Whole Dude – Whole Spirituality – Page 102 – Whole Spirituality describes the Unity of God, Soul, and Matter using a Ground Substance of Spiritual Nature.

CIVIL LIABILITY FOR NUCLEAR DAMAGE BILL 2010 – A HIMALAYAN BLUNDER

INDIA – THE LAND OF KARMA :

Mother India - Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage — The Laws of Karma govern the lives of the People of India. It would be a grave mistake to insult Mother India by dumping Radioactive Nuclear Waste into Her lap.

India is popularly known as ‘Karma Bhumi’, or ‘Karma Kshetra’. The Laws of Karma govern the lives of the people of the Land of India. We, as Indians are destined to experience the taste of the Fruits of our own Actions either during the present stage of existence and in subsequent or future states of existence. When an action damages the Genetic Code contained in DNA, the consequences would be experienced in the lives of our children and their children. If we recklessly pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, and contaminate the soils that support the lives of living organisms, the consequences would be experienced as long as these toxic chemicals persist in our living environment. Radioactive Chemicals are extremely hazardous to human life and to the lives of plants and animals upon whom human life depends for its own existence. Radiation damages DNA and injures the structures known as Chromosomes which carry vital hereditary information. We need to learn from the lessons of our recent past. Kindly review the Nuclear Damage caused by Nuclear Accidents at Three Mile Island during 1979, and at Chernobyl during 1986.

Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor Accident-Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage — Nuclear Meltdown at Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor describes the problems of equipment failure and the hazards of Nuclear Industry. In the United States, 15 Nuclear Plants were forced offline between 2000 and 2001 because of equipment failures attributed to Aging. The Costs of Maintenance and Upkeep of Equipment must be considered apart from Liability for Nuclear Damage. The Nuclear Chain Reaction damages the Nuclear Reactor Vessel.

Radiation Emissions and Cancer Incidence-Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage — Radiation Emissions from Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident are linked to Cancer Incidence in the Community.

Chernobyl-meltdown - Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage — The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster of April 23, 1986 should not be erased from Human Memory.

Radiation Map - Chernobyl Disaster - Civil Liability for Nuclear Disaster. — Trans-Boundary Effects of Nuclear Accidents could be understood from this Radiation Map following Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster.

Chernobyl Disaster-victim - Exposure to Radioactive Iodine — Children are extremely vulnerable to Radiation Injuries. The Thyroid Gland selectively concentrates Iodine and exposure to Radioactive Iodine causes Thyroid Cancer.

The Face of Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster - Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage — Nuclear Accidents are extremely expensive as we need to take care of children affected by birth defects and deformities.

PLAN FOR NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES PRIOR TO REAPING BENEFITS FROM POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES :

Lord Neela Kantha - Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010. — The Hindu Mythological Legend known as 'Samudra Manthan' narrates the importance of taking care of Negative Consequences prior to reaping the Benefits from Positive Consequences of our intended actions. India needs a Savior and Protector like Lord Shiva who could hold the extremely Hazardous Radioactive Nuclear Waste that India wants to generate by importing Nuclear Fuel and Nuclear Technology.

Indian Traditional Wisdom directs us to take into account all the consequences that result from our actions. Indeed, we plan to take action hoping to gain the rewards of the positive consequences from that intended course of action. But, Traditional Wisdom sounds the Bells of Caution. It asks us to take into account all the negative consequences of our intended action, and then it would be very easy to taste the fruits of positive consequences. India’s Epic Poem known as Bhagavata Purana narrates the Story about churning the mythical Milk Ocean to obtain the Nectar of Immortality popularly known as ‘AMRIT’. It was a herculean task. All people forgot their differences and rivalries and had joined hands in their effort to churn the Ocean described as ‘SAMUDRA MANTHAN’. They were shocked and were surprised when deadly, noxious, toxic fumes emerged threatening the existence of all living entities. Fortunately, they could seek protection of Lord Shiva who had mercifully agreed to hold and store this poison in His throat. While speaking about Radioactive Waste, we need to face it with a sense of Reality. We have no Lord Shiva who could step forward and safely store this extremely hazardous Nuclear Waste for thousands of years. We need to have the ability to deal with this problem of a Toxic Waste which is highly persistent. We cannot afford to bury the High Level Radioactive Waste in the ground and forget about it. The storage of Nuclear Waste is an immense problem and we have not yet resolved the problems involved in storing the Radioactive Waste and monitor it for thousands of years. We need to understand the consequences from Natural Disasters like Floods and Earthquakes which could impact the Nuclear Waste Storage Sites.

SEEK FREEDOM TO LIVE IN A NUCLEAR FREE WORLD :

I am circulating a Petition that is sponsored by Greenpeace India, an Environmental Advocacy Organization. It is simply asking Shri. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India to hold further public consultations on this important issue of Liability for Nuclear Damage. This Bill when enacted into Law would impact the lives of our future generations. We need to defend the Rights of our children, and also the Rights of their children to live in a safe, and healthy environment. We cannot feed them from this Cup of Radioactive Poison that the Nuclear Industry would create by using Nuclear Fuel for Power generation.

http://www.greenpeace.org/india/stop-the-vote2

Kindly read the article written by Brahma Chellaney which was originally published in ‘The Hindu’ in its edition dated March 13, 2010.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham.
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.

India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill – Brahma Chellaney

Brahma Chellaney | The Hindu | March 13, 2010

The government has finally released the text of its controversial nuclear-accident liability Bill. The text not only confirms the concerns expressed earlier over key elements of the proposed law, but also raises additional issues of worry. What stands out in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill is the extent to which it goes to aid the business interests of the foreign reactor builders. In the process, the Bill seeks to financially burden the Indian taxpayer and encumber the rights of victims of any potential radioactive release from a foreign-built plant. A special Indian law limiting liability in amount and in time has been sought by Washington for its nuclear-exporting firms, with the largest two, Westinghouse and General Electric (GE), set to win multibillion-dollar contracts to build several commercial nuclear power reactors. To forestall lawsuits filed against American suppliers in US courts by victims of a nuclear catastrophe, Washington has also pressed for exclusive jurisdiction for Indian courts so that there will be no repeat of what happened after the Bhopal gas disaster. The Bill seeks to help out the US firms on these counts, going at times even beyond what American law provides.

Under the Bill, the foreign reactor builder — however culpable it is for a nuclear accident — will be completely immune from any victim-initiated civil suit or criminal proceedings in an Indian court or in a court in its home country. The Bill actually turns the legal liability of a foreign reactor supplier for an accident into mere financial compensation — that too, pegged at a pittance and routed through the Indian state operator of the plant. Foreign suppliers will have no*direct accident-related liability. The foreign builders will bask under legal immunity because the Bill channels all legal liability to the Central Government. Clause 7 states the “Central Government shall be liable for nuclear damage in respect of a nuclear incident” when such liability exceeds the Rs. 500- crore liability limit of the operator or where the accident occurs “in a nuclear installation owned by it [the Indian government].” The Union government will own all foreign-built

reactors. Indeed, the Bill creates a specious distinction between the operator and the government when both are fused in the Indian context. After all, it is the Indian state which will run all foreign-built plants through its operator, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Yet, throughout the Bill, the pretence of a US-style separation between the operator and the government is maintained.

Under Clause 6, the maximum liability of the operator and the government combined has been set at “the rupee equivalent of 300 million special drawing rights (SDRs),” or Rs.2,087 crore ($458 million) — 23 times lower than what is provided under the equivalent US law, the controversial Price-Anderson Act (labelled “Half-Price Anderson” by critics). Of this, the total liability of the operator has been limited to Rs.500 crore ($109 million). The Central government will be liable for damages in excess of Rs.500 crore but only up to Rs.2,087 crore. In actual fact, all liability falls on the Indian taxpayer, whether it is the operator’s slice or the Central government’s portion. The state operator, the NPCIL, through a construction contract, can make the foreign builder legally responsible to pay compensation for an accident. But the amount payable by a foreign builder can only be up to the state operator’s own liability ceiling, which is a trifling Rs.500 crore ($109 million).

So, even if the accident were triggered by wilful negligence on the part of the foreign supplier and the consequences were catastrophic, all claims would have to be filed against the Indian state — with the NPCIL required to disburse the first Rs. 500 crore and the Central government the second portion up to Rs. 2,087 crore. The NPCIL could, in turn, try to recover its Rs. 500 crore from the foreign supplier. But for the Indian taxpayer, this is a lose-lose proposition.
That raises a fundamental question: What will it do to nuclear safety to grant foreign suppliers legal immunity upfront and to shift the liability to the Indian taxpayer? Another key issue relates to the rights of victims. The Bill ensures that victims of a disaster involving a foreign-built reactor will not be able to sue the builder in its home country. Worse still, the Bill blocks the victims from suing the foreign supplier even in Indian courts.

Only the “operator shall have a right of recourse,” according to Clause 17. The state operator can sue the foreign supplier where “such right is expressly provided for in a contract in writing” and “the nuclear incident has resulted from the wilful act or gross negligence on the part of the supplier of the material, equipment or services, or of his employee.” But such a right of recourse can only be to meet the operator’s own small liability of Rs. 500 crore. In fact, the Bill seriously shackles Indian courts. All nuclear-damage claims will be dealt with by a Claims Commissioner or a Nuclear Damage Claims Commission, and any award made “shall be final” and cannot be appealed in any court. “No civil court shall have jurisdiction to entertain any suit or proceedings in respect of any matter which the Claims Commissioner or the Commission, as the case may be, is empowered to adjudicate under this Act and no injunction shall be granted by any court or other authority in respect of any action taken or to be taken in pursuance of any power conferred by or under this Act,” according to Clause 35.

By contrast, the Price-Anderson Act permits economic (but not legal) channelling of liability, thereby allowing lawsuits and criminal proceedings against the reactor builder or any other party in US courts. That is a key reason why the US has not joined the Vienna or Paris convention — the two main international liability instruments. But the US has become party to another convention it helped draft under the auspices of the IAEA — the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC), which is still not in force. The CSC, as the name suggests, is about compensation through an international fund, to be paid “supplementary” to the liability limit. The Bill also limits liability in time, with Clause 18 stating: “The right to claim compensation for any nuclear damage caused by a nuclear incident shall extinguish if such claim is not made within a period of 10 years from the date of incident…” That provision was retained despite the Environment Ministry’s note of caution — revealed by this newspaper — that the 10-year time limit was untenable because damage to human health from a serious radioactive release “involves changes in DNAs, resulting in mutagenic and teratogenic changes, which take a long time to manifest.”

And although the Finance Ministry, in its comments on the Bill, had warned the proposed law would “expose the government to substantial liabilities for the failings of the private sector,” the Bill essentially seeks to give foreign reactor builders a free ride at the Indian taxpayer’s expense. The Indian Bill, in effect, amounts to a huge hidden subsidy by protecting foreign reactor builders from the weight of the financial consequences of accidents. If the Bill is passed, the costs of doing business in India for foreign suppliers will be low but the assured profits will be high. To cover the maximum potential compensation payable for an accident, a foreign builder will need to take insurance for a mere Rs. 500 crore. What is more, the foreign builders are being freed from the task of producing electricity at marketable rates. The NPCIL will run the foreign-built reactors, with the state subsidising the high-priced electricity generated.

India is under no international obligation to pass such a law. In fact, efforts to create common international standards on liability and compensation since the Chernobyl disaster have made exceedingly slow progress. Yet the Bill’s accompanying “Statement of Objects and Reasons” creates the deceptive impression that the proposed law aims to bring India in line internationally. If anything, the Bill seeks to set a wrong international precedent by its mollycoddling of foreign suppliers. To be sure, technological improvements in reactor-safety systems have significantly lowered the risks of a major nuclear accident. Yet nuclear technology remains intrinsically dangerous, and a single catastrophe anywhere in the world will impose colossal, long-term costs and have a chilling effect on the global appeal of nuclear power. Given the nuclear safety and security issues that have been highlighted by recent incidents in India, accident liability is a matter demanding serious consideration. The government must answer the central question: In seeking to invite US reactor builders, should a poor country rush to pass a special law that skews the business terms in their favour, gratuitously burdens the Indian taxpayer and ignores the lessons of the Bhopal gas disaster.

THE PROBLEM OF TIBET – EVICT THE OCCUPIER

His Holiness Dalai Lama turns 75 on July 06, 2010.

The Problem of Tibet-Separation or Occupation? — How to describe the Problem of Tibet?

THE LAND OF TIBET – “THE ROOF OF THE WORLD” :

Tibet-The Roof of the World-Evict the Occupier — In size Tibet is as large as three States of Texas combined. It is surrounded by four of the world's ten highest mountains. It is home to about six million Tibetan people.Communist China's military occupation has changed the population composition of this Land.

YAK - The Symbol of Tibetan Land — Bos grunniens, a long-haired, stocky, wild ox of Tibet is often domesticated as a beast of burden, for its milk, meat, and its butter which is used to light the butter lamps in Gompas, Tibetan Places of Worship.

Tibet is the highest plateau in the world and it came into existence when the landmass of India had joined the Asian landmass. All the major rivers of Asia have their origin in Tibet. These rivers support the lives of about 2 billion human beings. The ecology of Tibet is critical in view of global warming and scarcity of water. It has been recorded and found that the rate of warming is faster in Tibet. The mountains are experiencing less snowfall, and the glaciers that feed the rivers are melting and fading away. The extraction of mineral resources, the exploitation of natural resources like forests, and hunting of unique, native animals, the construction of dams and barriers across rivers flowing in Tibet pose dangers to fragile Tibetan ecology. The problem of Tibet is not merely an environmental issue.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM OF TIBET ?

Congressional Medal to honor the Dalai Lama-The Problem of Tibet — United States Congress honored His Holiness Dalai Lama with a Gold Medal during a ceremony in Washington,DC in 2007. President George W Bush, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and US Senator Robert C Byrd are seen in the photo. Senator Byrd, the longest-serving member of the US Congress has died at the age of 92 after almost six decades in office. America has lost a voice of Principle and Reason. It is a time for us to reflect upon the Problem of Tibet.

Historically, Tibet has existed in a serene and unperturbed state for several centuries. Tibetan people are naturally born free and maintained their traditional sense of Freedom in spite of invasions by foreign forces. In October 1950, Communist China’s People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibetan soil and had occupied it. This military occupation of Tibet poses a direct threat to Tibetan way of life; a direct threat to Tibetan Culture, Tibetan Religion, Tibetan Language, and the ethnic composition of the people of this Land. The problem of Tibet is not simply a concern about Human Rights and Religious Freedom. The Problem of Tibet involves Human Freedom and Human Dignity. Military occupation of Tibet is the very opposite of Human Freedom and Human Dignity.

THE RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF TIBET :

Flag of Tibet-The Problem of Tibet — The Flag of Tibet symbolizes the Resolution of the Problem of Tibet. Tibetans have the natural Right to Human Freedom and to live in Dignity.

I am not a “SEPARATIST.” I am not seeking SEPARATION of Tibet from China. Tibet is not and has never been a part of China. SEPARATION is not the issue. Tibet is seeking its own existence and its own identity. Tibet is not asking for a new identity or creation of a new state from Chinese territory. Tibet is not demanding a surgical operation to carve out a new nation from an existing nation known as People’s Republic of China. The Problem of Tibet simply relates to the military occupation of the Land of Tibet by China. This Problem could be resolved by the Eviction of the Occupier. It is just to demand such eviction of an illegal occupier. Military occupation is the cause of this Problem of Tibet and eviction of this military force is the resolution that I would want in Tibet.

Please also read my blog post titled ‘India – The Land of Gautama Buddha’ dated July 26, 2007

https://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2007/07/26/india-the-land-of-gautama-buddha/

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

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

Defining Indian Identity – Listen to the heart

Defining Indian Identity at Military Hospital, Ambala Cantonment.

Amba Shambhavi Chandramouli abalaparna Uma Parvati,

Kali Hemavati Shiva Trinayani Katyani Bhairavi

Savitri nava yauvana Shubhakari Samrajya Lakshmi Prada,

Chidrupee Para Devata Bhagavati Sree Raja Rajeswari.

The opportunity to serve in the Indian Armed Forces works like a powerful magnet. It draws into its folds the youth of the country from a multitude of villages that dot our landscape. My service in uniform gave me a wonderful opportunity to personally know and get acquainted with a broad spectrum of the Indian population. The Indian Identity that I describe is the product of such direct and first-hand experience of the people of my land.

After a brief and exciting period of basic military training in the historical city of Lucknow, in the State of Uttar Pradesh, my tour of duty took me to the city of Ambala Cantonment in the State of Haryana.

The name Ambala is very dear to my heart. Traditionally, Indians do not desire to fight evil and dark forces. They would rather prefer to rely upon the names of the mighty Lords that they worship. It is Shiva, Vishnu, Rama and Krishna who would fight the battle on their behalf and Indians could simply sit back and relax and watch the demons getting vanquished.

But when a physical fight becomes inevitable and when pushed to confront an enemy and to take up the challenge personally, Indians derive their strength and they get infused with courage by remembering with adoration the name of BHAVANI, also known as DURGA, AMBA, KALI or simply referred to as MATA (MOTHER). That name is used as the battle cry. That name is the armor of divine protection they prefer to use on the front lines of war fields. When the confrontation is real, nothing works better than the sweet name of AMBA. Hence Ambala has represented to me the willingness and the determination of Indians to fight the battle against the enemy. On my second tour of duty in Ambala, I could proudly wear the emblem of Black Elephant on my left arm. Black Elephant is an elite fighting force and the military station of Ambala is it’s home.

I arrived in Ambala during 1970 and reported to the Military Hospital on my very first posting. My first assignment in the Hospital was that of an internship in the Surgical Division. The Senior Surgical Specialist at that time was Major Mohan Pal Dhir. The advice he gave me was that I should get acquainted with the patients and should try to know them as if they were my personal friends.

I was given the charge of two Surgical Wards, III and IV. My first priority was not learning the principles of surgery and the technique of surgical procedures. As an Officer-in-Charge of the Surgical Ward, my first duty was to learn and remember the rank, name and regimental affiliation of each patient. It sounded pretty easy but in practical terms, it was really difficult. The working hours were totally consumed with processing the medical information and preparing patients for surgical evaluation and procedures. My office staff would meticulously document all the personal information and there was no time to read that again. The patient interrogation is primarily intended to obtain the relevant medical information about their physical ailments and documenting the medical case history. It was easy to remember medical information rather than their personal details.

Since I grew up in India, I accepted the advice of my senior with earnestness. The only way I could find time to know personally all the men in my Wards was by returning to the Hospital and spend my evening hours conducting personal interviews with each one of them. We had a variety of sports and recreational facilities and a very lovely Officers’ Club right in front of our Hospital. But I had to ignore such perks of my Service. Thus my journey in uniform included a commitment to know the men at a personal level.

A SIMPLE EXPERIMENT TO KNOW THE HEART:

Soon after I assumed the charge of the Surgical Wards, during one of my evening visits, my office staff reported that one of the patients lost his expensive wristwatch. While taking a shower, the patient removed the watch and forgot to recover it. Within a short time, the watch disappeared. It was apparent that the watch got stolen by some other patient. I could have simply notified the Military Police and asked them to investigate the incident. Or, I could have used my authority and could have ordered confining all patients to their beds and directed the staff to conduct a thorough search of their personal belongings.

But, I lack the temperament of a law enforcement official. I depend upon my ability to observe things and derive answers from such observations.

What I observed was the fact that in India, people share a common concern about truth. Truth or reality cannot be concealed. Whatever a person may do, in the person’s heart, the truth is always known. When you listen to the person’s heart, the truth is revealed.

I announced to my staff that I would like to listen to the heartbeat of each of my patient and ascertain the truth for myself. They assembled and lined up all patients in front of my office and they marched in one after the other. I conducted this little experiment in absolute silence. No questions were asked. I carefully listened to their heartbeats. After having done so, I demanded that the watch be returned to the place from where it was picked up and if not, the truth would only bring humiliation to the culprit.

The purpose of the experiment was not to directly identify the culprit but it intended to give him a chance to search his own heart and reveal the truth. Next day, when I came to work, my staff cheerfully reported that the watch reappeared in the bathroom and was returned to the owner.

INDIA-THE LAND OF SATYA AND DHARMA:

Defining Indian Identity – Listen to the Heart. The Land of India or Bharat Varsha is traditionally identified as ‘KARMA KSHETRA’ or ‘KARMA BHUMI’.Human Existence is operated by the ‘Law of Karma’.

India is the land where people’s psyche has a deeply embedded concern about SATYA (TRUTH). It is a fundamental belief of all of its people. They believe that TRUTH is GOD and they would define that GOD is TRUTH. The powerful effects of TIME would dissolve and destroy all things that are unreal and in the end, only TRUTH will remain and TRUTH would prevail.

**Defining Indian Identity – Listen to the heart.**

The Indian National Emblem describes the Motto of the Nation as, SATYA MEVA JAYATE (TRUTH alone triumphs). Indians cherish the value of Truth and would prefer to merge into that unchanging, ETERNAL REALITY. Nothing else would save them from certain destruction. DHARMA or Right Conduct in its simplest context would mean to Indians that they should fulfill the promise they had given. They are afraid of the consequences of a false utterance.

The Story of RAMAYANA touches the hearts of Indians. It is no surprise that RAMA is their beloved Hero. He represents the values that Indians cherish to possess. The nobility of Rama lies in the fact that He had chosen to obey His father with a sincere desire that the father should fulfill the promise he had given to his wife and help him to uphold the enduring principle of adherence to Truth.        

Spirituality Science-Essence-Existence-Lord Rama — SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – ESSENCE AND EXISTENCE – CHIDAMBARA RAHASYAM: LORD GOD IS JUST ONE AND THE SAME AND YET MAN KNOWS HIM BY DIFFERENT NAMES. IN INDIAN TRADITION, THE NAME RAMA IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH OR THE ULTIMATE REALITY. LORD RAMA IS THE SOURCE OF KRUPA OR COMPASSION FOR HE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFE JOURNEY IN HIS PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION AS A HUMAN BEING.

 It is no surprise that Rama is a beloved Hero. He upheld the values that most Indians value and cherish.

 Indians carry their identity in their hearts. The identity is simply revealed by listening to their hearts. When you listen, you would know that all of them share a concern that TRUTH alone would prevail at the end of the day. 

As a member of the medical profession, I can observe a man in good health, in sickness and disease, and eventually in his death and dissolution. I also observe man’s reaction to his own condition and state of existence. I observe the physical, mental, and psychological aspects of the man’s condition.

My experiment which involved listening to the heartbeats of my patients in the Surgical Ward was not intended as a ‘Lie Detector Test’. A typical Lie Detector Test describes a ‘Polygraph’ used on persons suspected of lying; it records certain bodily changes which are assumed to occur when the subject lies in answering questions. The objective of my experiment was not that of finding any bodily response or change in a heartbeat in response to any question. I was not trying to discover a lying person. The person who had stolen the watch knows the truth, the fact that he had stolen. Through my experiment, I tried to evoke a reaction from that person. That subject emotionally reacted to my experiment in the manner that I expected. He admitted the truth by simply returning the watch. I did not question him directly or indirectly if he had taken the watch. I did not find the lying person, but I have proved that the man does have an actual psychological concern about truth.  

Medicine cannot stop death and Truth cannot be delivered as a prescription.

I observed some of the funeral processions in India. People either chant “Ram Naam Satya Hai” ( The name Rama is eternal Truth ), or the “Hare Rama Mantra.”

The man whose physical body experiences death and dissolution could not be true. If the man is mortal, the Indian mind seeks comfort from an idea that is not subject to mortality.        

**Defining Indian Identity – Truth alone Triumphs.**

Pain and Compassion – Philosophy of Medicine

Lord Gautama Buddha states that the experience of sorrow or ‘DUKHA’ is unavoidable. If the experience of pain is inevitable, the experience of Compassion is also inescapable. The experience of Compassion gives us the sensation of Sweetness called ‘MADHURYA’.

Lord Gautama Buddha claims that pain, suffering, and the experience of sorrow (‘Dukha’) is implicit in Human Existence. There is no escape from sorrow. Fortunately, there is hope. When a man recognizes pain or sorrow in the lives of others, it spontaneously arouses the feelings of compassion, which is described in the Sanskrit language as Karuna, or Krupa. If pain is a part of human existence, compassion is an instinctive response generated by human nature. The problem is, man unfailingly recognizes his own pain and sorrow and pays no attention to the pain and sorrow that is being experienced by others. When I recognize my pain or feelings of sorrow, I may generate a feeling of self-pity and not that of compassion. Compassion acts like a physical force, power, or energy. It has the ability to uplift man from pain and his experience of sorrow. However, self-pity has no such uplifting power. As a human, I can only use compassion to serve others and not for promoting my escape from pain or mental misery. People who do not recognize this Divine Force of Mercy, Grace, and Compassion often live in a state of self-pity. The instinct of compassion comes into play when man reacts to pain that he witnesses and responds to it. I can only use this force of compassion to serve others and not for securing my own well-being.

Philosophy of Medicine

I define Philosophy of Medicine as a systematic study of physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects of man’s well-being in relation to health and disease using reflective methods characteristic of Philosophy.

This is a systematic study of man as a physical, social, moral, and spiritual being. I am concerned with the status of man in the universe, in his natural environment, in his community, and as an ‘Individual’. Man has come into existence as an individual and he exists as an individual according to the Law of Individuality. Man’s existence is defended by his Immune System that deploys unique molecules (polymers) that display Molecular Individualism.

Unlike Gautama Buddha, I would explore the problem of human suffering from my definitions of health and disease. If desire is a causative agent of pain and suffering, I would explore that connection.

My philosophical insights would help to make inferences about the purpose and meaning of human life. Philosophy of Medicine is not a ‘Mantra’ or a Magical Word. I am not superhuman. I do not promise miracles.

Since the human body is constituted by building blocks called Cells, the understanding of Life demands the use of microscope. Philosophy of Medicine while exploring the nature of human existence provides the understanding of the vital connections that establish, maintain, and sustain human existence. Such understanding provides a sensory experience called ‘Madhurya’, a sensation of Sweetness which enables man to function better and overcome obstacles.

I maintain that Philosophy of Medicine provides a bodily experience called ‘Ananda’, a sense of perfect happiness, pure joy, bliss, and contentment. The goal is not Enlightenment or Nirvana. The purpose is that of improving the quality of life and gain the experience of a whole life.

What do I get if I respond with compassion?

Any act of compassion, or an act of kindness gives the performer an experience of Joy or Sweetness. It is a physical, and a mental experience. It is a whole body experience. A person who responds to an instinctive impulse generated by the force of compassion accomplishes his task of serving another person without the experience of physical or mental fatigue. The burden of providing assistance becomes light and the task itself provides a sensation of Joy or Sweetness as it is being performed or accomplished. The mind, and body collectively share this experience.

Prayer to acknowledge Compassion:

THE LORD OF SPRING SEASON – LORD MADHAVA WITH GODDESS MADHAVI: In the Divine Song called Bhagavad Gita, Chapter X, ‘The Infinite Glories of the Ultimate Truth’-‘VIBHUTI VISTARA YOGA’ that describes the LORD God Creator’s Infinite Divine Attributes, in verse # 35, Lord Krishna describes Himself as The Lord of Spring Season – The Flowery Season: “Rtunam Kusumakarah.”

Prayer is an acknowledgment of God’s Power/Force/Energy of Compassion, Grace, and Mercy. There is no human existence in the absence of this Energy. All living organisms and entities lead an energy-dependent existence. We exist as energy seekers and we exist because of an Energy Provider. In good health or sickness, and at any stage of human existence, from conception until death, man is energy-dependent and he has no other choice apart from this Divine Providence. The following is a hymn in Sanskrit language that acknowledges the immense power of compassion:

Pain and Compassion. The Philosophy of Medicine.

The person described as mute (Muukam), and Disabled (Panghum) in this prayer is not me. It is the other human being whom I recognize as mute, or handicapped. I can recognize the pain, the condition, or the physical state of this person even while he is speechless. I am empowered to gain information as if the mute person is able to communicate fluently the information about his condition. In practical terms, the mute person is transformed into a person who can speak effortlessly (Vaachalam). Similarly, the handicapped person who cannot walk or climb, overcomes all obstacles and will be able to cross over the hills (Girim). The man afflicted by disability need not walk. I am empowered by compassion and I would lift him and move him over the obstacles in his path. This prayer motivates me to use the uplifting force of compassion. While I am not physically strong or powerful, the energy of compassion lightens my physical burden and makes the task easier for me to complete without over stretching myself. The Divine Providence is identified as ‘Paramananda Madhava’. Ananda means Joy or Happiness. Paramananda means Great Joy or Perfect Bliss. The Lord gets the name of Madhava as the personification of His Energy of Compassion is described as Madhavi. Madhavi is a word derived from ‘Madhu’ which means honey, nectar, or sweetness. The Lord is always accompanied by His Energy, His Consort Madhavi. When Lord Madhava applies this Force called Madhavi, the experience would impart a sensation called ‘Madhurya’ or Sweetness in the person who is the beneficiary and also in the benefactor who is acting on behalf of the Lord in response to the instinct called compassion.

During Indo-Pak War of 1971, in the conduct of military operations in Chittagong Hill Tracts, we had experienced a sense of Joy called Madhurya. Myself, and a team of about 65 soldiers had medically evacuated our battle wounded soldiers carrying them in improvised stretchers. We had covered a total distance of over eighty miles in less than 24 hours which included a night halt. None of us had experienced sore feet, leg cramps, muscle fatigue, or mental anxiety or irritation. The patients also remained in a stable condition in spite of blood loss, and painful injuries.

Pain tolerance and Pain resistance:

The Art of Battlefield Medicine demands adequate Pain management. Pain aggravates circulatory collapse/SHOCK caused by blood loss. Transportation of critically injured battle wounded persons also aggravates the pain sensation. By providing care and comfort, by treating wounded persons with kindness, and compassion, I had recognized that I could manage their pain with minimal use of narcotics or other medications used in pain relief. Compassion exerts a positive influence and alters the perception of the pain sensation. Under the influence of compassion, man learns pain tolerance.

People have various degrees of pain tolerance. I have practically experienced that by providing care, and comfort, by treating people with kindness and compassion, I can increase their physical capacity to tolerate pain. The beneficiary, and the benefactor who serves with compassion, both equally experience a sense of Joy and tend to become Pain Tolerant and Pain Resistant. Compassion has a quality and it gives the man a capacity to tolerate and resist a far greater amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain as compared to an individual who has not experienced the force of compassion.

Advantages of Pain tolerance and Pain resistance:

King of Pop, Michael Jackson died unfortunately as a consequence of an inappropriate use of a pain killer. His pain was not managed in a manner that could have avoided this tragedy.

The person who is Pain Resistant or Pain Tolerant would not need high doses of pain killers. Such Pain Tolerant persons would not use drugs to alter mood or to elevate mood. The Pain Resistant person would not use recreational drugs like alcohol, tobacco, or other chemical substances. He is not prone to the problems of Drug Addiction or Drug Abuse and Drug Dependence. He would not need drugs to relieve Anxiety, or Depression as he is not likely to be susceptible to states of mental anxiety or mental depression. He would not routinely use drugs for pain relief as the body has made psychological adjustments for its level of pain perception . We need to know people who depend upon drugs to live their lives. If Michael Jackson is alive, he would tell us about his drug-dependent human existence. There are millions of such human beings who live using drugs and they would be only experiencing self-pity. If we recognize the Force of Divine Providence called Compassion, we could help people and help them to live a life without drugs.

The difference between Self-Gratification and Compassionate Service:

Self-gratification would provide a man with an experience of sensual pleasure. It is a pleasing and enjoyable experience while it lasts. The problem is that of addiction. The mind, and body would demand more and more of such sensual pleasure experience. Without further self-gratification, man becomes miserable. The experience of Joy or Sweetness associated with Compassion is not addictive. It would not lead to compulsive behavior and would not contribute to Behavioral Disorders. We need to address this issue of pain and its experience. Our aim should not be that of providing maximal pain relief using drugs. We need to serve people experiencing pain using the force of compassion and transform their lives and make them pain tolerant and pain resistant while enjoying the sense of Pure Joy and Sweetness inherent in service with Kindness and Compassion.

Please view my related blog post titled ‘Krupa – A Force to Preserve Human Existence

https://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/krupa-a-force-to-preserve-human-existence/

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.

Set Your Mind Free and Let Sarasvati Flow

Goddess Sarasvati is known as the Goddess of Speech or Vag Devi and She symbolizes the importance of Speech Etiquette and Speech Discipline. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Goddess Sarasvati is known as the Goddess of Speech or Vag ( or Vak) Devi and She symbolizes importance of Speech Etiquette and Speech Discipline.**

**Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Richard Lovelace(1618-1657),English Poet and Soldier**

SET YOUR MIND FREE:

Richard Lovelace, a romantic poet was confined within the walls of Gate House, a prison in Westminster, London. From the prison, in 1642 he wrote the poem, “To Althea, from Prison.” The poem has the following famous lines:

Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage;

Minds innocent and quiet take

That for a hermitage;

If I have freedom in my love

And in my soul am free,

Angels alone, that soar above,

Enjoy such liberty.

Those who had confined him could not stop him from exercising his ability to think and dream. No one can imprison or enslave the human mind. A human being essentially seeks to exist in a free state and when imprisoned, the man can still set his mind free to think and dream. A mind that is free, expresses its freedom in speech, in writing, in songs and music. Speech in all of its forms conveys the ability of a man to communicate his thoughts. Fluent and coherent speech requires the formulations of propositions, which are translated into conventional symbols, earlier acquired and readily accessible, which then reach external expression by means of an efficient vocalizing apparatus. The sequences involved in efficient speech production could be interrupted at various levels to produce different types of speech defects.

DISTURBANCES OF SPEECH:

**Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Intellectual impairment due to drugs, disease, and old age cause Speech Disorders.**

Broca's Area - Brain's Speech Center — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Broca’s Area – Brain’s Speech Center**

**Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Co-ordination of sensory and motor functions is vital for normal Speech.**

Since speech is an attribute of a free mind, it is important to understand the problems of disturbances of speech:

1. Intellectual impairment: Speech is deranged as a result of a deficit of intellectual function which prevents organization of meaningful propositions. A person who is intoxicated cannot speak well. There are several medical conditions associated with cognitive impairment, and the level of consciousness. Apart from these problems, a person, who is uneducated as he is unwilling to learn, cannot deliver good speech. In Sanskrit language such ignorant persons are identified as ‘MOORKHA’.

2. Dysarthria and Dysphonia: Precise enunciation of words with good volume requires normal function and co-ordination of lips, tongue, palate, and the vocal apparatus called larynx. Several medical conditions could cause a defect in motor output involved in speaking and contribute to slurring and distortion of speech.

3. Aphasia: These are speech difficulties or absence of speech where the person has no motor disorder and the articulatory system is intact. Three major varieties of aphasia are described. a. Broca’s, motor/expressive/Non-fluent aphasia: Broca’s area of brain produces verbs, builds sentences and predicts what people are going to say. Problems in this area makes the person’s speech non-fluent as the person has profound word finding difficulties. The person speaks slowly and with great effort. The speech is described as ‘telegraphic’ because it has no grammatical structure and small connecting words (e.g., and, or, but), are missing. The person comprehends well. The person can formulate thoughts in appropriate words i.e. internal speech is preserved, but is unable to translate them into corresponding sounds. b. Wernicke’s/Sensory/Receptive/fluent aphasia: Wernicke’s area of brain is involved in learning patterns corresponding to different types of auditory stimulation. It attaches meanings, images, and feelings to sounds and to individual words. Problems in this area would result in severe impairment in comprehension of language (both spoken and written). The person speaks fluently with ease and often in large amounts. However, the speech often goes in circles (circumlocutory) and contains incorrect word usages (paraphasias). The person fails to understand or carry out spoken instructions. Internal speech is disturbed and hence there is impairment of external speech. The person cannot understand what he hears. c. Conductive aphasia: The nerve fibers between Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas are involved in this type of problem. The person has trouble converting auditory input to verbal output. It is characterized by a marked inability to repeat words or phrases spoken to the person. d. Dyslexia and Alexia: Impairment of reading ability in individuals with normal intelligence either due to a developmental disorder or due to acquired brain lesions.

Eloquent Speech is comparable to free flowing water, the words come out continuously without any apparent effort. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Eloquent Speech is comparable to free-flowing water, the words come out continuously without any apparent effort.**

SPEECH AND MENTAL LETHARGY:

**Set Your Mind Free and Let Sarasvati Flow. Mental Fluidity overcomes Mental Lethargy, Mental Lassitude, Mental Inertia, and Mental Fatigue.**

A normal healthy person with normal intelligence and abilities to speak, write, read, and sing may not automatically become a fluent speaker. Human mind needs to exist in a ‘fluid’ state to maintain and sustain a high state of alertness and activity. Mental lethargy is described in Sanskrit language as “JADD.” The mental lethargy could be due to disease (‘ROGA’), ignorance ( ‘MOORKHA’) , or could be due to a depressed condition or state of mental activity which is described in the Sanskrit language as “JADATHA.” This condition of mental weakness or diminished energy is characterized by intellectual sluggishness. The mind is dull, lazy or indifferent. Whatever term is used, mental inertia, lack of interest or energy or lassitude is an important issue, and the man’s speech lacks the fluency and the mind lacks the ‘fluidity’ that is needed for coordinating activities. Very often, man creates ‘mental barriers’, and erects ‘mental fences’ and impedes his own intellect from generating creative thoughts and in expressing such thoughts through creative forms of speech and music. There should be no obstacles to the flow of thoughts and to its physical expression. In its natural state, a river flows without any impediments and that ‘fluid’ flowing state is important for effective human communications.

The Concept of 'Mental Fluidity' is very important to appreciate Eloquent Speech. Eloquence has a charming quality of its own, it is pleasing to the ears of the listeners and captivates the minds of the menbers of the audience. Speech should make the same impact in terms of its appeal like a scenic picture. — Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow.The Concept of ‘Mental Fluidity’ is very important to appreciate Eloquent Speech. Eloquence has a charming quality of its own, it is pleasing to the ears of the listeners and captivates the minds of the members of the audience. Speech should make the same impact in terms of its appeal like a scenic picture.

Kunda's whiteness symbolizes Purity. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Star Jasmine or Kunda’s whiteness symbolizes Purity.White Lotus symbolizes Purity. White and radiant personality symbolizes Purity.**

Indian Traditions about Letters, Speech, Arts and Music:

Mind if it is responding slowly, a condition of mental inertia or lethargy described as ‘Buddhi Mandhyam’, the man cannot realize his creative potential in the field of letters, speech, arts, and music. The Vedic River of Sarasvati is personified as the patron Goddess of Speech (‘VAC or VAK’). Sarasvati enjoys a unique autonomous position and apart from man, the entire Hindu pantheon of Gods pay obeisance to Her and seek Her protection to destroy and dissolve the problem of mental lethargy which impairs mental activity. The mind of man cannot be set free unless the mental barriers and mental fences are totally eradicated and Sarasvati is allowed to flow in its natural state without impediments.

A hymn to worship Goddess Sarasvati:

Jasminum multiflorum,'KUNDA', Star Jasmine, Native of India. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Jasminum multiflorum,’ KUNDA’, Star Jasmine, Native of India.**

Moon, 'INDU' and the radiant personality of Sarasvati. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Moon, ‘INDU’ and the radiant personality of Sarasvati.**

'TUSHAAR', Snow clad peaks of Himalayas, the abode of Snow/Ice. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. ‘TUSHAR’, Snow clad peaks of Himalayas, the abode of Snow/Ice.**

'VEENA', stringed musical instrument, native to South India. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. ‘VEENA’, stringed musical instrument, native to India.**

Nelumbo nucifera, White Lotus flower,'Shwetha Padmaa',Native of India. — **Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Nelumbo nucifera, White Lotus flower,’ “Shwetha Padma” , Native of India.**

**Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. The Divine Trinity-Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva join to worship the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom.**

**Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. The Rig Vedic River Sarasvati, the source of pure, nourishing waters. The Sanskrit language and the Devanagari script originated here.**

**Set Your Mind Free. Let Sarasvati Flow. Sarasvati, the destroyer of Mental Inertia and Lethargy.**

**Set Your Mind Free, Let Sarasvati Flow. Bhagavathi, Facilitator of man’s journey from Reality to Ultimate Reality.**

'AUM', the Sound Invocation for Sarasvati Vandana. — **Set Your Mind Free, Let Sarasvati Flow. ‘AUM’, the Sound Invocation for Sarasvati Vandana.**

Ya kundendu tushara haara dhavala, Ya shubhra vastravrita
Ya veena vara danda mandithakara, Ya shwetha padmaasana
Ya brahmachyuthaha shankara prabrithibhi devai, sada poojitha
Samaam paatu Sarasvati Bhagavathi, nihshesha Jaddyapaha. _/\_

Meaning:

Salutations to Devi Sarasvati, who is pure white like Jasmine and covered with white garments, with the coolness of Moon, brightness of snow and shine like the garland of Pearls.
Whose hands are adorned with Veena and the boon giving staff and who is seated on white lotus.
Who is always adored by Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Shankara and other Devas.
O Goddess, please protect me and remove my mental inertia and ignorance completely.

Sarasvati is defined as “Saaram vaati iti Sarasvati”, She who flows towards the Absolute is Sarasvati. For river-like streaming and fluent speech the blessings of Sarasvati would help and the mind is set free as long as the waters flow.

Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada

Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.,

BHAVANAJAGAT

**Set Your Mind Free-Let Sarasvati Flow. Shevata Padma DHAVALA – The White Lotus symbolizes the Purity, Creativity, and Nourishing Qualities**

Philosophy of Medicine

THIS ENTRY IS DEDICATED TO LORD GAUTAMA BUDDHA KNOWN AS SIDDHARTHA (“HE WHO WILL ACCOMPLISH”)

**SIDDHARTHA – GAUTAMA BUDDHA ( c. 563 to c. 483 BC ):”Whatever is born, produced, conditioned, contains within itself the nature of its own dissolution.”**

( The photo image of Lord Gautama Buddha belongs to Ms. Ewa Serwicka. www.dalekoniedaleko.pl )

Prince Siddhartha got married at age 16 leading a life of luxury and comfort in a royal palace. While he took a fateful chariot trip outside the palace, for the first time in his life, the young prince witnessed irremediable suffering in the form of physical disability, sickness, old age, and death. He left the palace at the age of 29 leaving behind his young wife and an infant son. After 6 years of ascetic life, while meditating under a pipal tree (later called ‘Bodhi’ or Tree of Enlightenment), he became Supreme Buddha (c.528 BC) and preached his first sermon at Sarnath and continued his preaching until his death 49 years later. The Full Moon Day of the month of May or Vaisakh is celebrated as ‘Buddha Purnima’. He outlined his doctrine of the Four Noble Truths; 1. Suffering or Dukha is implicit in Existence. 2. Suffering has a cause – the Doctrine of ‘Dependent Origination’ – suffering is the result of one’s desires for pleasure, power, and continued existence. 3. Suffering can cease (stop desiring). 4. Cessation of suffering can be brought about by the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path; Right Views, Intentions, Speech, Conduct, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration. Buddha preached to his followers, known as ‘Sangha’, the True Law or Dharma. He described a three-part scheme of Buddhist life which combines 1. Initial Faith or Saddha, 2. Training in concentration or meditation called Samadhi, and 3. Ethical and Disciplinary practices called Sila. Unlike Jesus Christ, Buddha never performed miracles. He was not superhuman. He did not restore life to any dead person. He did not restore vision to any blind person. He did not restore the hearing ability of any deaf person. He did not restore the ability of speech of any mute person. He did not miraculously heal any sickness or cured bodily disabilities or infirmities. Gautama Buddha believed that the greatest miracle was to explain the truth and to make a man realize it.

**Philosophy of Medicine. The experience of joy, happiness, or ananda is as real as the experience of pain, suffering, and misery.**

In my analysis, Gautama Buddha did not realize the truth about man and the world in which he exists. Apart from suffering or dukha, the experience of Joy, Ananda, Happiness, and Bliss is implicit in the human existence. The nature of dependent or conditioned existence does contribute to feelings of sadness, fear, anxiety, and depression. But, man does derive satisfaction, satiation, and contentment in his living condition and does experience joy, particularly when he recognizes that his mortal existence is made possible because of his unity or yoking with an Everlasting Principle.

**Philosophy of Medicine. Gautama Buddha’s Doctrine of Dependent Origination of Pain is fundamentally flawed for it fails to recognize the usefulness of pain sensation to protect human existence.**

Gautama Buddha’s doctrine of dependent origination to account for pain, suffering, and human misery is fundamentally flawed.

**Philosophy of Medicine. Medical interventions investigate the underlying causes and mechanisms of the pain sensation reported by man.**

Most medical interventions investigate the underlying causes and mechanisms of pain sensation experienced by man.

Gautama Buddha’s recommendation to stop desiring to treat the problem of human pain, suffering, and misery goes against the fundamental characteristic of all living things. All living things have the desire to exist and perpetuate their living condition using the power of motion, nutrition, and reproduction. Since the time of its origin, Life has never ceased to exist and continues to exist in spite of the various recorded major and minor extinction events.

Philosophy of Medicine:

Since the human body is constituted by building blocks called Cells, the understanding of Life demands the use of microscope. Philosophy of Medicine while exploring the nature of human existence provides the understanding of the vital connections that establish, maintain, and sustain human existence. Such understanding provides a sensory experience called ‘Madhurya’, a sensation of Sweetness which enables man to function better and overcome obstacles.

I maintain that Philosophy of Medicine accounts for the bodily experience called ‘Ananda’, a sense of perfect happiness, pure joy, bliss, and contentment. The goal of Philosophy of Medicine is not Enlightenment or Nirvana. The purpose is that of improving the quality of life and gain the experience of a whole life.

“VAIDYO NARAYANO HARI”

**Philosophy of Medicine. The natural healing process is a divine gift.**

Physicians are able to provide preventive, curative, restorative, and rehabilitative services because of the human body’s natural ability to heal itself. The repair process by which body heals itself is described as Inflammation and Repair. Human existence is possible because of these valuable, protective, natural healing mechanisms. This process and these mechanisms are not under a man’s voluntary control.

Indian thinkers claim that the Physician (Vaidya) is equal to LORD God known as Narayana, or Hari. It does not imply that a physician could be superhuman or could perform miracles. A physician understands the natural mechanisms that assist healing and he could use them and manipulate them to provide a remedy or cure. Physician could aim to get connected to the divine gifts of healing that already exist and could seek a better outcome while treating a sick or injured person. The mechanism and the natural process could be identified as Divine.

Medicine and Faith:

LORD RAMA – Indian Tradition claims that His name acts like a Medicine to cure the sickness or problems associated with Human Existence.- “Sareere jarjaree bhuuthe, vyaadhigraste kalebare, Aushadham Jahnavee toyam, Vaidyo NarayanO Hari.”

The problems of disease, sickness, and disability associated with human life should not come as a surprise. The verse quoted in the above caption states that human body naturally experiences age related decay, deterioration of function, and is prone to infirmities. The verse further mentions that human body is subject to sickness or disease. Medicine is viewed as the equivalent of the sacred waters of Ganga or River Ganges. Indian Tradition believes that the waters of Ganga are holy and could wipe away man’s sins and cure his spiritual sickness. Similarly, the Doctor of Medicine could administer medicine or provide medical intervention invoking the Divine Power of Ganga and qualify himself to be known as Lord Narayana or Hari. It suggests that the Physician should seek positive motivation while giving a medicine and the patient should be inspired to believe in the efficacy of that medicine. In any case, seeking or expecting a negative outcome would not be of any use in real life. When the natural healing process is considered as a divine gift, all medical interventions begin with a prayerful thought to invoke the blessings of healing.

The threats and challenges to human existence:

Adi Shankaracharya cautions people, when Death knocks on the door, be prepared for the inevitable consequences :”Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Govindam Bhaja Muudha mate; Sampraptey Sannihitey kaale, nahi, nahi Rakshati dukrun karane.”

The threats and challenges to human health and well-being come from several directions. Tragically, very healthy individuals may sometimes succumb to injury or sickness. The causative factors of several diseases still remain a mystery. There are several medical conditions which are well-known and well understood but they have no proper remedy or cure. There are medical situations where the only choice that is available would be that of seeking Divine Mercy, Grace, and Compassion to tolerate pain and suffering with patience while supporting other living functions.

‘Sarve Santu Niramaya’ – Freedom From Disease and Sickness:

The Motto of Indian Army Medical Corps is 'SARVE SANTU NIRAMAYA' - MAY EVERYBODY LIVE IN PERFECT HEALTH AND BE FREE FROM SICKNESS. — **The Motto of the Indian Army Medical Corps is ‘SARVE SANTU NIRAMAYA’ – MAY EVERYBODY LIVE IN PERFECT HEALTH AND BE FREE FROM SICKNESS.**

The Motto of the Indian Army Medical Corps is ‘Sarve Santu Niramaya’. This is an idea expressed in the Upanishads. The hymn appears as a benediction to invoke ‘Peace’ and hence it is known as a ‘Shanti Mantra’.

**Philosophy of Medicine. The diagnosis of good and positive health is more important than the diagnosis of ill-health.**

May everybody be blessed with happiness (Sukhinah), May everybody live in perfect health free from sickness (Niramaya), May everybody be assured of well-being , lead a life that is safe and secure (Bhadrani), and May there be no mental thought that could arouse sorrow or grief (Dukh bhaag).

Philosophy of Medicine will explore all these concepts and arrange the information into a meaningful pattern and interpret it to describe the reality of the health status. The purpose of Medical Science is to describe and codify observations and experiences. My service in the Indian Army Medical Corps provided me the insights to understand and define Good Health and my goal is to keep people in Positive Health.

TIME’S POWER OF HEALING – A DIVINE GIFT

A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN:

**TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS – DOES IT DESCRIBE THE POWER OF TIME?**

THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES AND CONCEPTS ABOUT TIME:

**The words of the Preacher, the son of King David, King in Jerusalem, Solomon the Wise.**

King Solomon is believed to be the author of The Book of Ecclesiastes, The Old Testament Book of Holy Bible. These are his words from Chapter 3, verses 1-11 :

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under Heaven:

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

THE HEALING POWER OF TIME:

Human existence could be challenged by physical and psychological injuries. A physical injury could also cause a significant amount of psychological damage and to a similar extent, unhealed psychological wounds may impair physical health and wellbeing. A psychological insult or injury may impact the activities and the normal functioning of a person who is not otherwise physically diseased. Human body is naturally endowed with an ability to repair damage caused to body tissues by physical injuries and other insults. The Repair process by which body heals itself is described as Inflammation and Repair. Human existence is possible because of this valuable, and protective natural healing process. However, this healing process and mechanisms are not under man’s voluntary control. The inflammatory reaction and the repair process result in scars as remnants. Once inflammation has subsided, the body may heal by regeneration of original tissue or the original tissue could be replaced by fibrotic connective tissue leading to scarring; very often wounds heal by a combination of these two events. Different tissues in the human body have different regenerative capacities. Basing upon the ability of regeneration, three different types of cells make up the human body: 1. Labile Cells – have the ability to regenerate throughout life. The epithelial cells of skin surface are regenerated on a regular basis giving us the ability to sustain our physical appearance as long as we live. Several other cells particularly found in blood, lymph, and spleen have this ability. 2. Stable Cells – have the ability to multiply and proliferate throughout life but are dormant unless stimulated. The cells of liver, pancreas, kidney, smooth muscles such as found in the wall of intestines, and the cells of the inner lining of blood vessels belong to this category. If a part of liver is removed, the liver can regenerate new liver cells and the resected liver regains its original size. 3. Permanent Cells – these cells do not have the ability to replicate and when injured or damaged are always replaced by connective tissue that results in loss of function. Neurons, skeletal muscle cells, and cardiac muscle cells belong to this type. The injury of neurons may cause paralysis. The injury of cardiac muscle cells may cause heart failure or cardiac arrest.

**The natural process of Wound Healing is Time related.**

The human body’s ability to heal itself also depends upon the nature of the insult and the agent causing the injury. Several physical, chemical, and biological agents have a great potential to cause severe damage and result in structural and functional impairment of the body from which recovery is not possible. Wound healing and restoration of function represent a process critical to the practice of Surgery. Surgeons are able to provide curative and restorative services because of the human body’s natural ability to heal itself.

TYPES OF WOUND HEALING:

Wound Healing is the process in which a physical injury (like a cut injury) undergoes repair with restoration of intrinsic tissue strength and function and also with resistance to infection and other external influences. Wound Healing is affected by the type of the Wound. Clean, sterile wounds that are not at the risk of contamination by other body secretions from the gastrointestinal tract, the genitourinary tract, or the respiratory tract heal better. Infected wounds and contaminated wounds heal slowly. If a wound is suspected to be contaminated the wound is often left open to evaluate the problem and to control any infectious agent. There are three types of Wound Healing described.

1. Primary Intention or First Intention Wound Healing – Primary Union occurs when there has been little tissue damage, the wound is clean and is not contaminated by foreign matter, the wound is not infected, and the wound edges are closely approximated and are in proper contact. The edges of a wound should be approximated as early as possible after the injury. The surgical procedure known as Primary Wound Closure allows the wound to heal by First Intention. These wounds heal rapidly with minimal amount of scarring. A Surgeon while operating inflicts clean incised wounds and closes the wounds at the end of the surgical procedure. Nature takes over the process of Healing which proceeds in a timely fashion.

The Natural Wound Healing Process known as Inflammation and Repair involves several different kinds of body cells and chemical mediators. Macrophage is one such cell. It eats up dead tissue and devours harmful bacteria, and engulfs foreign matter present in the wound.

2. Second Intention Wound Healing – It will not be possible to close wounds immediately after an injury if the wound is large, and the two skin edges are not in contact; the wound contains a lot of dead tissue or foreign matter, or is infected. The wound could be intentionally left open until the surgeon could make it clean. Sometimes, the injured person arrives late after sustaining an injury. The time of injury is of critical importance in choosing a course of action for its healing. The surgical procedure known as Delayed or Secondary Closure brings about healing by Secondary Union. Apart from the delay in Wound Healing, the resulting scar tissue is also more extensive.

3. Third Intention Wound Healing – Sometimes, the wound is left open and is observed for several days because of low-grade bacterial contamination. Eventually, when the wound looks healthy and the wound edges are healthy, the Surgeon would close the wound allowing it to heal by Third Intention. Depending upon the amount of loss in skin surface, and the size of the wound, skin grafts may be needed for Wound Healing and the process is delayed until suitable graft material is procured and the grafting process concludes successfully.

Wound Healing is affected by several factors that affect human body. A healthy person recovers faster and better if he is injured. When the health is compromised, the recovery from the wounds would be unsatisfactory. Malnutrition, protein deficiency, iron deficiency, Vitamin-C ( Ascorbic acid ) deficiency, diseases of liver and kidneys delay the natural healing process. Conditions causing poor blood supply (Peripheral Arterial Disease), diabetes, other severe systemic diseases and infections like Tuberculosis can affect wound healing. After Wound Healing, the tissue never regains its original strength that existed prior to the injury. An uncomplicated wound, six months after its healing has about 80 percent of its original strength. Most wounds continue to remodel for more than one year. First Intention healing would generally produce cosmetically acceptable scars. Some scars are unsightly with a raised surface but the scar lies entirely within the confines of the wound. These Hypertrophic scars eventually stabilize in about six months time and are amenable to further cosmetic surgical correction to improve the appearance and to restore the function of the affected body part. Scars known as ‘Keloids’ invade nearby normal tissue that was not previously involved in the wound. This type of scar continues to enlarge even after six months time and does not usually regress or soften. The Keloids cause cosmetic disfigurement which is not easily treatable. Time plays an important role in all the aspects of Wound Healing and Wound Management and exerts an unique influence of its own in the outcomes.

THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN AND THE EXPRESSION OF GRIEF:

**The disfigurement caused by Leprosy is known to humanity for several centuries. This disfigurement is caused by the involvement of nerves and the loss of sensory functions.**

We seek help and medical attention for our physical injuries and wounds because of our ability to experience pain.The experience of the physical sensation of pain is of utmost importance in defending and in preserving human existence. If the neurological function of pain perception is blunted or impaired for any reason, the recovery from physical wounds would be delayed and the body sustains further physical damage. Pain is of utmost importance in Clinical Medicine, both for diagnosing an underlying medical condition, to watch the progress, and in treating the condition. The human body that can not express pain or experience pain is at a great risk of harming itself. Psychological insults and injuries also cause pain and grief. To experience mental pain or grief is a natural protective, and defensive mechanism. Such ability to perceive pain from psychological attacks and insults is important to preserve the integrity and existence of the entire organism. By expressing grief, body initiates the natural healing process. While physical wounds need to be closed to help them heal faster, psychological wounds need to be exposed to bring about their healing. Emotional pain and grief must not be concealed. By properly expressing mental grievances, mind gets a chance to purge the negative emotions generated by the psychological assault. The grievance must be reported to a friend, a relative, a therapist, a priest, or to the Law Enforcement and if no such avenue is available it must be submitted to the God the person believes. Psychological wounds when hidden, fail to heal.

Psychological Injuries and Insults Heal with passage of Time. The Pain is eased as the painful event becomes more distant and the memory of the event starts fading. Apart from memory function, Time may alter our perception of the Psychological Attack and the Injury.

Time exists even when there is no conscious entity with its awareness of past, present, and the future. Time exists not because of human memory of past events, awareness of present, and expectation of future. Time exerts an influence of its own which changes our perception of events and alters the course of consequences. A person with very good memory function would experience less pain with the passage of time after sustaining psychological trauma. The qualities of patience, tolerance, and forbearance increase our ability to withstand physical and mental pain. In the Sanskrit language, the qualities of patience, tolerance, and forbearance are described as ‘KSHAMA’. These qualities not only make the individual Stress Resistant and Resilient, they would also allow the Time’s Power of Healing to come into play. Indians seek the quality of KSHAMA to withstand the consequences of physical and psychological wounds and they believe in the concept of Time as a Healer of all Wounds.

THE DIVINE HEALING POWER OF TIME:

Susruta, Surgeon of Ancient India – Surgical Care and intervention is possible only because of the body’s intrinsic ability to heal its wounds. Surgery would be impossible without this Natural Gift of Inflammation and Repair.

By simply repeating and remembering the two letters, “RA”, “MA” serves like a Medicine while man confronts the problems of Healing and the consequences of physical and psychological wounds. Indian Culture offers RAMA as a Medicine to all the illnesses and injuries that may afflict human existence and survival. The Indian Concept of Time describes its Divine Healing Potential and Rama provides KSHAMA, the patience, tolerance, and forbearance that is needed for Time to exert its Divine Healing Power.

Human body exists with an ability to recognize its own wounds and initiates its well synchronized response almost simultaneously and this timely response could only be described as a Divine Gift, a gift which humans have no ability to invent on their own.

**Time’s Power of Healing. A Divine Gift.**

The Art of Diagnosing good health vs Diagnosing ill-health

The Art of diagnosing Good Health vs Ill-health. **This portrait** of Adi **Shankara** depicts him in perfect, good and positive health.

The Legend About Bhaja Govindam

**The Art of Diagnosing Good Health vs ill-health. The man’s existence is always conditioned by the Divine Providence.**

Adi Shankara, an Indian philosopher of 8th century CE, born in the southern Indian state of Kerala is well-known for his doctrine of Advaita Vedanta which formulated by his interpretation of the Upanishads. Shankara also established the ‘SMARTHA’ tradition to which I belong. He recommends devotion to both Shiva and Vishnu and the worship of other gods and goddesses. His poetic composition popularly known as ‘Bhaja Govindam’ deals with issues of human existence and the problem of death. Shankara renounced the comforts associated with materialistic existence and had become a ‘Sanyasi’ (Hindu ascetic) at a very young age and walked across the length and breadth of India on foot. He lived by accepting the offerings (‘bhiksha’) given by the community which often involved walking along the streets in places where he lived.

While Shankara visited the city of Kashi also known as Benares or Varanasi, the legend claims that he composed the twelve verses of Bhaja Govindam in the Sanskrit language. He was accompanied by fourteen of his disciples and they also contributed a verse each and these songs are collectively known as ‘Bhaja Govindam’. As per the legend, Shankara encountered a man teaching the rules of Sanskrit grammar to his students. In India, the teaching technique often involves learning by rote. A phrase is repeated several times to let the students put it into memory. As this Sanskrit Grammar teacher was repeating the phrase ‘Du krun kariney’, Shankara, a man of great spiritual insight, instantly recognized that the Sanskrit teacher was actually facing the threat of death and the teacher himself was not aware of the threat to his physical existence.

Shankara who mastered Vedas and Upanishads was aware of the many sources both external and internal that endanger human existence. This particular ability of Shankara to diagnose the health of an individual interests me because of my educational experience and training in the ‘Art of Diagnosis’. Unfortunately, Shankara died at the very young age of 32. A mystery surrounds his death. The place of his death is disputed. He was always followed by his disciples. Some accounts claim that he had died in Kedarnath in the Himalayan mountains of Uttarakhand State. Others claim that he had died in the southern Indian city of Kanchi. What had contributed to his premature demise is not known. His portraits always depicted him in good and positive health.

THE ART OF DIAGNOSING GOOD HEALTH:

The Art of Diagnosing Good Health vs ill-health. The Diagnostic Process must be applied to the evaluation of the man to diagnose the condition called Good, Perfect, and Positive health.

To diagnose ill-health is easy. The sick person may describe his ailments. In addition to a person’s subjective symptoms, ill-health shows objective manifestations. The art of clinical diagnosis in sickness and disease involves the use of signs and symptoms attributable to specific conditions that affect the state of health of an individual. However, the mere absence of ill-health does not necessarily mean that the person is positively healthy. Health, like beauty is often a matter of subjective impression. But, while beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, the diagnosis of perfect and positive health is a verdict rendered after a carefully executed medical examination.

The important object of medical inspection and examination of Armed Forces personnel is to ensure that they are healthy and are able to perform the tasks assigned to them. As the medical officer providing medical cover to units in the Armed Forces of India and The Sultanate of Oman where I had served, I was responsible for assessment of health of all personnel under my care. To ensure that the troops are in good health, I was required to medically inspect all personnel under my care periodically and diagnose that they were in good health. Good health demands that a person should appear well nourished. In stature and build, a person should represent an average example of his race and class. The person should not present any evidence of emotional hyper-excitability. Temperamentally, the individual should exhibit reasonable aptitude and behavior consistent with the expectations of his occupation. Most importantly, the face of the person should reflect the bloom of vigorous health. A person in good health should appear cheerful and be full of vitality. The entire individual is carefully examined to assess the health status. I had acquired the practical skills of the ‘Art of Diagnosing Good Health’ by carefully carrying out regular, periodic health inspections of all men under my care. Armed Forces insists upon Medical Inspections for a variety of reasons and individuals who are subject to the Rules and Regulations that govern Service in Uniform cannot refuse the mandatory Medical Examinations. Medical Inspection of all the men including all food handlers of the Unit is done typically once every month. In addition, men newly posted to the Unit (New Arrivals), men before proceeding on and returning from Courses of Instruction/Leave of Absence/Temporary Duty, and after Hospital Discharge are Medically Inspected. Recruits posted to the Unit after completion of Recruit Training, and men joining their Units after serving abroad are subjected to Medical Inspections. Thorough, detailed and specific Medical Examinations of military personnel is required under the following conditions:

1. All troops proceeding on ‘active service’ or troops proceeding overseas. 2. Individuals proceeding on permanent transfer to another Unit. 3. Men desirous of an extension of service or re-engagement. 4. Troops for transfer for the Reserve Duty. 5.Officers at the time of initiation of Annual Confidential Reports, entry to Staff College, any Course of Instruction, Fitness for Special Duty. 6. Men under arrest and undergoing sentence and before disciplinary action. 7. Men posted to serve at High Altitude. 8. Special examination at the outbreak of an infectious disease. Typically, I used to examine at least twenty known contacts of each case of Malaria or Viral Hepatitis.

Medicine is not merely the Art of Diagnosing ill-health and it is equally the Art of Diagnosing Good and Positive Health. I perfected this skill by meticulously repeating the task of conducting Medical Inspections thousands of times during the course of my service in the Armed Forces. This practice also contributed to my ability to diagnose ill-health and in the next several posts I would narrate a few specific instances when I diagnosed an impending outcome of death. During my service, there are instances when I diagnosed the fact of Good Health and made the individuals to perform their assigned tasks and did not allow them to escape from the obligations of Military Duty making invalid claims about their health status.

A STORY FROM MILITARY HOSPITAL, ROORKEE:

**The Art of Diagnosing Good Health vs ill health. The Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis at Military Hospital, Roorkee Cantonment**

Sometimes, the acute power of observation works better than that of Physician’s clinical examination. During 1973, while I was serving at Gauchar near Rudraprayag, I was admitted to Military Hospital, ROORKEE for an intestinal infection. During my hospital stay as a patient,while I was standing in the lobby of the Officers’ Ward, one particular evening, I saw a young, male patient arriving at the Ward after his admission. When I looked at him, and the manner in which he was walking, particularly his gait and the position of his right hand over the right lower quadrant of his abdomen, I suspected his medical problem. After he came into the Ward, from his facial appearance alone, I recognized him as the younger brother of an Officer who was then serving in my Unit. Both of them belonged to the Corps of Engineers. I introduced myself and he promptly confirmed his relationship to the Officer who was serving in my Unit. I asked him about his medical ailment. He was getting treatment from the Hospital Physician (M.D., Classified Medical Specialist) over the last several days and was
seen by the Physician twice in the Out-Patient Clinic and he was not responding to the medicines that were prescribed. I looked up at the Hospital Admission document. He was admitted to the Military Hospital with the provisional diagnosis of Fever Not Yet Diagnosed. I told him that Fever was not the real issue and that he was suffering on account of a common well-known surgical condition called Acute Appendicitis. I confirmed this diagnosis by performing a simple test on this young Officer patient and told him that he would need immediate surgery and that his ‘APPENDIX’ must be removed without any delay. I proceeded to contact the Duty Medical Officer who admitted and sent this patient to the Officers’ Ward. The Duty Officer told me that he admitted this patient based upon the written opinion and recommendation given by the Physician. The Duty Medical Officer came over to the Officers’ Ward and he repeated the test I had performed earlier and the diagnosis was very clear. He immediately called the Duty Surgeon, who came over and repeated the test I had conducted and confirmed that Appendix should be removed. The appendix was removed and the Surgeon came back and told me that the appendix was highly inflamed and was at the risk of rapture which poses a greater threat. While, Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency among young adults, the Medical Specialists are not trained to treat this condition and sometimes they may fail to look for it. I was less qualified than the Medical Specialist but I had trained myself in the Art of Diagnosis which would be of use in diagnosis if not in delivering the special treatment and interventions that a medical condition requires. Whatever may be the outcome, a Good Diagnosis is as relevant as a Good and proper Treatment. Roorkee was the hometown of this Officer patient. Later his father came to the Ward to meet me and was particularly excited with this exceptional coincidence ; I knew his first son and then I was in Roorkee at that precise moment and intervened as his second son was arriving at the Officers’ ward.

BHAJA GOVINDAM-PART-I:

**The Art of Diagnosing Good Health vs ill-health.**

While the Art of Diagnosis interests me, I constantly remind myself that Good Health is due to the GRACE, MERCY, and Compassion of the LORD and Indians love to personify the Divine Providence as LORD Govinda. For the man exists because of MERCY, when the existence is threatened, the man may have no choice other than remembering the LORD.

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

Special Frontier Force-Establishment No.22-Vikas Regiment

https://youtu.be/bEkFC_VtTeU

The Art of Diagnosing Good Health vs ill-health. The man’s existence is always conditioned by the Divine Providence.

The Theory of Total Consciousness

**DESCARTES, RENE (b. March 31, 1596, d. February 11, 1650 ), French Mathematician and Father of Modern Philosophy.**

Descartes, Rene, The Father of Modern Philosophy: “I Think, Therefore I am.”

I am Consciousness, therefore I am

VITRUVIAN MAN, BY LEONARDO DA VINCI (c. 1492). This picture is used as the cover page for Best & Taylor’s Text Book of Human Physiology. Medical Science and Medical Education is knowledge built upon the foundations of understanding and knowing Human Anatomy (Structure ) and Human Physiology (Function).

This is a proposition to gain knowledge, and to understand Truth and Reality. Consciousness is awareness of one’s own state, condition, and fact of existence in a given environment. The Subject who exists because of the living functions of trillions cells has to be identified. The term ‘soul’ describes the functional unity of these trillions of living cells each of which is aware of its own existence in a given environment. My soul is the manifestation of trillions of units of awareness or consciousness of the individual living cells that comprise my human body.

WHO AM I? This question must be answered by applying a reasoning process to Inferential Knowledge about Cell Structure (Anatomy) and Cell Functions (Physiology). Life is defined as “Knowledge in Action.”

To exist in the natural world, my consciousness or awareness establishes what I describe as ‘God Connection’; the connection between the energy-seeker and the energy-provider.

Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products.

The biological function called Consciousness gives the ability to acquire energy from the given environment in which the living entity is present. To perform mental functions such as thinking, and having feelings, the human being has to maintain physical existence and sustain vital metabolic functions acquiring energy from external environment.

Brain Stem Reticular Formation shown as a red band in the image represents an integrative focus of consciousness functioning through its widespread interconnections with the Cerebral Cortex and other regions of the Brain. It functions to compose the contents of consciousness that would be revealed as Cortical Awareness. Reticular Formation describes “The Capacity of Consciousness” and without this function the contents of consciousness( or cortical awareness) will not be known to the individual.

The Theory of Total Consciousness explores the total contents of conscious experience and determines its significance in relation to the act, state, or condition called Living.

The Ground Substance of Spiritualism and Spirituality. The vital characteristics, the animating principles of Protoplasm could be known by observing Amoeba proteus. The Living Substance works as an organ of Motion or Movement, as an organ of Nutrition, and as an organ of Reproduction to generate new cells which have a life span of their own. In these physiological functions, I describe the characteristics such as Cognition, Consciousness, Memory, and Intelligence which have a Spiritual role as they bring functional unity and harmony in the interactions between different parts of the same individual organism while it exists in an environment as a member of a biological community

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.

Personal Number: MS-8466. Rank: Captain. Name: R Rudra Narasimham, Branch: Army Medical Corps/Short Service Regular Commission. Unit: Headquarters Establishment Number. 22, C/O 56 APO. Designation: Medical Officer from September 22, 1971 to December 18, 1974. Organization: SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE.

“I am Consciousness, Therefore I am”

VITRUVIAN MAN, BY LEONARDO DA VINCI(c. 1492). This picture is used as the cover page for Best & Taylor’s Text Book of Human Physiology. Medical Science and Medical Education is knowledge built upon the foundations of understanding and knowing Human Anatomy ( Structure ) and Human Physiology ( Function).



SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE : MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY – THE INQUIRY ABOUT SELF, SPIRIT, AND SOUL :

I would submit that we have to arrive at an understanding of ‘self’, spirit, and soul by knowing the structure and functional organization of the being that exists.

THE IDENTITY OF MULTICELLULAR HUMAN ORGANISM :



“ManO buddhyaHamkaara, chittani na aHam, Na karnam, na jihvaa, na cha ghraana neytrey, Na cha vyoma, bhuumir na TejO, na vaayuH; Chidaananda Ruupah, Shivo aHam, Shivo aHam.” Adi Shankaracharya has described that his Identity does not pertain to his mind, intellect, the intellectual pride/ego, mental functions, his organs of sense, the five primordial elements of Nature. His Identity could only be stated as SAT+CHIT+ANANDA, the Identity of Ultimate Reality. However, the human organism has an Identity described by Human Anatomy and the organism’s functions(Physiology) establish and defend this Identity of the Human person in Nature.



Dr. Daniel John Cunningham( 1850-1909 ), Chair of Anatomy, University of Cambridge has provided this Manual of Practical Anatomy to help medical students dissect human cadavers and learn Human Anatomy. Whether humans know and understand Human Anatomy and Physiology or not, they come into existence with full functional knowledge of every constituent cell in the body. The Human Body has Innate Knowledge of its own Structure and Function. I had acquired this Knowledge from Uneducated individuals who had gifted their bodies to promote Medical Education.

I learned about human body while dissecting the body in a systematic manner. The Manual of Practical Anatomy which guides us through this entire process was published in England. The author Dr. Daniel John Cunningham prepared the Manual while dissecting cadavers of British or Irish citizens. He had never encountered cadavers of Indian citizens. At Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India, where I was a student, the Department of Anatomy obtains dead bodies from Government General Hospital Kurnool and most of the deceased are the poor, illiterate, and uneducated people of that region. None of the deceased had a chance to know this man called Cunningham and Cunningham had no knowledge about the existence of these people who had arrived on our dissection tables. But, as the dissection of the human body proceeded, inch, by inch, we recognized the anatomical parts as described by Cunningham. The manual also lists some anatomical variations and we very often exchanged information between various dissection tables and recognized the variations mentioned. The dissections also involves slicing the organs and studying them, both macroscopically, and microscopically. We did not miss any part of the human body. So what is the Identity of this Human person or Human subject? How does the living Human organism maintain its Identity and Individuality? Apart from the Cultural Traditions of India, several Schools of Religious Thought claim that the Human Individual and its Identity is represented by Human Soul. Where does this soul exist in the human body? What is the location if soul is present in the living person? Does man have a soul?



THE KNOWLEDGE OF FIELD AND THE FIELD OF ACTIVITY :’KSHETRA AND KSHETRA JNANA’ :

The term soul has to be carefully defined if I have to find it by exploring the human body. In the Indian tradition, the human body is described as ‘KSHETRA’ or Field. The individual who knows and enjoys this body, kshetra, or field is often described as ‘PURUSHA’. The knowledge of the body is called ‘KSHETRA JNANA’. The person called Purusha could explore his body called ‘kshetra’ and acquire knowledge called ‘Kshetra Jnana’. So, I had explored my body to find out if I have a soul and as to where it exists. I can explore my body while I am alive. If I am dead, only a different living person may get the opportunity to explore my dead body, but he may not be able to discover the soul which may have already departed from the body. If soul exists in the cadaver, Cunningham would not have missed it, and we the diligent students dissecting human cadavers would not have missed it. By definition, soul does not exist in dead bodies. It has something to do with life and the characteristics of a living person or organism. With the intellectual insight I had gained by studying human anatomy, I can explore my living body without placing it on a dissection table.

THE FUNCTIONAL UNITY OF MULTICELLULAR HUMAN ORGANISM :

Humans are multicellular organisms. Who or what is the Subject who lives because of the functions of the trillions of cells? Multicellularity found in complex organisms like humans is accompanied by definite capabilities of cells for differentiation. The design of cells has been modified to serve specialized functions of tissues and organs. To achieve proper numerical balance between functionally related cell groups, the death of many cells is necessary for others to reach maturity. This programmed cell death plays an important role during embryological growth and development of human fetus. Waves of genetically driven cell deaths are critical to the proper modeling of organs, and organ systems. Such programmed cell death events are essential if the organism as a whole is to develop its normal final form by which its Identity as an Individual is established. The constituent cells of the organism do not display functional individuality while living as individuals. The cell in a complex organism is not truly an independently functioning unit. The cell exists and functions to achieve Unity of the Organism as a Whole. The one very important part of the environment of a cell is other cells. The Consciousness, the Awareness of individual cells in multicellular organism functions to achieve the Functional Unity of the Whole Organism. Consciousness brings Functional Unity by providing the abilities of recognition, association, and cooperation between all the cells of the multicellular organism. Multicellular organisms are characterized by the ‘Adaptive Subordination’ of the constituent cells to the requirements of the organism as a Whole. For example, mature Red Blood Cells or RBCs have no nuclei and they cannot divide or replicate. They are exclusively adapted to transport Oxygen and serve the whole human organism. The RBCs have short lives as individual cells. The human organism has a life span of its own. During the life time of a human person, RBCs live for short periods of time and are constantly replaced by new RBCs. Thus it may be stated that the purpose of Consciousness at cellular level is to foster Functional Unity of the multicellular organism and establish it as an Individual. If the term ‘Soul’ represents the Identity of this Individual, the Soul is a Functional Attribute of Consciousness at cellular level.

Adaptive Subordination of Red Blood cells to the requirements of the whole Human Organism. The mature RBCs have no nuclei and they cannot divide. They are exclusively adapted to transport Oxygen and serve the Human Organism. During the life span of Human Organism, the RBCs live for short periods of time and are constantly replaced by new RBCs.

THE BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN SOUL :

Reticular Formation is shown as a single ‘red’ bar in this figure. It consists of numerous Brain Stem nuclei. It is a network of nerve pathways and nuclei throughout the Brain Stem. A single neuron in this network may have synapses/connections with as many as 25,000 other neurons/nerve cells.

Capacity for consciousness is an upper Brain-Stem Function and the Content of consciousness is a Function of the Cerebral Cortex. The Reticular Formation which is located in the central Brain Stem helps to coordinate and integrate actions of different parts of the Central Nervous System such as regulation of muscle and reflex activity;central transmission and composition of sensory impulses; respiration; cardiovascular responses; behavioral arousal; and sleep.



I had explored my body called Kshetra. The Kshetra Jnana, or Knowledge of my body is as follows:
My soul is represented by an anatomical structure described as Reticular Formation in the Brain Stem. Just like my body is composed of trillions of individual cells which collectively represent and establish my physical identity in this world, my soul derives its existence and identity from trillions of these individual units or cells that comprise my body. My soul is actually a composite of trillions of units of consciousness of trillions of individual cells that comprise my human body. The Functional Unity in relation to Consciousness is achieved in the Reticular Formation, the site where Consciousness of the Whole human organism is composed and then is relayed to the Cerebral hemispheres. It is just like a picture or a photo which represents trillions of spots of varying degrees of light intensity or brightness. The term soul has to be defined as the manifestation of “Consciousness”. If there is no “Consciousness”, there is no soul. The existence of soul is witnessed by the presence of “Consciousness”. This biological characteristic described as “Consciousness” exists in every single living cell. If a living organism is made up of one single cell, it has a soul as manifested by its “Consciousness”. For the human person, when identified as an Individual, the anatomical location of his Soul is the Reticular Formation of the Brain Stem which receives input from the rest of the body and shapes the information and sends it to Thalamus and to Cortical Areas of the Brain which provide the awareness, the functional knowledge with which the human organism exists as a living entity. Man enjoys an existence characterized by Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility, as the Soul, or the Life Principle operates most of the vital functions of the complex organism without relaying all the information to the cortical areas where it would be then known to the Man who exists because of these vital functions. Thereby, Man is protected from a huge information overload that is not compatible with mental peace and equilibrium.



“I AM CONSCIOUSNESS, THEREFORE I AM” :

DESCARTES, RENE (b. March 31, 1596, d. February 11, 1650 ), French Mathematician and Father of Modern Philosophy.

Could we extend scientific methodology of investigation into every field of inquiry? Could we find Truth, and Reality as an external experience? Is it possible to visualize Truth and Reality in the realm of Intuition and Conscience? Jean Jacques Rousseau, the French philosopher had suggested that man has to find his way to his pure nature, and this through feelings. Man’s duty is to look for his most deep interior feelings and follow them. Rene Descartes advanced a philosophy based on certitude. He sought to devise a method of inquiry for reaching the Truth. He proposed a method for guaranteeing Knowledge. He argued that in order to provide a secure foundation for Knowledge it was necessary to discover “clear and distinct ideas” that could not be doubted and could serve as a basis for deriving further truths. He found such an idea in the proposition “I think, therefore I am” ( “cogito, ergosum” ). Descartes stressed a world of metaphysical truths that could be discovered by pure reason. He had subjected his beliefs to a series of skeptical hypotheses. He had invoked skepticism as a means of reaching certainty. As per his conclusion, “I think, therefore I am” is beyond skeptical doubt.



CARTESIAN PHILOSOPHY – THE VALUE OF “SYSTEMATIC DOUBT”   :



Human body is composed of cells and each of these cells is a conscious entity. Consciousness is a biological, cellular function which brings about Functional Unity of the Whole Organism. Cellular consciousness provides the abilities of recognition, association, and cooperation between cells. Cells are characterized by Adaptive Subordination to meet the requirements of the organism as a whole. Rene Descartes proposition to divide human body into two parts; a thinking part, and a mechanical part is incorrect.

  I truly admire Descartes for adopting a strategy of withholding his belief from anything that was not entirely certain and indubitable. Skepticism is an attitude that rejects claims to certainty. Its basic philosophical contention is that the possibility of knowledge is limited by the limitations of the mind itself or by the inaccessibility of the object. Descartes is known as the Father of the Mind-Body Problem. He claimed that human beings are composites of two kinds of substances, mind and body. A mind is a conscious or thinking being, that is, it understands, wills, senses, and imagines. A body is a being extended in length, width, and breadth. He thought that minds are indivisible, whereas bodies are infinitely divisible. The “I” of the “I think, therefore I am” is the mind that he had claimed could exist without being extended, so that it can in principle survive the death of the body. Descartes argued that colors, sounds, tastes, heat, cold, and pain are merely sensations existing in mind/thought and that there is nothing in bodies that resembles the sensation. He thought that all complex functioning of living organisms including human bodies could be explained solely by mechanistic physics. He even denied that consciousness could be attributed to animals in order to explain their behavior. Descartes had influenced the whole course of philosophical enquiry. Using the same Cartesian Philosophy, I found Descartes proposition to be invalid and incorrect based upon my understanding of human body, mind, and consciousness. The proposition which I would use is, “I am Consciousness, therefore I am”. This clear, and distinct idea, which is beyond doubt would help me to discover man’s awareness of God or what I describe as the “GOD CONNECTION”. This “Connection” is the foundation for man’s existence in the natural world.

Kindly also view a related blog post titled ‘A Squirrel Story to Explore Consciousness’.

https://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/a-squirrel-story-to-explore-consciousness/

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.

Biographical Information :

1. Place of Birth : Mylapore, Madras City, Chenna Patnam, Chennai, Madras State, Tamil Nadu State, India. Born : Hindu(Brahmin-Niyogi,Smartha), Telugu-Speaking.

2. Date and Place of Marriage : January 29, 1973, Congregational Town Church, Cuddapah, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

LORD KRISHNA IN THE HINDU SCRIPTURE OF BHAGAVAD GITA, Chapter 10, The Opulence of the Absolute, verse 22 claimed that “…in living beings I am Consciousness.” Similarly, in Chapter 7, verses 9 and 10, Lord Krishna claims that “I am the life of all that Lives”, “I am the Original seed of all existences.”

Spiritualism – the Biological Basis of Spirituality (bhavanajagat.com)
Spiritualism – Spiritual Being and Self-realization (bhavanajagat.com)
Spiritualism – the Cell Theory of Spirituality (bhavanajagat.com)
Spiritualism – Self-realization and God-realization (bhavanajagat.com)
Spiritualism – the Molecular Basis of Spirituality (bhavanajagat.com)
Spiritualism – the Positive Science of Spirituality (bhavanajagat.com)
Spiritualism and Identity – the Conflict at Kurnool Medical College (bhavanajagat.com)

India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill – Brahma Chellaney

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A SIMPLE EXPERIMENT TO KNOW THE HEART:

INDIA-THE LAND OF SATYA AND DHARMA:

Medicine cannot stop death and Truth cannot be delivered as a prescription.

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Philosophy of Medicine

What do I get if I respond with compassion?

Prayer to acknowledge Compassion:

Pain tolerance and Pain resistance:

Advantages of Pain tolerance and Pain resistance:

The difference between Self-Gratification and Compassionate Service:

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SET YOUR MIND FREE:

DISTURBANCES OF SPEECH:

SPEECH AND MENTAL LETHARGY:

Indian Traditions about Letters, Speech, Arts and Music:

A hymn to worship Goddess Sarasvati:

Ya kundendu tushara haara dhavala, Ya shubhra vastravritaYa veena vara danda mandithakara, Ya shwetha padmaasanaYa brahmachyuthaha shankara prabrithibhi devai, sada poojithaSamaam paatu Sarasvati Bhagavathi, nihshesha Jaddyapaha. _/\_

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Philosophy of Medicine:

“VAIDYO NARAYANO HARI”

Medicine and Faith:

The threats and challenges to human existence:

‘Sarve Santu Niramaya’ – Freedom From Disease and Sickness:

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A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN:

THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES AND CONCEPTS ABOUT TIME:

THE HEALING POWER OF TIME:

TYPES OF WOUND HEALING:

THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN AND THE EXPRESSION OF GRIEF:

THE DIVINE HEALING POWER OF TIME:

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The Legend About Bhaja Govindam

THE ART OF DIAGNOSING GOOD HEALTH:

A STORY FROM MILITARY HOSPITAL, ROORKEE:

BHAJA GOVINDAM-PART-I:

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Descartes, Rene, The Father of Modern Philosophy: “I Think, Therefore I am.”

I am Consciousness, therefore I am

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Ya kundendu tushara haara dhavala, Ya shubhra vastravrita
Ya veena vara danda mandithakara, Ya shwetha padmaasana
Ya brahmachyuthaha shankara prabrithibhi devai, sada poojitha
Samaam paatu Sarasvati Bhagavathi, nihshesha Jaddyapaha. _/\_