CONSCIOUSNESS (CHETNA)

SJena sjena040473@gmail.comwww.prabhasfoundations.com roshni73.blogspot.com

9474331770

There is a strong affinity between all bodies - living & non-living and moving & non-moving at physical and meta-physical (subtle) level. Understanding this affinity and respecting it, is nothing, but consciousness.

Thecosmicconsciousnessdevelops

loveandattitudeofgratitudetowardsself,alllivingbeings&environment,

therebybringingrighteousnessinone’saction(karma),

resultinginhealthyenvironmentandsociety,whichensures sustainablehuman civilization.

[The paper aims at bringing out concept of consciousness as advocated in Srimad Bhagavad Gita and correlate it with quantum behaviour of matter (basis of quantum physics), recent scientific developments & fundamental principles of eco-system.]

1. The importance of ecosystem in sustainable human civilisation and lives on earth can be well appreciated from the fact that the day of disappearance of honey bees and other insects those facilitate pollination will mark the destruction of lives on earth. The generation of food at different levels of food chain will gradually decrease and creatures on earth will be starved to death.

The understanding of consciousness will help in internalising importance of nature in sustenance of lives on earth leading to sustainable management of ecosystem, cosmos as whole and earth in particular.

2. The consciousness means the state of wakefulness or awareness about one’s self, surrounding and responsibility towards self & surrounding. The awareness about immediate past, present and future of the entity iscalled simple consciousness. Most of the living organisms possess simple consciousness.

In the presentarticle,we willdiscuss cosmic consciousness i.e.state of wakefulness or awareness about one’s self and surrounding and responsibility towards itboth at physical and metaphysical level.

This includes awareness about one’s present, immediate & remotepast and immediate & remote future - birth and death, also awareness about before birth and after death.

3. Consciousness is very simple to define, but difficult to understand. Its literary meaning is - Understanding and internalising your past, present and future i.e. where did you come from (origin and growth), where are you(yoursurroundingsandpurposeoflife)andyourdestination(endof journey of life). The level of consciousness is determined by - how awake you are towards above facts.
4. Through above definition, the reader can correlate himself to physicalor meta-physical (subtle) level depending on depth of understanding. Every individual can easily correlate himself to physical surrounding. There is also a subtle manifestation to our physical world. The paper will make an effort to introduce the readers to physical world and extend his understanding beyond it to metaphysical world.
5. Wecanfurthersay, he/she is a conscious father/mother, conscious worker,consciousson/daughter,consciouscitizen,etc.Thisreferstosenseof dedication or obligation towards one’s social/institutional responsibilities arising out of relationship with each other, state and environment. In subtle level, consciousness refers to selfhood or soul consciousness -consciousness as a human being. The consciousness helps to understand relationship at subtle level with any element in the surrounding - living/non- living, moving/non-moving & near/far.

RelationshipatPhysicalLevel

6. All the living and non-living entities of the universe are made ofup five elements - soil, water, fire, air and space. In Hinduism we call it PanchaBhootaorPanchaMaha-Bhoota(Sanskrit:पञ्चभूत,पञ्चमहाभूत), five great elements. These five physical elements, according toHinduism, are the basis of all cosmic creations. Panch Bhota have different characteristics and also account for different faculties of human experience.

Sloka4inchapter7ofSrimadBhagvadGitawrittenaround5000years ago highlights the composition of living/non-living and moving/non-moving entities in cosmos.

भूममरापोऽनलोवायु:खंमनोबुद्धिरेव च|

अहङ्कारइतीयंमेमभन्नाप्रकृमतरष्टधा|

bhūmir-āpo’nalovāyuḥkhaṁmanobuddhirevacha ahankāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛitir aṣhṭadhā

Meaning-Earth,water, fire, air, space, mind,intellectand pride are eight components of My material energy(nature) i.e. each and every entity in nature is made up of these elements.

7. All forms of earthly existence living/non-living originate from these five elements and merge with it after its death/dissolution. In other words it returns to the source from where it originates.

8. The science also admits the fact that all entities are made up of these five elements. Hence, there exists a relationship between all entities inthe universe at physical level. Inmodern science we callit ecosystem.Asa result, our action at one end of the earth is affecting/modelling activities at the other end far away from us. Each and every activity is inter-related. The useof ozone depleting substance at home results in melting of ice thousand miles away at poles. The change in weather cycle, increase in frequency and ferocity of cyclonic storms, outbreak of deadly diseases claiming millions of lives and extinction of species are few of the examples of destructive effectsof human activity on the environment and dis-respect to inter-dependency.

9. My parent’s body and my body are made up of pancha bhoota. My son’s body will also be made up of panch bhoota. The food we eat, clotheswe wear, furniture we use and every item of day-to-day utility are made up of Panch bhoota. It is obligatory on us to take care and avoid polluting these basic building blocks. Otherwise, the body of our future generations will be deformed, the food will not be fit for consumption and lives on earth will gradually go extinct.

RelationshipatMetaphysical/SubtleLevel

10. There is relationship between the bodies both living and non-living at subtle or metaphysical level also, which the modern science is unable to appreciate. However, the researches and opinion of renowned scientists strongly indicate the presence of subtle manifestation of physical world. The modern science asserts that the matter in any entity living or non-living possess ability to remain either as matter or as energy. This indicates thatany entity in addition to its physical body has energy body also.

11. Quantum theoryisthebasis of modernphysics that explainsthenature and behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level. PhysicistMaxPlanck(1858-1957)saidenergyandmatterco-exist. Physicist Albert Einstein's (1879-1955) formula: E = mc2(E -energy, m - mass of the body and c - speed of light) substantiates mass–energy equivalence. In 1924, Louis de Broglie proposed that there is no fundamental difference in the makeup and behavior of energy and matter; on the atomic and subatomic level either may behave as if made of either particles or waves. This theory is known as theprinciple of wave-particle duality.

12. Max Planck said, "All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a consciousand intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter."Planck said,"I regard matter as derived from consciousness."

Further,letmequoteAlbert Einstein,

“To sense that behind everything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity only reachesusindirectly;that isreligiousness.Inthis senseand inthissenseonly, I am a devoutly religious man”.2

Dutch philosopher BaruchSpinoza argues that “there is only one substance,whichisabsolutelyinfinite,self-caused,andeternal.Hecalls this substance "God", or "Nature"3.

Further, Einstein asserts “I believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of all that exists.”4

13. The Big Bang theory proposed that a number of particles came into existence after Big Bang. All particles were massless. Shortly after Big Bang a field came into existence that provided mass to electron and up-quark. This resulted in the formation of proton, then atoms. As a result universe came into existence. The scientists are in constant search for the field that gave mass to electrons and up-quark i.e. field that converted energy into mass. In Aug 1964, Physicists Robert Brout and Francois Englert proposed a theory to explain how particles get their mass. Also, in Oct 1964, Peter Higgs postulatedpresence of omnipresent Higgs field and corresponding particle Higgs Boson which give particles their mass. In July 2012, after analysing thousands of billions of proton-proton collision, ATLAS and CMS observed a new particle whose properties are in consistent with Higgs Boson’s. As a result, the 2013 Noble Prize in Physics was awarded to Peter Higgs and Francois Englert for their pioneering work. (ATLAS and CMS are the two ‘general-purpose’ particle detectorsat the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), CERN, Geneva, Switzerland).

“The particle (Higgs Boson) has been named as“God particle” and hailedas the particle which gave allmatteritsmass.The Higgs fieldis directly responsible for around 1% of the mass of your body.”5

Abovediscussioncanbesummedupas under-

Peter Higgs postulated the presence of the omnipresent Higgs field. Under the influence of Higgs field, the particles get mass. Considering the importance of Higgs Boson, it is named as God particle.

Max Planck believedin the existenceofaconsciousandintelligentmind behind the functioning of solar system andmatter is derived from consciousness (energy)."

Further, Einsteinbelieved in the presence of a substance which is absolutely infinite, self-caused, and eternal. He calls this substance "God", or "Nature". Einstein also believed that God reveals himself in the lawful harmony of everything that exists, indicating consistency and preset pattern in

• generation,growthanddissolutionoflivingandnon-livingentities,
• physiologicalsimilarityofprogenywithparents,
• actions&reactionsthattakeplaceinday-to-daylife,etc.

14. KrishnaEnergyandParticleJiva.Srimad Bhagvad Gita written 5000yearsagoalsohighlightsthepresenceofallpervading,infinite,powerful and subtle conscious live energy (intelligence) that drives the cosmos and maintains harmony in the activities taking place around us. This energy can be referred as Krishna energy (God) and corresponding particle as Jiva (soul). Krishna field is more subtle compared to Higgs field. Krishna field is likely to be the basis of unified field theory that the scientists are looking for ages.

15. HighlightsfromSrimadBhagvadGita.
    1. GodisConsciousLiveEnergyorIntelligence.Krishnaenergy is all pervading and is without beginning or middle or end and exists outside and inside all living beings, both moving and non-moving. Everything originates with Krishna energy.It is indivisible, yet appears to be divided amongst living beings. The live energy is neither inimical nor partial to anyone and remains appropriately present in all living beings. No creature moving or non-movingcan existwithoutthisliveenergy. Theentirecosmosisenveloped by the live energy like a womb in which all living beings take birth (appear), grow and die (disappear) like waves in the ocean. Unlike other known formsof energy (mechanical, chemical, nuclear, electromagnetic, etc), Krishna energy has life. It has no sense organs, but can perceive all sense-objects. It is unattached to anything, yet provides sustenance to all and is without liking/disliking towards any entity, yet enjoys material nature. Krishna energy maintains lawful harmony in the cosmos.

[Reference    -SrimadBhagvadGitaChapter13sloka16(BG13/16),BG 13/17, BG 11/19, BG 10/8, BG 9/4, BG 9/29, and BG 13/15]

1. 2. NatureisGod.Krishna energy (God) remains in nature in unmanifested form. The nature is the God. It remains in the sun, the moon,the mountains and the oceans.The radiance of sun, moon & fire and taste in water is due to this energy. It is warming the entire creation by his radiance and generates rain. God and Nature are synonymous of each other as believed by renowned scientist Albert Einstein.

[Reference-BG10/21,BG7/8,BG15/12,BG11/19,BG7/9,BG10/23,BG

10/24andBG9/19]

1. 3. Eternal Generating Seed.             Krishna energy is the eternal generating seedof allliving beings. It is life energy in allliving beings. We can call this subtle energy as source of all creations.

[Reference-BG7/9,BG10/39,BG7/10]

16. The creations occur when massless particles acquire mass. Oneof the theory regarding creation of cosmos postulates that a field came into action shortly after big bang in which the massless up-quark and electron got mass facilitating creation of universe.

Similarly, during germinal stage, the massless particle Jiva acquires mass and gets trapped into the living systems. It continues to remain in the system till death/dissolution and there after loses its mass and merges with all pervading Krishna energy.

The above deliberation indicates - God is the live energy responsiblefor functioning of cosmos, holds all building blocks of living beings together and make life possible on earth.

17. Tosummarise……

Any living organism is made up of panch bhoota (soil, water, air, fire and space). It takes birth out of panch bhoota and merges with it after death.Also,consciouslive energy(Krishnaenergy)isan integral partof any living organism. Living beings take birth when subtle energy is impregnated into the material substance made up of panch bhoota. All entities are inter-connected through the ocean of energy pervading throughout the universe.

Because of similar make-up, there exists an intimate relationship between all living beings both at physical and metaphysical level. A person with higher degree of consciousness (cosmic consciousness) will understand this relationship (affinity) and be obliged to respect it.

Despite host of conventions and legal frameworks both at national and international level, the response towards protection of environment and different species is not encouraging. The activities of human civilization is against nature and self sabotaging. Without sense of obligation, any numberof legal frame works will prove futile. A conscious person will respect Panch bhoota and adopt practices to conserve soil, water and air as advocated in Vedic scriptures and by environmentalists.

The understanding of relationship at metaphysical level will develop a sense of semblance with living entities both moving and non-moving. It will cultivate love and respect for fellow citizens and renounce cruelty towards all living beings (animals, plants, birds, etc.) promoting peaceful co-existence. The individual will respect institutional arrangements (rules and regulations) leading to lower crime rate and corruption.

The development of cosmic consciousness amongst the people is the need of the hour.