THE BookShelf For Those Awakening

Introduction

The title of the book briefly tells you what it is all about. It is a capsule of knowledge to extend the ordinary consciousness to a far superior and holistic level of perception. The sole purpose is to enable you to realize the unity underlying all kinds of existence. It would eventually give you a pathfinder to return to the dreamy state of innocence of the early childhood. In the absence of the concept of self, the infant feels no needs, desires or ambitions. But, with the fixation of body awareness, the childhood serenity gives way to innumerable miseries of the adult life. Mystics claim to reach such exalted state of undifferentiated awareness through meditation or other mind-altering means. This book shows how even ordinary mortals like you and me can enjoy the ecstasy of unlimited awareness simply by following the path of knowledge to self-realization.

The innocence of childhood can be restored when the mind is slowly unbound from body awareness. The loss of individual identity may make one feel rudderless in the vastness of undifferentiated existence. But true knowledge will ultimately remove the misconception of identity created by the pleasure-seeking neural network in the brain. You may not immediately get instant enlightenment or ready answers to all the mysteries of nature. But if you involve actively in the pursuit of the wisdom of existence, you will definitely gain the most enjoyable experience of self-realization. The creditable achievement is that all this enlightenment is attained solely by your own efforts, We begin our exciting intellectual adventure with systematic exposure to the facts ascertained by scientific inquiries on universe, life and mind. The intention is to take you to a higher level of awareness to appreciate the unfolding rational worldview. The missing links in scientific knowledge are supplemented with certain rational insights in our great heritage of mystic wisdom. You can incorporate in the emergent worldview all the spiritual and cultural values that you may cherish to preserve. At the end of the voyage of discovery, you will get an exquisite experience of rational wisdom emerging spontaneously without any external mediation. In short, though no free spiritual lunch is offered, you will get plenty of delicious appetizers that will entice you to reach the wisdom embedded in your own mind. The truth of reality will reveal to you the utter futility of the competitive struggle to amass wealth by any means. Of course, all this can happen only when you accept that the self is only a reflection of the eternal existence of universal consciousness. The wisdom to know what life is all about would change our mundane material existence to an enjoyable spiritual experience.

In our evolutionary ascend from apes to intelligent humans; we have come across several inexplicable enigmas of nature. The entire humanity must have shared from the very beginning the quest for the true knowledge of where we are, what we are and how we become capable of seeking answers to such profound matters of identity. At one extreme, some people simply assume that we are the chosen ones blessed with all the intelligence and authority to control the destiny of the universe. Some others feel that humans are mere biological curiosities created by random blunders accumulated during the saga of evolution of life on a tiny planet! But no universally acceptable rational explanation is available to solve the mystery of the existence of the great cosmos consisting of several complex structures including the humans.

Now we have plenty of scientific knowledge to answer the first and second questions. But in spite of all modern tools that enhance our perception, the third question on the emergence of a conscious self is still beyond our comprehension. We do not find a convincing explanation for an intelligent life of very short duration in the enormity of cosmic time. In fact, all our struggles to achieve higher standards of life seem to further shorten the inevitable destiny of a hasty exit. The apparent futility of our intense efforts to secure a few decades of worthless existence creates immense despondency in sensitive minds. Unless some rational explanation is found for our short sojourn, we cannot enjoy the experience of even the limited existence. Some acceptable explanations would surely emerge at the end of our voyage of discovery in to the origin and evolution of universe and life.

We have just entered a new millennium, which is likely to become an important landmark in the evolution of the humankind. There are several exciting possibilities before us, which would not have appeared even in the wildest dreams of our ancestors. Our accumulated wealth of knowledge has already transformed us from timid primates to intellectual giants capable of exploring the very basis of creation. The astonishing technological innovations in the last few centuries extended our sensory faculties far beyond the limits of original design for sub serving the physical needs. With the enhanced power of perception and comprehension, we have already unraveled most of the secrets of nature at all levels. In the next couple of decades, we may get all the correct and complete knowledge of everything in the universe. With the accurate application of knowledge, we have already overcome most of the physical barriers set up by nature. Faster modes of transportation and communication now ensure our instantaneous presence any where in the planet. Scientists claim to have broken the unassailable speed of light by accelerating light pulses 300 times more than its normal velocity of 186,000 miles per second. The entire planet is now an interactive web of human intelligence. We have decoded many of the genetic messages and sequences encrypted on the DNA. The emerging knowledge of the patterns of inheritance will soon find successful applications particularly in medicine. It will enable us to create exciting varieties of new life and improve the existing species. Our future adventures will definitely include interplanetary travel, human cloning and the synthesis of exotic life in the laboratory. With so many achievements in hand and many more on the anvil, life in the new millennium should be far more adventurous for the humankind. But, beyond these impressive achievements, we find an appalling scenario of abject misery and destitution. We have been mercilessly misusing the precious gift of knowledge to create calamities of great magnitude like the two devastating world wars. Third World poverty continues unabated, despite the great strides we made in agriculture and medicine. We have been inventing more and more deadly weapons of mass destruction instead of using modern technology to mitigate the miseries in the less developed parts of the world. If the rich nations diverted a small fraction of their defense budgets, poverty and illiteracy could have been totally wiped out from the entire world. Our uncontrollable greed has already destroyed much of the delicate ecology that sustained the existence of a wide variety of life. The wonderful innovations in low cost technology could have been used to produce sufficient food and medicine for the poor and the needy. Unfortunately, even in modern times, our avarice does not show any signs of a possible decline. The fruits of science only created a few islands of prosperity, while the majority of humanity languish helplessly in utter deprivation. Our sustained success in overcoming most of the challenges of nature is undoubtedly a creditable achievement of humanity. But what is deeply disturbing is the utter failure to control the ever- increasing competitive urges to amass material gains. We mastered many secrets of matter and life, but the mystery of the mind that creates avoidable miseries for all still eludes our rational wisdom. Science has already unraveled most of the structural and functional aspects of the brain that give rise to the wonderful phenomenon of mind. But even the best of human intelligence assisted by the most modern analytical tools fail to reveal the non-physical qualities of the intractable mind. It is of course the most unique evolutionary wonder capable of experiencing a vast variety of thoughts and emotions. The splendid mental abstractions like great works of art and brilliant mathematical theorems give the proof of its vast abilities and infinite reach. Unfortunately, the same mind is also the source of all undesirable and self-centered actions. If we were genuinely broad-minded, the abundant wealth of natural resources would have been equitably distributed to make every one happy and contended. Even the so-called mindless animals seldom kill for pleasure or hoard more food than what is essentially required for their immediate or near future consumption. In fact, the absence of a mind that foolishly accumulates possessions beyond the normal capacity of consumption seems to be a real blessing for them. The animal communities enjoy peaceful co-existence, as they are not disturbed by the delusions of grandeur that haunt the human mind.

`It is in this context that we need correct and complete knowledge about the mind that presumably controls our thoughts and actions. We have to seek the real causes underlying our deliberate acts of wanton destruction of life and environment. The phenomenon of consciousness that creates the mind must have initially appeared in some primates when evolutionary changes enlarged the brain. Later on, social interactions and extensive use of tools and linguistic capabilities must have speeded up the emergence of an intelligent mind.

We find that some animals like chimpanzees are also capable of experiencing an abridged version of self-awareness. But they certainly lack the capacity of an intelligent human mind to relate the multitude of external events in a coherent manner. Our ability to experience vast ranges of emotions and thoughts is not found in any other variety of life on earth. Since the concept of self is not at all an evolutionary necessity for survival, we would have acquired this rare faculty probably for peaceful existence in a social milieu. Certain kinds of bees and ants also show instinctive altruism necessary for a successful community life. How ever, the great quality of compassionate wisdom appears to be an exclusive cultural invention of human mind without any genetic or environmental cause.

It is now established that the mind emerges from the innumerable electro-chemical processes in the brain. It consists of several systems and sub systems but functions as a totally integrated entity. The sensory inputs received in the brain are immediately processed with reference to the memory for identification. An integrated image of the input is then projected to the mind for experiencing the objective reality. In our traditional wisdom, we believe that human behavior is always guided by a perceptive mind. But the latest discoveries reveal that our conscious decisions are just passive acceptance of the choices already made by the hard working neurons. We are totally unaware of the serial and parallel computing processes that continuously go on in the brain to create reality. It implies that the quality of our conscious thoughts and actions can improve only if the unconscious brain processes are somehow re-engineered to include altruistic intentions also in the cerebral software. Then only our consciousness could reach a higher level to perceive the fundamental truth of the unity of all existence.

The amazing computing power of the brain is the outcome of millions of years of evolutionary efforts to enhance the chances of survival. The time-tested strategies developed by the neural circuits to overcome the challenges of nature may not readily accept the modern altruistic urges in the pre-installed software. Continuous impact of correct information inputs from scientific knowledge can perhaps override egocentric genetic dispositions in course of time. At higher levels of awareness, inherited illusions about one's own superior status by birth or faith disappear. The modified mind perceives the truth of reality that all creations in the universe emerge from the same basic energy. Then we realize the wisdom of compassionate co-existence. It is true that even in the twenty-first century, we depend solely up on the highly improbable theological explanations for spiritual enlightenment. The astonishingly accurate revelations of scientific enquiries, has already rendered the absolute certainty of divine will less than convincing even to the layman. But in the absence of a rational alternative to replace the inherited faiths, millions of followers of religious worldviews still fall back upon the imassilable wisdom of the God. We find even reputed scientists seeking the spiritual solace of religious experiences. In fact, scientists generally prefer to avoid meddling with the matters of the mind that are not amenable to the accepted methodology of rational inquiries. But we cannot simply run away from the fact that the mind is also an integral part of the physical reality. The reality now reflected in our scientific knowledge should also include the correct information in respect of the emergence and the functioning of the mind. We can hope to achieve universal peace and happiness only when scientific knowledge removes our misconceptions about the non-physical features of the mind. In short, unless the mind is demystified, we will never unravel the riddle of existence.

Systematic enquiries into the mysteries of the mind began in about BC 2000 by the Indo-Aryan scholars. Their incisive insights are found in the various "Upanishads", which are attached to the compilations of ancient wisdom called "Vedas". The anonymous visionaries conceived the truth of reality as "Brahman" which is the all pervading and undifferentiated energy of consciousness. According to the Vedas, "Brahman" is beyond all qualities, forms, and description but encompasses all entities in its ambit. They called it the "Supreme Self" or "Super Consciousness". It is presumably present in all forms of biological life and even in ordinary matter. We perceive the external reality and our own existence through the consciousness arising in the brain. Mystics claim that with the realization of the fundamental unity of all existence in universal consciousness, we align ourselves with the supreme self. They found the ultimate goal of perpetual peace and happiness in the realization of universal consciousness. A sage called "Ashtavakra", who lived around BC 500, expanded and extrapolated the vedic vision of consciousness. He attributed all forms of existence to consciousness that manifests the external world in our perception. Undoubtedly, his ideas were far ahead of the then prevalent religious practices of Hinduism. Hindu theology is based on the assumption that an almighty God created, maintained and destroyed life and universe. His unconventional insights must have upset the powerful religious institutions that controlled all scholarly activities of the period. His verses of wisdom contain several excellent metaphors that drive home the full import of his esoteric concepts. The ignorant masses of ancient times, would have been more than shocked by the revelations in his crazy ideas.

An accurate analysis of the nature of consciousness emerges from Ashtavakra's dialogues with a venerable king called "Janaka". According to him, what we perceive is just a transient illusion of various forms of existence through the medium of consciousness. He did not equate universal consciousness to an almighty creator. The idea of a God is totally redundant if we accept consciousness as the Supreme Reality manifesting the entire world in our perception. If we accept this undeniable reality, the only goal of life is to integrate the self with the eternal wisdom of consciousness. The self then extends awareness to a higher level to perceive the unity of all existence in consciousness. Once we reach the goal of self-realization, life will no longer be a miserable burden of mundane existence. With the true knowledge to guide us, we begin to enjoy the exquisite experience of oneness with all beings. The mind gets slowly detached from body awareness, possessions and personal relationships to experience the most blissful state of existence in consciousness. We cannot reach such extended awareness through meditation, yoga or rituals. Only the firm conviction that universal consciousness is the truth of reality can remove all illusions related to our separate existence in nature. Individual identities and the phenomenal world itself are seen as transient images that gradually disappear when the true knowledge of consciousness enlightens the mind.

The sage also suggests some fundamental changes in lifestyle to make existence a worthwhile experience. When self-related desires disappear with the acquisition of true knowledge, we spontaneously accept with grace whatever we get to satisfy the essential needs of life. In undifferentiated awareness we feel unity of existence with all creatures, which gives us the compassionate wisdom to coexist happily without any competition for survival. In fact, all riddles of nature simply vanish with the acceptance of the wisdom of consciousness that dispels ignorance of reality from the mind forever.

Here, I must warn the reader of the hidden danger in blindly following the wisdom of consciousness without understanding its real meaning and intentions. It is not meant to be a convenient alibi for inaction or escape from worldly responsibilities. The idea should empower us to overcome egoistic greed that gives rise to all kinds of miseries. We can even practice the wisdom of consciousness without abandoning the security of personal faiths and identities. It can be assumed that your personal God is in fact consciousness that enlightens the entire world for our perception. The realization that consciousness is the only Supreme Reality gives us the unique experience of detachment from all bondages created by ignorance. If we accept super consciousness as the truth of reality, we can achieve the blissful state of innocence of childhood.

Simply accepting universal consciousness as the sole truth of reality does not resolve the enigma of the origin of the universe and life. I have attempted to formulate a rational explanation of existence by integrating scientific knowledge with mystic wisdom in a harmonious model of the universe. The model gives the probable scenario of initial conditions and all causal relationships underlying cosmic coincidences and the origin of life. It also indicates some new possibilities for the evolution of the variety and complexity of life on earth. The model is based entirely on scientifically ascertained facts without using any irrational assumptions. It is kept flexible to accommodate even future discoveries that may demolish all our present understanding of universe and life. The model accepts, irrespective of different origins, all rational ideas that successfully withstood the test of scientific proof and the challenges of time. Finally, when you recapitulate the collective wisdom of the worldview at the end of the voyage, you will find the spontaneous emergence of some rational conclusions from your own mind. It is the accumulated wisdom of humanity giving you the solutions to the puzzle of existence. They emerge as your own firm convictions derived from the carefully assimilated facts of reality that enhanced your awareness. The ultimate reward from all your intellectual pursuits is the realization that an intelligent, primordial energy is present in all forms of matter. When we achieve total unity with that universal energy, no need or urge will be felt for a separate identity and lifestyle. With the dissolution of the egocentric worldview, we will understand that the true meaning of existence is the symphony of super consciousness. Our existence becomes harmonious extension of cosmic consciousness if we choose to live in peace with all forms of life. The culmination of your search for super consciousness is the acceptance of this truth of reality that can transform your perception to a holistic appreciation of existence.

As we step deep into the third millennium, we will find more of everything in store for us everywhere. There will be more people, more accurate knowledge and astonishing technologies. But we will also find more greed for material possessions and consequential multitude of miseries than ever before. We will need many more rational solutions for the intractable problems of the mind that arise from the insecurities of modern life. In this book, I am not presenting any readymade solution or ultimate answers but just pointing out the proper path to a correct worldview for a better life. At the end of it all, I hope you will share my view that self-realization based on true knowledge alone can give us enduring peace and happiness. When our inherited and acquired ignorance is removed, ordinary consciousness will reach the higher level to perceive the unity of all existence. That is the blissful state of awareness that I promise to all involved readers of this book. In that grand symphony of super consciousness, we lose the self but gain the enduring reward of enjoyable existence in eternity.

Information For Knowledge

For the past 10,000 years or so, we have been acquiring knowledge about all kinds of natural phenomena including human life. The intellectual pursuits of about 250 generations created a wonderful heritage of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. Initially, knowledge of seasons and natural forces would have helped our ancestors to survive in a hostile habitat. Later on, it was used to create and sustain great civilizations. Our inherited wisdom reflects the understanding about the natural phenomena and their casual relationships in different stages of civilization. In ancient times, knowledge was not available to all individuals in a community. It was usually confined to the exclusive domain of a few select individuals who took full advantage of its unlimited powers to manipulate both man and nature.

The learned ones among our ancestors might have gradually become the creamy layer of the society. They would have guided the rest of the population, with suitable institutional framework for ensuring peace and harmony in the community. The public must have entirely relied upon them to steer the society through various kinds of natural and man made calamities. The society must have revered the cognizant as God's own chosen men capable of conveying all the correct solutions to the innumerable challenges of nature. The majority invariably remained ill informed for various reasons like lack of opportunities, intellectual deficiencies and so on.

But, in the modern society, no individual or group can claim monopoly over any kind of knowledge. Widespread awareness of democratic rights and increasing literacy levels liberated intellectual activities from the stranglehold of the traditional custodians of knowledge. The great discoveries of science expanded the reach of the perception and comprehension of even the layman. The wisdom of humanity began to gradually permeate to all segments of society. In fact, in the democratic system of governance, the correct choice of representatives depends upon the level of literacy of the entire population. Actually, dissemination of knowledge is now the primary responsibility of any civilized country striving to raise the overall standard of life of the citizens.

Admittedly, the need of the time is an appropriate technology to convert all rational knowledge into a universally acceptable worldview available to all persons at minimum cost. The technological breakthroughs achieved with the electronic processing of information will make it possible to design policies and programs based on rational wisdom rather than traditional faiths. It can also reduce social tensions created by unfair competition for material gains. A rational worldview incorporating all our scientific knowledge and inherited wisdom would give us a genuine pathfinder to achieve peace and happiness.

Worldview For The Common Man

Ideally, a rational worldview should contain correct and complete information about everything in the universe. It should give us the true picture of all natural phenomena and their causal relationship. The information should preferably contain only the facts verified by scientific methods or logically coherent thoughts. They should be widely accepted by all segments of society. In brief, a correct worldview should be the summary of all the current rational knowledge available to us. It should also indicate the desirable directions for future explorations into the realm of the unknown.

Such a worldview should, as far as possible, be neutral to the conflicting interests and opinions emanating from different cultural and religious viewpoints. It should also desist from espousing any particular cause or creed. Rationality should be the sole criterion for accepting an explanation of a phenomenon. The decision to accept or reject any conclusions should eventually be left to the choice of the individual. Since all are not equally equipped to make intelligent choices, the worldview should point out the best available choice among the conflicting alternatives. Some degree of arbitrariness is, of course, unavoidable in such decisions. But the objective should be to help the individual to relate his abilities realistically to the external world for achieving maximum satisfaction from life. In short, the correct worldview should guide us like an unbiased observer conducting the traffic of life in a confused world of conflicting facts, faiths and opinions.

It is true that accepting a rational worldview or even acknowledging the need for one depends entirely upon the choice of an individual. A totally egocentric individual may not have any concern other than for his immediate personal needs. Such a person may not bother about acquiring true knowledge or a correct worldview. But most of us are not so insensitive to the world around us. Our quest for seeking the true knowledge is the greatest gift that makes life purposeful and enjoyable. Most of us do accept the fact that unless the wisdom of the true perspective is acquired, life would be an extremely miserable burden of ignorance. We generally seek rational solutions for the confusing complexities of the modern life. Even conflicts at global level arise out of inadequate appreciation of some simple basic facts of life. Incorrect ideas can easily influence the vast multitude of ignorant masses. The public opinion so created gets crystallized into rigid attitudes and irreconcilable national viewpoints. A rational worldview alone can guide individuals and the society to reach more fulfilling and harmonious standard of life.

Inherited Ignorance

Our search for the cause of natural phenomena must have begun with the emergence of self-awareness. Initially, the quest would have been confined to seeking the correct solutions to facilitate survival in hostile environments. But gradually, the irrepressible human curiosity sought deeper knowledge on a wide variety of subjects unrelated to the basic needs of life. With the advent of agricultural settlements, and plenty of leisure for intellectual pursuits, some gifted persons must have discovered more about the rules and regularities in the various occurrences in nature. The empowered humans created great civilizations and conquered the vagaries of nature that no other species could accomplish. The evolution of human intellect began with the building up of the wealth of inheritance of knowledge that was transmitted to future generations for further refinement to reach higher levels of competence. It would probably explain the fact that despite several debilitating environmental disasters, humankind survived to master the world while millions of other species perished.

From time immemorial, seekers of knowledge have been positing insightful worldviews based on speculative reflections and observations of various natural occurrences. With the passage of time, the emerging scientific knowledge reduced most of the worldviews to mere historical relics of archaic thoughts. It is true that the few religious explanations that survived the avalanche of rational knowledge still have millions of credulous believers all over the world. In fact, even by conservative estimates, more than 95% of humanity follows some faith or the other. For them, the ultimate truth of reality is the Holy Scriptures presumably containing the irrefutable divine wisdom. They will not accept any rational worldview even after scientific evidences clearly falsify the basic premises of such irrational faiths.

But the modern mindset may not readily accept all the currently popular religious explanations of existence. The main problem with the rational worldview is that it is devoid of the cultural and spiritual contents that we need to make the short life meaningful. Moreover, a harmonious worldview has not yet emerged from the vast database of science that lies scattered in disparate disciplines. What we desperately want now is a universally acceptable framework of thoughts that can combine the best of our inherited wisdom with the infallible truth of scientific knowledge. In the first few chapters of this book, I am presenting a comprehensive description of universe, matter and life mostly based on the facts ascertained by scientific inquiries. It is an extremely flexible conceptual framework that can incorporate the knowledge breakthroughs of all times. The gaps and deficiencies in the scientific knowledge are also highlighted and some alternative explanations are also offered from mystic wisdom.

Beginning Of Knowledge Era

We can trace the modern Scientific Worldview to the sustained investigations of the western scholars during the last half millennium. Their inquiries using empirical methodology based on reductionism revealed many unknown features of nature. Surprisingly, It all happened in the very short span of a few centuries. The East has also made significant contributions to the cause of knowledge through metaphysical speculations and observations of natural phenomena. In ancient times, the great civilizations of the East like the Chinese, the Indo-Aryan and Babylonian immensely enhanced our treasure of knowledge. Their holistic approach did not produce the kind of spectacular visible results that gave Western science instant mastery over matter and life. The industrial revolution that emerged from the technological innovations convinced the common man about the infallibility of scientific knowledge. It has been established beyond doubt that for making visible progress in the material world, true knowledge is much more dependable than metaphysical speculations. In fact, the West gained mastery over the rest of the world with minimum manpower supported by the tremendous advantage of the efficient tools of destruction. The discovery of the satellites of Jupiter by Galileo heralded the arrival of the era of modern scientific inquiries in the West. He was the first to use a telescope to support his model of the universe. He posited that acceleration creates force and derived the equivalence principle that the mass of an object measured by its weight on earth, is identical to the mass inferred from its collision with other objects anywhere in the universe. This proposition led to the understanding of the nature of gravitational attraction and also to the theories of relativity.

The second great scientific event was the discovery of the force of gravity by Isaac Newton in 1680. Newton's contributions range from the Law of Gravitation to the Laws of Motion of objects under mechanical force. He also invented a new branch of mathematics called 'Differential Calculus' that was extremely useful in understanding the orbits of planets. The differential calculus invented by Newton was used in several other scientific discoveries. The electrical charges and their properties were discovered by the end of the 18th Century. Newton was the first scientist to formulate a complete worldview entirely, based on the accumulated knowledge of the period. He also guided the expansion of scientific enquiries by suggesting a comprehensive agenda for future research in various areas.

Modern chemistry began the conquest of the world of matter sometime toward the end of the 18th Century with the great idea that all matter is made up of atoms. John Dalton conceived the idea of atoms, elements and compounds and created the notion of atomic weight. Another revolutionary concept was the principle of conservation of energy, which postulated that no energy is lost in its transformation from one form to another. It was also established that heat, light, magnetism and electricity are all different interchangeable manifestations of energy. The concept of entropy, which is more scientifically known as the second law of thermo-dynamics, also appeared around that time. It states the tendency for disorder invariably increases in isolated systems. Entropy gives the direction of change in a physical system with the passage of time and is accepted as the scientific basis for the direction of the arrow of time.

The impact of the wonderful discoveries in physics, chemistry and mathematics was also felt in the realm of biological sciences. In 1858, Charles Darwin established that evolution of life was driven by the interaction between the organism and environment that creates variations of fitness in the population. He also clearly indicated the possibility of an evolutionary link between human beings and apes. For the first time, it was boldly stated with irrefutable fossil evidence that humans are only a highly evolved species of primates. The stories of creation propagated in various religious worldviews from time immemorial were rationally refuted and falsified. During this time Louis Pasteur also made the momentous discovery that infectious diseases are caused by invisible organisms called bacteria and not by divine wrath for worldly misdeeds. In fact, it marked the advent of a very bad time for the faith healers who could not survive the avalanche of remedies discovered by the modern medical science.

In 1860, James Maxwell proposed a unified theory of forces in a mathematical equation for describing both electricity and magnetism. His wave theory explains all kinds of electromagnetic radiations. He also posited that there is a medium called 'Lumeniferous Aether' that fills all the empty space. With the conception of a medium of ether, he tried to explain the independent existence of photons. Later on, it was revealed that even the empty space or a vacuum could also act as a medium. The age of global communications began with the generation of invisible Maxwell waves in the radio-frequency range. Another new kind of radiation called X-rays was also discovered during this period.

A milestone in the development of the scientific worldview in the 19th century was the discovery of the electron by J.J.Thomson. Maxwell's theory of the indivisibility of the atom was the basic premise of all scientific enquiries. But the new knowledge of the existence of electrons further revolutionized our concept of elementary particles of matter giving rise to speculations about the possibility of discovering other particles in the atom. There was tremendous progress in mathematics and chemistry also during this period. The new knowledge was immediately, converted to technological innovations that gave the western nations a crucial competitive economic edge. The process of colonization of the less developed regions of the world by the technically advanced European countries was completed much before the dawn of the 20th century.

One of the most important events in modern science is the formulation of the theory of relativity by Albert Einstein. He convincingly explained that energy could be converted into mass and vice-versa. He also conceived that nothing could travel faster than light and stipulated that there is no absolute position and time as they can be expressed only in terms of relativity. For the first time, it was scientifically accepted that we live in a four-dimensional world including time in addition to the three-dimensional space. Most of the predictions of the theory of relativity have been confirmed either by experiments or by observations. We got a clear explanation of space, time, mass and energy from the theories of relativity that also conceived the possibility of the beginning of the universe with a big bang.

The unquestioned certainty of the laws of classical physics was thoroughly shaken by the great discovery of quantum theory. It emerged from the study of radiation of energy. Max Planck suggested in 1900 that radiation of a particular frequency exists as 'Quanta' or tiny packets of energy. In 1910, Ernest Rutherford made a startling discovery that all atoms are made out of a number of negatively charged electrons and a positively charged central nucleus. Shortly thereafter, Niels Bohr in 1930 discovered the connection between the structure of the atom and the quantum nature of energy. He found that electrons travel around the nucleus in restricted space of orbits with well-defined energy, as if they are planets orbiting a star. This discovery laid the foundation for the altered worldview that radiation exists in both wavelike and corpuscular modes. Later, it was proved that electrons, actually, exist in dual states. Heisenberg posted the notion of quantum uncertainty that accepts the impossibility of measuring simultaneously the position and speed of a particle. Heisenberg and Schrodinger formalized Bohr's assumptions in matrix mechanics and wave mechanics respectively. Paul Derrick demonstrated that both the descriptions are equivalent to each other and the theory is now known as 'Quantum Mechanics.'

In quantum mechanics, we have a more accurate worldview incorporating the behavior of subatomic particles that shows a universe of probabilities rather than certainties. It gives us an entirely different picture of reality at the most elementary level of matter. For the first time, the direct causal relationship of physical phenomena was questioned and even falsified. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle has also changed the philosophical foundation of the then prevalent rational worldview formulated in terms of classical physics. Quantum theory is the greatest discovery after relativity but we are yet to achieve unification of both by including gravity in quantum mechanics.

Biological sciences also continued to make great strides during this period. With the help of the microscope, biologists investigated structure of the cell and found that chromosomes carried the inheritable characteristics of an organism. Genes were discovered at this time and Darwin's theory of evolution was finally accepted as the main theoretical framework of modern genetics. In 1953, Watson and Crick discovered the structural features of the DNA molecule. They also demonstrated how genetic information was transmitted through the DNA molecule. The science of biotechnology changed our traditional ideas about inherited instincts that motivate human behavior. Our biological quest has recently succeeded in decoding some areas of the human genome. We now know certain sequences and contents of the genetic instructions that will enable us to unravel more secrets of life in a few years. The genetic instructions will improve us to create disease resistant varieties of animals and plants. Ultimately super intelligent humans will reach the level of competence to compete with nature and even excel some of the creative abilities of nature.

The brief outline of the disclosures of science during the last few centuries gives a totally different picture of universe and life. Scientific enquiries have almost successfully uncovered the correct and complete state reality. Technological innovations in transportation, communication and medicine convincingly demonstrated the infallibility of scientific knowledge and its practical utility for humanity. It is now established beyond any doubt that ultimately the rationality of science will prevail over all popular misconceptions spread by theological worldviews. With increasing literacy, we are slowly but surely moving towards universally acceptable rational worldview that would hopefully reveal to all the true meaning and purpose of existence.

Ultimate Answers Unveiled

Our current level of scientific knowledge is presented in the three parts of this book. The first part gives a brief review of the explanations of the creation of the universe, its present status and the probable end. It is evident that science has not yet succeeded in creating a correct and complete model of the universe. Several inconsistencies and inexplicable coincidences in the scientific worldview give rise to serious reservations about their total acceptability. From the multitude of models, it is not easy to reach the true facts of the origin and organization of the universe. Some new astonishing future discoveries might also reveal an entirely different picture of the universe. Our future encounter with alien intelligence might also give us new information about the origin and organization of universe. We may find all sorts of surprises cropping up when we delve deep into the mysteries of the universe with advanced satellites and for reaching probing devices.

The second part of the book is all about the puzzling phenomenon of life. It begins with the origin of life on earth and the complex pathways of evolution that created the vast variety of existing and extinct species. The current scientific explanations of life are presented from the starting point of the first live cell to the evolution of advance forms of life. We have a fairly accurate picture of evolutionary progress of life in the time frame of a couple of billion years. But, several coincidences and doubtful assumptions question the credibility of a purely evolutionary explanation. The recent discoveries in molecular biology show highly intriguing and autonomous behavior of proteins that simply baffle our comprehensions. Interdisciplinary approach in scientific inquiries might very soon give us a clearer picture of the development of the variety and complexity of life. If we find any new form of life on other planets, it will probably give us more accurate information about the genesis of life in the universe.

The third part discusses all the scientific discoveries about the brain and the mind. We have plenty of true knowledge about the structural and functional aspects of the brain that gives rise to the phenomenon of mind. We approach mind as a generic concept that includes consciousness, self-awareness, intelligence and even compassionate wisdom and creativity. The main purpose of our exhaustive analysis of the mind is to understand the underlying factors that control our conscious behavior. We search the physical and non-physical features of brain in the waking state and dream state to arrive at some rational conclusions about the emergence of mind and of its mysterious tendencies.

In the last part, all pieces of the puzzle are put together to create a coherent and intelligible worldview. Against the background of the scientific knowledge presented in the preceding three parts, we survey the explanations of universe and life in mystic and religious thoughts. It is followed by a summary of the worldview of Ashtavakra and a commentary based on the latest scientific discoveries about consciousness. The physical processes in the brain are closely examined to reveal the emergence of consciousness that create an illusion of reality out of the various energy inputs received by the sensory organs. Scientific studies show us that the mind is totally dependent upon the serial and parallel computing processes continuously carried out in the brain. We find that the idea of "free will", which attribute all intelligent choices to an autonomous self is probably a myth created by our misconception. Our scientific knowledge of the brain fully supports certain mystic ideas of self and universal consciousness.

In the last chapter I present a rational model of the universe and life. It is an attempt to converge all scientific knowledge covering the entire sequence of cosmic events that existed even before the big bang. The explanations given are capable of accommodating the essence of diverse faiths and opinions. The model is a pathfinder to reach at the truth of reality. It is fully consistent with the spiritual needs and aspirations of humanity. I hope it will resolve the uncertainties and misconceptions created by conflicting faiths and the incomplete conclusions of contemporary science. All the major findings of the four parts are converged in the conclusions that give the rational explanation of existence. An imaginary dialogue between the individual self and the Supreme Self that represents the collective wisdom of humanity gives us the final answers that we sought in the beginning of the book. The truth of the reality unfolds when the self realizes the unity of all beings in consciousness and accepts the fact that individual self is just a transient illusion.

In the end, the epilogue gives some foresights into the great possibilities of our achievements in the near future. It is followed by a glossary that contains, in simple terms, the meaning of difficult concepts and technical words. It is followed by an exhaustive bibliography of relevant books and articles for further reading in this area of enquiry. The author hopes that this book will create sufficient intellectual excitement in the reader to pursue his own exploration into the realm of matter, mind and the meaning of existence. The bibliography is meant for more serious readers who are not satisfied with the frugal fare presented in this book.

MYSTIC AWARENESS FOR THE MODERN MIND

Dr. PILLAI G. K.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above mentioned publisher of this book. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Publisher.

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