA TRAYA VIBHAGA YOGA’ : 

The Lord’s Song known as Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XIV, verse 5 states that the material Nature consists of the three modes – goodness ( Sattva ), passion ( Rajas ), and ignorance ( Tamas ). And when the living entity comes in contact with Nature ( Prakrti ), he becomes conditioned by these modes which enslave the immutable consciousness of the self within the body. Man acts under the influence of any of the three different modes of material Nature. 

Gunam etan atitya trin dehi deha - samudbhavan, Janma - mrtyu jara-dukhair Vimukto ' mrtam asnute.

Gunam etan atitya trin dehi deha - samudbhavan, Janma - mrtyu jara-dukhair Vimukto ' mrtam asnute.

The Lord’s Song further states that when man is able to rise above ( transcend ) these three qualities known as Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, the embodied soul can become free from birth, death,old age, and their distresses, and can enjoy “Amrit” ( the Divine Nectar that bestows Immortality ) even in this life. The Supreme Lord is transcendental to the three modes of Nature. When man acquires the true knowledge of the Supreme Lord, he is emancipated ( Vimukti ) from the conditioning effects of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. 

INDIAN VIEW – REPENTANCE DOES NOT REMIT SINS : 

In Sanskrit language, the word repentance is described as ”PASHCHATH  TAPA”. It is the feeling of sorrow or grief experienced by an offender for his own actions that inflicted pain or caused an injury or insult. The Indian thinkers have described repentance as mental catharsis. Repentance is an act of purification of the mind. A man cannot unburden his conscience by concealing his actions, or by suppressing  the memory of his actions. The emotional stress and the burden imposed by a sense of guilt could be alleviated by bringing the memory of our actions to consciousness and by giving expression to sorrow or grief caused by these actions. The offender does not merely regret his actions. He mentally experiences the pain caused by his actions and gives expression to the emotion of sorrow or grief. In the Indian tradition, grief is manifested by actually shedding tears of sorrow with which the offender cleanses the feet of his victim. This process of mental catharsis brings about changed conduct. The man is enabled to change his mode of conditioned activities. The activities performed in the mode of ignorance( Tamas), and passion( Rajas) lead to distress. Man acquires real knowledge while acting under the influence of the mode of goodness or Sattva. Repentance helps the man to move upward into the mode of Sattva ( goodness ) from that of Tamas( ignorance ), and Rajas ( passion ). Through repentance man changes his thoughts, his desires, his habits and his actions. 

Please also view the related blog post titled ‘East and West – The Idea of Forgiveness’ 

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/east-and-west-the-idea-of-forgiveness/  

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, 

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India, 

M.B.B.S., Class of  April, 1970.

Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam


विद्याशंकर मंदिर (Vidyashankara temple) at Sri...

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Adi Shankaracharya - Instructs us to seek the Mercy, the Compassion, and the grace of Lord Govinda to get to the Shore, to complete a Journey known as ‘Samsara’.

Human existence faces challenges from several directions. The nature of man’s existence is conditioned and man has no alternative other than that of seeking the protection of LORD God. The sweet name of Govinda is the ultimate refuge when man is checkmated and has no way to escape from dangers threatening his life.

Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam,
Govindam bhaje muuda matey,
Sampraapte sannihitey kaaley,
Nahi, Nahi rakshate ’Du krun kariney’.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April,  1970.

TWO FACES OF THE COIN- TWO ASPECTS OF EXISTENCE


Nelumbo nucifera, Nelumbonaceae, Indian Lotus,...

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BEADS OF WATER DROPS ON THE LOTUS LEAF

THE LOTUS EFFECT :

Botanist Wilhelm Barthlott of the University of Bonn in Germany discovered in 1982 that the lotus leaf has a naturally self-cleaning, water-repellant surface. The secret lies in waxy microstructures and nanostructures that, by their contact angle with water, cause water to bead and roll away just like mercury. Barthlott patented his discovery, calling it the Lotus Effect.

While Barthlott takes credit for his discovery of the waxy surface of the lotus leaf, Indians have known the lotus, an aquatic plant, for a very long time. Lord Vishnu, the Protector always carries a lotus flower in his hand, He is generally depicted in images in a lying pose with a lotus springing out of His belly button, His eyes are always compared to the petals of the lotus flower and His consort Goddess Lakshmi prefers to be seated on top of a lotus flower. Indians use the lotus flower for their worship and in Indian Art and Literature, lotus finds a prominent place and the Lotus has been given the official status of the National Flower. Indians are also equally impressed about the waxy nature of the surface of the lotus leaf and they know that the surface causes the water to bead and the drops roll away with great ease. This phenomenon is very often used to describe the transient nature of human existence.

TWO FACES OF THE COIN – TWO ASPECTS OF EXISTENCE :

The coins that we use are minted with two different faces and we need to flip the coin to see the face on the opposite side. So also, human existence has its two sides, an eternal entity and at the same time a transient being. I would refer to the following two verses to illustrate this view-point.

THE BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER II, VERSE 13 :

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth, and then to old age, similarly, the soul also passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change”.

Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing his body at every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth, and sometimes as an old man, the spirit soul however remains the same and does not undergo any change. The individual soul eventually changes the body itself, the soul transmigrates from one body to another body and hence death is viewed as the soul changing bodies from old to new one. According to one’s work in the present life, the living entity experiences enjoyment or suffering with the changing of bodies. This view helps the individual not to lament about death.

SHANKARA’S ‘ BHAJA GOVINDAM ‘ VERSES :

The ‘ADVAITA’ school of Indian philosophy was founded by the great teacher Shankara who is popularly referred to as ‘SHANKARACHARYA’. He had composed verses known by the name ‘ BHAJA GOVINDAM ‘( PRAISE THE LORD VISHNU) in which he described the transient, ephemeral, and fleeting nature of human life and existence. He compared human life to that of the bead of water drop on the surface of the Lotus leaf. He reminded us to understand that the body’s existence is very temporary and he had observed that the entire humanity is suffering due to sickness caused by ignorance which makes people to crave with a sense of attachment and desire to keep their impermanent existence.

The individual entity is an embodied soul. The soul is eternal but the physical body is temporary and just like the water drop on the surface of the Lotus leaf, the drop could roll away any moment, and the soul would change bodies sooner than we wish or desire. There is no point in cultivating a sense of attachment to the body as the soul is not willing to cling to the physical body. Man is a created being, exists as an individual with individuality, and has substance that is immortal, imperishable, or eternal. However, Man, the physical being with a shape and form is transient as he is born with a plan for the dissolution of its form.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

DANAVAIPETA MUNICIPAL HIGH SCHOOL, RAJAHMUNDRY, EAST GODAVARI DISTRICT

S.S.L.C.  CLASS  OF  MARCH,  1961. 

DEFINING INDIAN IDENTITY – GURU PUJA


Karmanye vadhikaraste Maa Phaleshu kadachana 

Maa Karma Phala hetur bhoor maate sangostwa Karmana. 

  

  

  

THE TRADITION OF “GURU” WORSHIP(PUJA) : 

Since Vedic times,in the Land of India ,teachers are held in high esteem and the reverence is reflected in the following verse.According to my uncle,Capt.R.R.Rao,”there is no ‘Mantra’ greater than this”:
 

Guru Brahma,Guru Vishnu,Guru Devo Maheswara
Guru Sakshaat ParaBrahmam,Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.
 

 

 MY GURU : 

After joining Kurnool Medical College in 1965,I had started visualizing Lord Sri Krishna as my personal Guru.I had a pocket-size edition of BHAGAVAD GITA published in Gorakhpur,Uttar Pradesh.The book included the verses in Sanskrit with its literal meaning in English.That format had allowed me to read the verse in its original form and understand its purport through my own efforts.I had a hectic time at the School and was exposed to new information every day.Over four and half years time,I had studied Physics,Anatomy,Physiology,Biochemistry,Pharmacology,Microbiology, Pathology,
Forensic Medicine,Ear,Nose&Throat diseases,Ophthalmology,Social&Preventive Medicine,General Medicine,Surgery, and Obstetrics&Gynecology.Simultaneously,I was reading one or more chapters from Gita every day and was slowly incorporating Krishna as my Guru.I was more attracted to His teaching of ” KARMA YOGA ” and I would still consider Him as my Guru even if “GITA” is the only known contribution made by Him.My elder brother Pratap stressed about the importance of ” GURU KRUPA ”( Master’s Compassion).My Guru’s Mercy is revealed to me in the fact that I am able to work seven days a week.I can very easily manage to work eighty or more hours per week on account of this Guru-Sishya relationship.I do not experience any stress or mental fatigue on account of sixteen hour work schedules.At the same time,I am mentally alert and could indulge in a bit of creative writing every now and then.Apart from this ability to work 365 days each year while I am 59 years old, the following verse shows that they are advantages in having Krishna as personal Guru :
 

Bhagavad Gitaa kimchi dhadheetaa, 

Gangaa jala lava kanikaa peetaa 

Sakrudapi yena Murari samarchaa, 

Kriyatey tasya Yamena na charchaa. 

Bhaja Govindam,Bhaja Govindam 

Govindam Bhaja muuda matey.
 

  

MY OTHER GURU : 

Adi Shankaracharya has emphatically stated that his identity is neither that of Guru nor that of a student or disciple. I am not free to describe him as my Guru and I cannot call myself his disciple. I need to reflect upon my Identity and seek that Identity to experience the Reality.

 

Fortunately,I did not spend any time and energy to search and discover the right Guru.The choice was made for me the moment I had arrived on this planet.I grew up in a family which followed the ” SMARTHA ” tradition established by Adi Sankaracharya.I had the freedom to designate SHIVA as my personal Protector.I am free to choose RAMA as my Benefactor.I seek favors from SARASWATHI in my pursuit of Pure Knowledge.I make the perilous journey across the ocean with encouragement from HANUMAN.GANESHA assures me of success in my personal endeavors.In my struggles and battle of life,Krishna guides me to find the winning strategy.If I have to defend my self,I draw courage from Bhavani.With the blessings from my other Guru,I had described my attitude about human existence as that of                            ” INDIVIDUALISM “. I love to read and memorize the beautiful verses composed by him.I would just quote a verse which my eldest brother,Prof.R.Subbarao had observed to be a very powerful thought: 

Shadamgaadi Vedo mukhe sastra vidyaa 

Kavitvaadi gadyam supadyam karoti 

Guroramghri padme manachenna lagnam 

Tatah kim, Tatah kim,Tatah kim,Tatah kim. 

Even after learning every thing that is humanly possible,we still need to desire and focus upon the lotus feet of the Master,the giver of Knowledge. 

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, 

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, A.P., India., 

M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970