Thank you Rama ji KRAJARAM On Fri, 25 Oct 2024 at 11:29, Rama <[email protected]> wrote:
> Rajaram sir is very knowledgeable and valuable asset to our group. If Iyer > group is not able to utilise his inputs for some flimsy egoistic reasons , > it is unfortunate and loss to the group. > Cheers > > > > On Fri, 25 Oct, 2024, 09:30 Markendeya Yeddanapudi, < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Rajaram Sir, >> You add so much enrichment and embellishment to my armchair write up.It >> gives me reinforcement to write more.Thank You. >> YM Sarma >> >> On Fri, Oct 25, 2024 at 9:23 AM Rajaram Krishnamurthy < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Unknown to most Western psychologists, ancient Indian scriptures >>> contain very rich, empirically derived psychological theories that are, >>> however, intertwined with religious and philosophical content. This note >>> represents attempt to extract the psychological theory of cognition and >>> consciousness from a prominent ancient Indian thought system: >>> >>> Samkhya-Yoga. We derive rather broad hypotheses from this approach that >>> may complement and extend Western mainstream theorizing. These hypotheses >>> address an ancient personality theory, the effects of practicing the >>> applied part of Samkhya-Yoga on normal and extraordinary cognition, as well >>> as different ways of perceiving reality. We summarize empirical evidence >>> collected (mostly without reference to the Indian thought system) in >>> diverse fields of research that allows for making judgments about the >>> hypotheses, and suggest more specific hypotheses to be examined in future >>> research. We conclude that the existing evidence for the (broad) hypotheses >>> is substantial but that there are still considerable gaps in theory and >>> research to be filled. Theories of cognition contained in the ancient >>> Indian systems have the potential to modify and complement existing Western >>> mainstream accounts of cognition. In particular, they might serve as a >>> basis for arriving at more comprehensive theories for several research >>> areas that, so far, lack strong theoretical grounding, such as meditation >>> research or research on aspects of consciousness. >>> >>> 2 If one regards the Indian systems as solely as a dharma, >>> that tells one what and what not to believe, then such an endeavor would >>> make little sense. However, if one sees the psychological content in these >>> systems as empirically grounded theories, then there is nothing that in >>> principle speaks against making such a comparison. Indeed, Buddhist >>> insights, for instance, rest on the experiences the Buddha (and also many >>> of his followers) obtained in “trial-and-error” experiments (Jayatilleke, >>> 1963, p. 464). One might argue that for the Hindu systems, the situation is >>> different because many holy texts are claimed to have been revealed and >>> carry with them the connotation of “truth” in an unquestionable sense. But >>> here one could also advance the argument that the psychological insights >>> reported in Hindu texts are very likely based on personal experiences—at >>> least, this is our working hypothesis. Support for this empirical and >>> investigative view comes from contemporary scholars and leading Hindu >>> figures of the recent past. For instance, Swami Vivekananda was of the >>> opinion that “if a religion is destroyed by such investigations, it was >>> then all the time useless, unworthy superstition; and the sooner it goes >>> the better” (Swami Jitatmananda, 2004, p. 171). And Sri Aurobindo who kept >>> an elaborate diary on the effects of his yoga practice over many years (Sri >>> Aurobindo, 2001) came to the conclusion that yoga, the applied part of >>> Hindu theory, “is nothing but practical psychology” (Sri Aurobindo, 1996, >>> p. 39). Although the original evidence is more akin to qualitative data >>> gathered in single-case designs in contemporary psychology, also sometimes >>> termed phenomenological evidence, it is, in our view nonetheless as >>> empirical as can be. One might, of course, still question the sources of >>> the respective theories but even for Western mainstream theories it is >>> often not clear how they originated. Anyway, the scientific method is >>> concerned not so much with the way theories are “found” but with how they >>> can be tested, which makes them acceptable for science or not. If the >>> scientific method can be applied to a theory, for arguments why this is the >>> case for Indian psychology) and if that theory is wrong, it will eventually >>> be found out. >>> >>> The second potentially problematic issue arises from the way >>> ancient Indian psychology is presented. Because it is embedded in a >>> religious or philosophical context, and, of course, because it was compiled >>> a long time ago, the language and arguments used are not familiar to >>> present-day psychologists. An additional problem arises because the >>> original texts were written in ancient languages such as Sanskrit and Pali >>> (BUDDISM) , and translations are often ambiguous; that is, different >>> scholars may translate (and interpret) the same expressions differently. >>> So, what scholars who deal with these systems (mostly philosophers and >>> philologists by profession) usually do is to add the original terms when >>> they use the English translations. We will also do this occasionally for >>> very central terms but to minimize the negative impact on the readability >>> of the paper, we will use mostly English translations and provide a >>> glossary of the corresponding Sanskrit terms (without the potentially >>> confusing diacritical marks) in the Supplementary Material. What we want to >>> convey, however, are all aspects that are central to the theories of >>> cognition contained in the Indian views in a way most experts in the >>> respective fields would agree upon. >>> >>> Although occasionally objections can be found to such a view, >>> the two systems of Samkhya and Yoga are usually seen as strongly related >>> and therefore often treated together, which we also will do here. The >>> system of Samkhya is ascribed to one Rishi-scientist Kapila, Yoga >>> represents the practical aspect of Samkhya. Therefore, the two are >>> treated as allied systems (Samkya+Yoga) (Karma+ Gnana) . Patanjali >>> extricated the yoga part only. The importance of Samkhya-Yoga can be seen >>> in that references to it are to be found everywhere in the most important >>> texts, such as the early Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, and also other >>> parts of the Mahabharata. Samkhya-Yoga directly relates to the old Indian >>> scriptures summarized under the name Veda (wisdom), which date back several >>> millennia. It is, however, difficult to derive psychological theories >>> directly from the Vedas because they contain considerable portions that are >>> concerned with rituals and are often written in a poetic and aphoristic >>> style. >>> >>> In Yoga and Samkhya, a person consists of two “components,” one >>> material and one not. The material one, prakriti (roughly meaning nature), >>> is composed of three “qualities,” the three gunas: sattva (purity), rajas >>> (energy), and tamas (inertia). Prakriti, in the form the three gunas, is >>> the essence of the universe as well as the basis for the personality of a >>> given person. The specific personality, as well as everything material >>> (including the mind), is the product of a “mixture” of the three gunas. It >>> is seen as beneficial if sattva is strong because people with a high level >>> of sattva are expected to have a positive view of the world, a well-meaning >>> attitude toward others, to be disciplined, calm, and relaxed, and to have a >>> high stress tolerance and a healthy lifestyle. People with a high level of >>> rajas, in contrast, have difficulties relaxing and prefer actions that >>> bring them short-term pleasure or relief but may be harmful in the long >>> run. Moreover, they tend to have an unhealthy lifestyle and tend to waste >>> their energy. Finally, people with a high level of tamas are dissatisfied >>> with their lives and are most likely to neglect their health. However, the >>> mixture of the three energies is not seen as necessarily stable: Increasing >>> the level of sattva is generally seen as a desirable goal. And only if >>> sattva is dominant in a person will this person be able to achieve >>> extraordinary spiritual aims. >>> >>> The nonmaterial component of a person (and of the world) is purusha, >>> sometimes translated as true person or true self, but, especially by Indian >>> academic writers, often rendered as pure consciousness, the term that we >>> also use here. Note that whereas the concept of consciousness as used >>> in Western thinking is always intentional, that is, of or about something, >>> pure consciousness has no qualities or characteristics of its own but >>> underlies all our being and knowing. Together, prakriti and purusha >>> constitute the manifest world as well as the person in its full sense. The >>> concept is man and woman in one or so different in dualism. ` >>> >>> Graphic description of how cognition works according to Samkhya-Yoga. >>> >>> How, for instance, does perception work in this approach? The >>> sense mind chooses an external object through the peripheral sense organs. >>> This object is then appropriated by the ego mind that relates the object to >>> itself (“I perceive the object”). Then, the intellect represents the object >>> (takes on the form of the object) and makes a judgment or decides about >>> possible actions. The intellect, which is by nature unconscious (part of >>> prakriti), becomes conscious (and cognitions become possible) only when it >>> makes contact with purusha. In other words, without the working of purusha >>> it would not be possible to cognize at all. However, for untrained persons, >>> the contact between purusha and the intellect only works in one direction. >>> Whereas purusha “uses” the intellect, the intellect only reflects pure >>> consciousness without “seeing” it in its pure form. However, this >>> reflection gives us self-consciousness and our subjective experience of the >>> world. The information the mind uses does not have to come from the senses >>> alone. It might also come from inferences, verbal sources, or memory. In >>> addition, it contains instinctual tendencies inherited from the effects of >>> past actions and from previous lives that have their effect in the present >>> life. The intellect itself contains memory contents form prior experiences >>> (and from prior lives). >>> >>> Let us illustrate the working of the mind with the help of an >>> example. If, for instance, the senses are presented a banana, the sense >>> mind gets all the impressions of color, shape, taste, and so forth, >>> combines them, and separates the total unified object built in this way >>> from other objects. Then the ego mind appropriates the object as its own, >>> as in “I see a banana.” At this stage of perception, the object in question >>> (e.g., a banana) is an object of one's experience but is not seen as an >>> object of the objective world. The intellect makes it such an object >>> through an assertion or a decision yielding something like “this is a >>> banana” as the result of the decision process. Moreover, in conjunction >>> with the other parts of the mind it collects different aspects of the >>> banana, such as the banana tree, my eating it, its price, its nutrients, >>> and so forth, and relates them to the perceived banana. This experience is >>> also saved as a memory. However, the whole process only works with the help >>> of pure consciousness that is “reflected” in the mind and senses. >>> >>> All levels of the mind are assumed to have material form but they >>> differ in subtleness, the intellect being the most subtle and the sense >>> mind the least4. All components, however, are assumed to be of a vastly >>> more subtle material than the body (including the brain) and the senses. >>> Note that in Samkhya-Yoga, the mind, although material, is nonlocal; that >>> is, it need not be situated in the brain (e.g., Rao, 2005). Most >>> importantly, and of course fundamentally different from the Western view, >>> the mind does not work on itself: Conscious cognition needs the >>> connection between the intellect and the central component in the Yoga >>> system: pure consciousness. >>> >>> How can one arrive at the state of pure consciousness? To >>> understand this, one has to know that according to Yoga, the state of the >>> conscious mind is constantly changing or fluctuating, and there are single >>> units of awareness. These units can be valid cognitions arising from >>> perception (as described above), inference, or verbal sources, but they >>> can also be doubts and uncertain or false cognitions. Moreover, they can >>> come from memory and they do not necessarily have to represent some real >>> object or event. Sleep is also considered to be such a kind of unit. As >>> long as there is this fluctuation of the mind, pure consciousness cannot be >>> accessed; but it is already present and without its presence, the mind >>> would not be able to produce conscious cognitions. Only if the fluctuations >>> of the mind can be brought to a standstill will the connection between >>> intellect and pure consciousness become strong enough to achieve the >>> desired access and enable the yogi to dwell in pure consciousness. Time >>> stops there that means the displacement is as good as being stationary. >>> >>> According to the Yoga philosophy, fluctuations of the mind are >>> brought about by the existence of the so-called five kleshas or hindrances >>> (see second book of Yogasutras Patanjali’s). The suffering in life >>> reflected in the fluctuations of the mind is due to ignorance about pure >>> consciousness and therefore life becomes driven by sensory inputs and ego >>> cravings. Not surprisingly, therefore, the first and fundamental hindrance >>> is spiritual ignorance, that is, the inability to discriminate between good >>> and evil, truth and falsehood, the permanent and the impermanent, and so >>> forth. The other four hindrances are attachment to or involvement in >>> the thirst, greed, and craving for enjoyment, hate or aversion of anything >>> considered painful, the feeling of a (mistaken) personal identity, and the >>> desire to continue to be what one is and the instinctive fear of death. >>> >>> The way to attain freedom, that is, to attain access to pure >>> consciousness, or realize one's true self is presented as a path >>> involving eight stages that eventually help the mind reach quietness by >>> completely restraining all its functions. This eightfold path consists of >>> five steps that include rules of moral conduct as well as bodily and >>> breathing exercises and the practice of focusing one's attention inward, >>> and three steps that can be seen as concentration practices. In particular, >>> the first five steps concern ethics, inner spiritual discipline, body >>> postures, breath control, and control of the senses; and the last three >>> steps consist of concentration, contemplation, and the meditative state of >>> absorption. One might see the control of the senses as the bridge between >>> the first four “outer stages” and the last three “inner stages,” whereas >>> the last four parts (including control of the senses) can be regarded as >>> aspects of meditation. >>> >>> The control of the senses is achieved by different techniques that >>> bring the mind's focus to a single point in the body and culminates in >>> consciously withdrawing attention from anything that is distracting for the >>> mind. Then, in the step of concentration, practitioners are to focus their >>> mind on a chosen object without consciousness wavering from it. In this >>> step, the meditators' (meta-) awareness is conscious of the act of >>> meditating, of the object concentrated upon, and of their ego mind, that >>> is, of themselves concentrating on the object. Then, in the stage of >>> contemplation, consciousness of the act of meditation disappears. And in >>> the state of absorption, the ego mind also dissolves, and meditators become >>> one with the object. >>> >>> On the way to attaining freedom, the yogi may (as in the Buddhist >>> path) acquire several kinds of extraordinary cognitions (siddhis) when the >>> last three steps mentioned above are applied in certain ways and to certain >>> objects. Examples are knowledge of the past and future, clairvoyance, >>> clairaudience, psychokinesis, and telepathy. But the ultimate aim of >>> developing extraordinary cognition is (as in Buddhist approaches), >>> liberation or enlightenment, which can be described in Samkhya-Yoga as >>> gaining unobstructed access to and then dwelling in pure consciousness, >>> without any further reincarnation. >>> >>> Although there are many similarities between theories of >>> cognition in contemporary Western psychology and the one outlined for >>> Samkhya-Yoga, it should also have become clear that the theory of cognition >>> described above does in several respects differ from the Western view, >>> which is, of course, also not really uniform but contains many variations. >>> We counted as “Western view” any theoretical approach within Western >>> psychology we were aware of that had made it into a major journal. In >>> Samkhya-Yoga, there is a controlling instance, the mind, which governs how >>> information is processed and acted upon. One might argue that the >>> tri-partition into sense mind, ego mind, and intellect is different from >>> Western conceptions of the mind but these conceptions seem not to have been >>> specified in enough detail to allow for precise predictions that are >>> different from those derivable from Western accounts. {Kapilar redressed >>> the rigours of the advaithgam of a sanyasi to suit the complicated life of >>> a grahasta AS Purusha and Prakriti duality; hence except Hinduism, main, >>> all are religions of duality; immakkum enai marumaikkum. (here and there). >>> >>> The concept of the gunas has already been elaborated, mostly >>> by Indian psychologists, and connected to issues of illness and >>> psychological well-being. There also have already been, mostly in the >>> Indian context, several empirical investigations that focus on attempts to >>> operationalize the guna concept with questionnaires (e.g., Mohan and >>> Sandhu, 1986; Das, 1991; Marutham et al., 1998; Wolf, 1998; Stempel et al., >>> 2006). Studies using these questionnaires generally found positive >>> correlations between sattva guna and positive emotions and personality >>> traits (e.g., Lakshmi Bhai et al., 1975; Sharma, 1999; Narayanan and >>> Krishnan, 2003; Sitamma, 2005; Murthy and Kumar, 2007; Rani and Rani, 2009; >>> Suneetha and Srikrishna, 2009). The results of the attempt to find factors >>> that correspond with the gunas and the impact of several treatments on >>> changes in the gunas were not in full agreement, but overall, they seem >>> promising (for an overview, see Puta and Sedlmeier, 2014). Very recently, >>> Puta (2016), in two large studies, developed a new comprehensive guna scale >>> with nine separate subscales that each measure the gunas in one single >>> behavioral category each (e.g., cognition, emotion, etc.). This scale does >>> not suffer from the deficiencies that can be found in former attempts. In a >>> further intervention study, she examined the effects of a yoga-based >>> intervention program that included meditation, cognitive restructuring, >>> managing energy and will-power, and mindful decision making and found >>> substantial increases in sattva, as well as decreases in rajas and tamas. >>> {KR >>> Guna karma vibaga had been theoretically and scientifically proved in India >>> and abroad in many research papers which lacks cognition from the west as >>> they focus only to start from Greece and end in USA } >>> >>> The cognitive training hypothesis states that the practice of yoga >>> has profound positive effects on all aspects of cognition understood in a >>> very broad sense. This hypothesis is not as explicitly stated in the >>> original writings as the other three dealt with in this paper, but it has >>> received by far the highest attention in contemporary Western research. One >>> could say that the main purpose of Samkhya-Yoga theory is to provide the >>> basis for improving one's life and eventually discovering the “true >>> reality” by acquiring extraordinary forms of cognition—that is, to “see” >>> the world (including oneself) as it really is. But on the way toward >>> fulfilling this goal, one should already expect positive changes in >>> basically all psychological aspects that are open to improvement. Why? The >>> applied part in the Yoga system, Patañjali's eightfold path prominently >>> includes aspects of meditation. Practicing it, along with heeding ethical >>> rules of conduct and performing bodily exercises, should lead to a person's >>> sattvification accompanied by a reduction of the five hindrances [spiritual >>> ignorance, greed, hatred, the feeling of a (mistaken) personal identity, >>> and the desire to continue to be what one is]. As the main practice in yoga >>> meditation is concentration, one should also expect increases in attention, >>> concentration, and in general, cognitive abilities. Therefore, the practice >>> of yoga should be expected to have quite comprehensive positive effects on >>> all aspects of cognition, either directly or indirectly via modifications >>> of emotions and personality traits. >>> >>> According to Samkhya-Yoga (as well as other Hindu and Buddhist >>> systems), the practice of meditation should lead to benefits on basically >>> all psychological dimensions that can be conceived of in a >>> positive–negative dimension. This was indeed the common result in a recent >>> comprehensive meta-analysis comprising 163 studies. This meta-analysis >>> found an overall effect size (d = 0.58) {KR: west did not accept even the >>> above average in stu\dies of yoga as they believed 20% cure for cancer in >>> western medicines} comparable to that obtained in psychotherapy studies. >>> Transcendental Meditation studies yielded comparatively large effects for >>> the reduction of anxiety and negative emotions, and for learning and >>> memory; Buddhist meditation techniques showed higher effects for the >>> reduction of negative personality traits, stress reduction, and the >>> improvement of attention and mindfulness than the other two categories; and >>> even the “other” category had a comparatively strong effect in measures of >>> cognitive ability. There are even pronounced differences in effects within >>> specific categories of meditation such as the Buddhist meditation >>> techniques: Whereas “pure” meditation had the highest effects on >>> mindfulness and attention, additional breathing exercises and body postures >>> led to stronger effects for most other psychological variables examined in >>> the respective studies. >>> >>> Such a research endeavor is not possible, however, if there are >>> a priori restrictions in the range of possible theoretical assumptions, for >>> example, about the nature of consciousness. Although it might be hard for >>> many Western psychologists to even consider the possibility of something >>> like the “absolute reality” or the extraordinary forms of cognition >>> discussed above, scientific psychology could lose much if these hypotheses >>> are not given a good chance to be examined empirically and put to the test. >>> If the results eventually turn out to be inconsistent with the hypotheses >>> advanced by the Indian systems, having empirical justification for this >>> conclusion would be vastly better than just believing a priori that the >>> respective hypotheses are invalid. If, on the other hand, some of the >>> hypotheses introduced by the Indian systems turned out to withstand >>> rigorous scientific scrutiny this could yield an enormous enrichment of our >>> current psychological theorizing. >>> >>> Naturally we see that the mind is not intelligent; yet it appears >>> to be intelligent. Why? Because the intelligent soul is behind it. You are >>> the only sentient being; mind is only the instrument through which you >>> catch the external world. Take this book; as a book it does not exist >>> outside, what exists outside is unknown and unknowable. It is the >>> suggestion that gives a blow to the mind, and the mind gives out the >>> reaction. If a stone is thrown into the water the water is thrown >>> against it in the form of waves. The real universe is the occasion of the >>> reaction of the mind. A book form, or an elephant form, or a man form, >>> is not outside; all that we know is our mental reaction from the outer >>> suggestion. Matter is the “permanent possibility of sensation,” said KRISHNA >>> OF BHAGAVAT Gita. It is only the suggestion that is outside. Take an >>> oyster for example. You know how pearls are made. A grain of sand or >>> something gets inside and begins to irritate it, and the oyster throws a >>> sort of enameling around the sand, and this makes the pearl. This whole >>> universe is our own enamel, so to say, and the real universe is the grain >>> of sand. The ordinary man will never understand it, because, when he tries >>> to, he throws out an enamel, and sees only his own enamel. Now we >>> understand what is meant by these Vrttis. The real man is behind the >>> mind, and the mind is the instrument in his hands, and it is his >>> intelligence that is percolating through it. It is only when you stand >>> behind it that it becomes intelligent. >>> >>> It is this uncertainty about the actual nature of the objective >>> world that is termed as the great illusion. Only the mere existence of it >>> can be acknowledged, not the form in which it appears to exist. The >>> absolute reality behind these illusions might appear abstract, but it is >>> only abstract in the sense that it is beyond the reach of our sense >>> conditioned to the practical, yet illusory, needs of our day-to-day world. >>> According to the sages, this abstractness called Brahman is the only true >>> reality, the only true existence. Our intellect can go a step further than >>> our sense only to acknowledge and understand that the Brahman cannot be >>> intellectually grasped. That pure existence, behind the insubstantiality of >>> the world and constantly changing forms, is realized only in deep >>> meditation, beyond the intellect and the mind, when thoughts have >>> completely ceased. Swami Vivekananda too says the same in commentary of >>> above verse. He says when all thoughts in mind are stopped, we perceive or >>> know ourselves as consciousness (true self) just like when ripples on lake >>> are stopped, we can see base/support of lake. The bottom of the lake we >>> cannot see, because its surface is covered with ripples. It is only >>> possible when the rippled have subsided, and the water is calm, for us to >>> catch a glimpse of the bottom. If the water is muddy, the bottom will not >>> be seen; if the water is agitated all the time, the bottom will not be >>> seen. If the water is clear, and there are no waves, we shall see the >>> bottom. That bottom of the lake is our own true Self; the lake is the >>> Chitta, and the waves are the Vrttis. >>> >>> CONCLUSION: Going further, it can also be proved whole universe >>> and existence is in Atman and it is also corroborated by Adi Shankara in >>> his first verse of Dakshinamurthy Stotram. >>> >>> विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं viswam >>> darpanadrushyamaananagari tulyam nijanthargatham >>> >>> पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया ।pashyan atmaani mayayaa, >>> bahirivodhbhutham, yatha nithdraya >>> >>> यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं ya sakshaatkrsthe, >>> prabhodha samaye, swatmaanamevaadavayam >>> >>> तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥१॥tasmai >>> srigurumurthaye, nama idham, sri dhakshinamurthaye. >>> >>> The Entire World is Like a City Seen within a Mirror, the Seeing >>> happening within One's Own Being, It is a Witnessing happening within the >>> Atman, (the Witnessing) of the Externally Projected World; Projected by the >>> Power of Maya; As if a Dream in Sleep, One Experiences this Directly (this >>> Play of Maya) during Spiritual Awakening within the Non-Dual Expanse of >>> One's Own Atman, Salutations to Him, the Personification of Our Inner Guru >>> Who Awakens This Knowledge through His Profound Silence; Salutation to Sri >>> Dakshinamurthy. ANF THAT KNOWLEDGE IS MICRO AND MACRO CONSCIOUSNESS. >>> >>> K Rajaram IRS 251024 >>> >>> On Fri, 25 Oct 2024 at 07:19, Markendeya Yeddanapudi < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> *Mar*Merging and Living in Macro Consciousness >>>> >>>> If with your eyes, you can see everything-atoms; particles changing >>>> into atoms, atoms of various isotopes changing into molecules, molecules >>>> into diverse matters, into organisms etc, then you cannot find yourself. >>>> You see and feel the great processes of consciousness, the great macro >>>> consciousness. You realize that all planets etc are participants in the >>>> gigantic macro consciousness processes. You experience nature as life form. >>>> And you realize and actually see you participating in the macro processes >>>> of nature. >>>> >>>> You no longer conceptualize yourself as the body with which you now >>>> identify yourself. You are totally connected and your life actually is >>>> functioning as a limb of nature. May be you become one of the many and >>>> diverse auras, which we call forms of life. But like the bacteria in you, >>>> you are also a part of the bigger organism, may be Gaia. >>>> >>>> No feeling, perception and understanding has a 3D shape. All are >>>> abstract. We cannot see them but only feel and live in them. To feel the >>>> real abstract nature, we have to live in free nature and not in some city >>>> or town. You need the forests, with the free flora and fauna, without human >>>> tampering. Then you gradually develop the macro consciousness as a part of >>>> the forest. It starts as spell and you become spell bound, and start >>>> participating in the great macro life, in the spell bondage, the abstract >>>> bondage of the invisible spectrum. >>>> >>>> You live relating to nature continuously. Egoism and even >>>> anthropocentricism become weird. In that macro world a dog or cat can >>>> become your colleague. You not only converse with them but participate in >>>> emotional and in the day today economic, political, and diverse other >>>> relations and interactions. You develop the basic capacity to sense, feel >>>> and interact. >>>> >>>> Today we do not allow the students to read nature directly. In fact >>>> most students are trained to live life without emotionally connecting to >>>> nature. We all live the economic life which is based on the destruction of >>>> nature, making us relate adversely with nature. We have become the butchers >>>> of nature. A butcher cannot afford to relate emotionally to the animals he >>>> slaughters. >>>> >>>> We lost the very art aspect of life. Art and nature need each other. >>>> Science is mechanical. Art is emotional and macro. >>>> >>>> YM Sarma >>>> >>>> Chat GPT >>>> >>>> In *Merging and Living in Macro Consciousness*, you explore the idea of >>>> dissolving the individual self into a greater, interconnected consciousness >>>> that pervades nature. This concept strongly reflects the holistic >>>> worldview, where individuals are not separate from nature but integral >>>> parts of its vast processes, both physical and metaphysical. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ### Key Themes: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 1. **The Experience of Macro Consciousness**: You describe an >>>> experience where, by perceiving nature on every level—atoms, molecules, >>>> organisms—you lose the sense of self as a distinct entity and instead feel >>>> merged with the "great macro consciousness." This aligns with spiritual >>>> traditions, such as pantheism and certain Eastern philosophies, where all >>>> of existence is viewed as interconnected, and the self is not an isolated >>>> consciousness but a limb of a greater whole, often referred to as Gaia, the >>>> living Earth. This is an evocative rejection of anthropocentrism and >>>> egoism, positing that all life forms, from bacteria to animals, share in >>>> the universal consciousness. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 2. **Abstract Nature of Perception**: You argue that feelings, >>>> perceptions, and understandings are abstract and lack a 3D form. This could >>>> be interpreted as a critique of materialism, which often focuses on >>>> tangible, measurable phenomena, ignoring the subjective and emotional >>>> aspects of existence. Your call to "live in free nature" echoes movements >>>> like eco-psychology and deep ecology, which propose that true psychological >>>> and spiritual health comes from an unmediated connection to the natural >>>> world. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 3. **City vs. Wilderness**: You draw a sharp contrast between life in >>>> cities and life in untouched nature, suggesting that urban life stifles our >>>> connection to the macro-consciousness and encourages destructive, >>>> utilitarian views of nature. This view is reminiscent of transcendentalist >>>> thinkers like Thoreau, who argued that immersion in nature is necessary for >>>> personal and spiritual fulfillment. You see the wilderness as a place where >>>> people can move beyond their narrow egos and reconnect with the greater >>>> cosmic processes. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 4. **Art, Emotion, and Science**: You make a distinction between >>>> science, which you characterize as "mechanical," and art, which you >>>> describe as "emotional and macro." This echoes longstanding debates about >>>> the limits of reductionism—the idea that complex systems can be understood >>>> fully by breaking them down into their component parts. By contrast, >>>> art—and the emotional life it reflects—connects with the holistic, >>>> unquantifiable aspects of existence. This is where you see humanity's >>>> potential for deeper connection with nature and the universe. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 5. **Humans as Butchers of Nature**: In your critique of modern >>>> education and economics, you argue that students are trained to disconnect >>>> emotionally from nature, fostering a mentality that justifies the >>>> exploitation of natural resources. The image of a butcher, who must sever >>>> emotional ties with the animals he slaughters, illustrates the emotional >>>> desensitization that you believe characterizes modern industrial society. >>>> This argument resonates with eco-critical views that suggest our >>>> capitalist-driven relationship with nature is not only unsustainable but >>>> also deeply alienating on a spiritual and psychological level. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ### Commentary: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Your essay calls for a radical rethinking of how humans perceive >>>> themselves in relation to the natural world. You champion a view of nature >>>> as sentient and alive, where humans should act as participants rather than >>>> conquerors. This perspective challenges both scientific reductionism and >>>> the economic systems that promote the commodification of nature. By >>>> advocating for a return to "macro-consciousness" and emotional engagement >>>> with nature, your essay also aligns with contemporary ecological movements >>>> seeking a more sustainable, ethical relationship with the planet. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Your vision of art and nature as complementary—both connected to the >>>> emotional and the macro—provides a hopeful alternative to the mechanistic, >>>> reductionist worldview that dominates modern life. In many ways, you are >>>> advocating for a re-enchantment of the world, where humans rediscover their >>>> role within a conscious, living universe. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> -- >> *Mar* >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoqP%2BaihH-fGr4P60gcK24E7cq_FvPwknfE4%3DJ-a087Pcw%40mail.gmail.com.
