Volume 3-4
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Volume 3-4, December 2005
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About the cover
Is God the ultimate reality? Or, is God no longer necessary in a world that is increasingly influenced by a scientific temper? Or, on the contrary, have the findings of modern sciences forced us to approach the question of the existence of God in new ways? The cover indicates the exploration of the concept of God from scientific and scriptural perspectives. The scientific enterprise has gifted us the ability to examine and contemplate deeply the mysterious and beautiful quantum world of fundamental particles. It has also sown us some of the precise laws and fundamental constants in the universe. By a slight change in the values of these physical constants, the world as we know it would have been very different and the magical world of myriads of living organisms including ourselves might not manifest on the planet earth. All these facts and observations point to a fine-tuned and specially designed universe with a purpose by a Supreme Being or God. On the other hand, one can also appreciate the wonders of creation such a the high mountains, the beautiful waterfalls, the lakes, the vast ocean with its many small and large living beings, great forests, varieties of fragrant flowers and many colorful birds melodiously singing and cooing in the peaceful bosom of nature. The wonders of nature help us appreciate the existence of a divine Creator or God. The cover depicts some of these observations of the physical and natural world.
However, all the above mentioned points can, at most, indicate the presence of God. They cannot provide any deeper knowledge about God. According to Vedanta, for a deeper understanding of God, one must refer to scriptures and saintly personalities who have realized God. Thus the cover depicts a Vedantic verse, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate which means that there are three aspects of God—Brahman, the impersonal, all-pervading feature of God; Paramatma, the localized or partial aspect of the Personality of Godhead; and Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord Himself. According to Vedanta, Paramatma is present in every atom and guides every living entity from within. Thus, the cover shows a light image of the transcendental form of Lord Visnu in the atom. It also suggests that an interdisciplinary approach of science and spirituality could help us in our search for the Ultimate Reality or God.
Science, Spirituality and the Nature of Reality
A Dialogue with Sir Roger Penrose, Mathematical Physicist
Savijnanam, Volume 3-4, pp.1-45
Abstract:
A discussion between Sir Roger Penrose (left), Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics, Oxford University, U.K. and Dr. T.D. Singh (right), International Director, Bhaktivedanta Institute, Kolkata, India, held at Oxford University on June 11, 2004.
Quantum Physics, Consciousness, and a New Science of Mind-Body Healing
Amit Goswami, Quantum Physicist
Savijnanam, Volume 3-4, pp.47-78
Abstract:
Eastern medicine has concentrated on vital body and the creativity of the vital body. On the other hand, Western medicine has focussed on mainly the physical body. In this way we have two systems of medicine, both very good at what they do, but alone neither is the perfect apple of holistic health that holds the key to all cures. The author attempts an integration of the two sciences through “Science within consciousness,” which he proposes on the basis of quantum physics.
Life Comes From Life, Part IIIA: A Preliminary Discussion of the Author's Theory (of Quantum Reality and Consciousness) in Relation to the Theories Due To Bohr, Wheeler, Bohm, Everett, Finkelstein, Einstein, von Neumann, and Heisenberg
Jagadish N. Srivastava, Statistician
Savijnanam, Volume 3-4, pp.79-110
Abstract:
This paper is one in a series of papers in this journal, under the general title of “LIFE COMES FROM LIFE.” Herein, we present a major theory (denoted by TK), concerning the Foundations of Reality, which includes Quantum Reality (denoted by QR), Consciousness, and Reality in general. This theory is meant to supersede the other well-known theories in this area offered thus far. In parts I, and II, of the present series of articles, it was stated that TK rests on two basic axioms A1 and A2. Axiom A1 says that there does exist an intrinsic, deep, deterministic, ‘Reality,’ which shall often be called ‘Nature’ (denoted by N). Furthermore, N consists of logical-mathematical objects alone, and all such objects are a part of N. Axiom II says that there is a basic presence in Reality, called ‘Consciousness,’ that is akin to the presence of ‘Space’ in our customary notion of the physical universe in which we live. Also, in Reality (or Nature), there are two types of entities: ‘Inanimate’ and ‘Animate,’ where the latter are endowed with ‘Consciousness,’ and the former are not. Furthermore, the ‘consciousness’ of an animate entity gives to it the experience of certain portions of Nature as ‘physical objects.’ (Of course, all such portions are logic-mathematical objects only. Thus, ‘matter’ and ‘material objects’ are only logical-mathematical objects, even though (to our senses) they seem to be physical objects.) In part II, it was heuristically shown that ‘total consciousness’ corresponds to V, the ‘Totally Empty Set,’ that is a member of all possible ‘universes’ (or ‘classes,’ ‘systems,’ ‘spaces,’ etc.) in N, and furthermore, that is a subset of the empty set of each such universe. (For example, if U is the universe of pens in a given bag, then V is a part of U, but V does not contain any pen from U. In other words, V is contained in the empty set of U.) The purpose of the part III sub-series of these papers is to concentrate on Axiom I. In this part (IIIa), we present a brief discussion of eight current theories (denoted by T1, T2,..., T8) of Quantum Reality, and compare and contrast them with the theory TK, attempting to establish the greater plausibility of the latter.
Vedanta and Science - III: Reality of God's Existence—Scriptural and Scientific Evidence
T.D. Singh (Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami), Director, Bhaktivedanta Institute, President, Vedanta and Science Educational Research Foundation
Savijnanam, Volume 3-4, pp.111-144
Abstract:
The aphorisms of Vedantasutra V.S. 1.1.3-4, state that the argument for the existence of God should be based on scriptural evidence. In other words, the scriptures are the authority and deciding factor for the complete knowledge of God, just as a mother's words are the authority in discerning the true identity of the father. This Vedantic process of acquiring knowledge is called avaroha-pantha in Sanskrit. This means that real knowledge should be received through the parampara, the descending, or top-down process. On the other hand, an empirical logic based on experiments, observations and inferences is fundamental to the scientific approach. But it has its own limitations. In Vedanta it is called aroha-pantha or jnana marga, the ascending path, or the bottom-up process. This scientific process can, at the most, indicate the existence of God. This is because our senses have four inherent limitations. Hence, scientific knowledge based on one's intellect and sense perception is incomplete while spiritual knowledge provides deeper insights into the nature and existence of God. In this article, the author briefly describes the Vedantic epistemology and presents a synthesis of the top-down and bottom-up processes or a synthesis of scriptural and scientific approaches for the evidence of God's existence. This is the holistic Vedantic paradigm. Finally, he outlines some fundamental attributes of God and His role in the universe from Vedanta and other Vedic scriptures.