On The Nature of Reality*
(Taken from a story recorded on site by one of the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna)
“Let me explain the nature of reality”, said Sri Ramakrishna
The 19th century spiritual giant from India
Who often compared the human body with earthen pitcher
Declaring that mind-body pair acts as mirror for us
In order to realize the things in Nature
Then stated “Suppose there are nine earthen pitchers,
Teeming with water and are reflecting the Sun”
Then asked, “Tell me how many Suns will be visible there?"
“A total of ten sir, nine images and the true sun”
Was the disciple’s prompt answer
Master “One pitcher is broken, how many remain now?”
Disciple “Nine, eight images and one real sun, sir”
Master “Another is broken, how many would remain?”
Disciple “Nine sir, eight images and one real sun”
Six more pitchers were subsequently broken, and
The disciple had correct answer each time,
Then came the moment of truth to the last pitcher
When Sri Ramakrishna asked
“Break that one too and tell me the number again”
“Only one sir, the real sun”, was confident answer
When the Master said with a smile
“No sir, reality of the sun itself is in question here:
Since no pitcher is left behind to report on the sun –
Who is to tell on sun’s true nature without an observer?”
Thus with so much simplicity he explained the nature of reality
That no one will ever complain on its lack of lucidity
Thus, the nature of reality is phenomenal, and a personal one
Depends on subjective relation between an object and observer
As explained by Sri Ramakrishna in his story above
Using the sun’s reflection on the mirrors as metaphor
Giving a clear message that
We, with varying experiences in life, create our own universe
And things are there as they are --
But we see them in the ways they are reflected in us
------------------------------------------------
*Decades later, Nobel Laureate Physicist Neals Bohr came to the same conclusion in his work “Objective Existence in Phenomenon Independent of Their Means of Observation”, where like Sri Ramakrishna Bohr and Heisenberg (who introduced Quantum Mechanics) maintained that observation alone constructs reality.
Dear Tushar Ray,
As a researcher of Neurophysiology and Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience, I must say that this is the best example anyone could have given with an event of Gadadhar's life. Also I like to remind you, that he didn't know a single thing about Vedanta or the Vedas or any other ancient texts, yet he was the embodiment of all the knowledge. Scientifically speaking, as if he was the projection of the entire cosmic record of knowledge. On this matter I'd like to tell you a story as well on the relation of mind-body and cosmos.
He once told this story. Two friends went into a stranger's mango garden. It was full of mango trees. They were wondering how many trees there could be. One of them started counting. While the other just got in touch with the owner and in a short conversation with him, learnt all the details about the garden, much more than just the quantity of trees.
Here we can say that the garden is the cosmic substance and owner is the cosmos itself. Once the human brain is tuned properly with the cosmos then great discoveries take place. Sometimes this tuning happens quite unexpectedly, like the discovery of Wave Equation by Schrodinger. In the Quantum Physics world it's the most rudimentary equation which can't be derived from other existing equations. So, intricate interconnection between Schrodinger's brain and the cosmos gave birth to the wave equation. Even Ramanujan came up with his most mathematical formulas in his dreams.
I'd be very glad to discuss with you more
Best Wishes
Abhijit Naskar
Dear Abhijit:
Thank you very much.
Glad to know that you are a cognitive and behavioral neuroscientist. Neuroscience seems to me to be as vast and interactive as our universe. In spite of tremendous development in techniques it is hard to get meaningful data for lack of controls. I have some thoughts on control studies that I would like to discuss with you in future.
Best wishes
Tushar Ray
''In 1955, 30 years after his sudden pioneer formulation of the realities of quantum physics, and after the revolutionary and dramatic events of World War II, Heisenberg delivered the Gifford Lectures, summarizing what this new physics meant to our knowledge of the world. Some of his sentences were memorable. Among other things he stated that the scientific method has become its own limitation, since science by its intervention alters the objects of its investigations, “methods and objects can no longer be separated.” And: “The object of research is no longer nature itself, but man’s investigation of nature.” Note the two words that appear in these two separate statements: no longer.''
https://theamericanscholar.org/putting-man-before-descartes/#.VL37gUeG90w
This is very true. However, if scientists remind themselves that they are only dealing with the partial truths, the inter-connected ones and not the whole "Truth", then there are no problems. But that hardly happens, and when that happens science makes a paradigm shift to a better newer model. This has been the ways of scientific progress so far.
My new book The Art of Neuroscience in Everything has recently been published. The book deals with a lot of mysterious characteristics of the mind-body connectivity and the reality of the vedantic aspects. Grab your copy and embark on a journey of scientific revelation through the mysterious human experiences, behaviors, feelings and instincts. like faith. love, religion, lust, attraction, sex, kindness, empathy, good and evil.
Best Wishes
A. Naskar
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Neuroscience-Everything-Abhijit-Naskar/dp/1508888779/
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