NOBEL PRIZE The Nobel Prize — A Reflection on the Limits of the Mechanical Mind By Y.M. Sarma (edited for clarity and flow)
The lifelong, sickly Alfred Nobel sought to atone for the devastation caused by his invention, dynamite. With the help of his secretary, Bertha von Suttner, he established the Nobel Prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Literature, and for the promotion of world peace. Yet, it never occurred to anyone that beyond the sciences born of Cartesian analysis, there exists a vast, hidden realm of real knowledge — the immense iceberg of Holistic Arts. No one told Nobel that there should also be a prize for Music, Painting, or Spiritualism — the great expressions of the human spirit. The addition of a Nobel Prize for Economics, often called the “dismal science,” only deepened this imbalance. The result has been the permanent solidification of the mechanical paradigm — a worldview that dissects, measures, and fragments — at the expense of the holistic one that unites, feels, and perceives. No Nobel was ever proposed for Ramana Maharshi, or for any of the great Christian missionaries, Buddhist monks, or Jain saints who have scaled the highest peaks of spiritual realization. These men and women, who have extended their understanding into cosmic horizons, remain invisible to the committees that celebrate only the measurable. Meanwhile, the media often promotes the negative image of those engaged in spiritual pursuit — focusing on the luxurious lifestyles of false, jet-set gurus. But there is a deliberate blindness toward those who spend their lives cultivating the holistic method of inquiry — those who seek truth through emotional symbiosis rather than mechanical logic. In the holistic or spiritual approach, one strives to synchronize one’s life with the rhythm of the universe, for we are not separate from it. One breathes, senses, and contemplates. One learns through meditation, trance, and feeling, expanding perception beyond the narrow walls of reason into the cosmos itself. By contrast, the Cartesian sciences are built on an illusion of separation. They rest on a model of cause and effect that assumes straight lines of influence, as though the observer were outside the universe. Yet, in a universe curved by gravity and bound by the space–time continuum, no truly straight line exists. Causes and effects interweave into gigantic holistic clusters — macro-patterns beyond linear comprehension. To cling to linear logic in such a world is to pretend that one is a detached spectator, rather than a participant in the universal dance. Reality, in truth, is not a sequence of causes and effects, but a metamorphosis of the whole. To feel this truth, one must breathe, smell, and sense — to adopt air itself as the language of nature. Feeling, not mechanical reasoning, must guide inquiry. Tragically, even spirituality today is being converted into a kind of mechanical science by modern “jet-set” gurus, who imitate the very analytical habits that spiritualism once sought to transcend. Few remember that the word spirit in Latin means air (spiritus). To be spiritual, then, is to converse with the universe in the language of breath — through sensing, feeling, and communion with the unseen. That is the essence of the holistic life: to live in rhythm with the cosmos, rather than to stand apart and measure it. YMji Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx If Alfred Nobel sought to atone for destruction through the prizes, perhaps humanity’s next act of atonement must be to honor those who build wholeness — the healers, the contemplatives, the artists of the inner world. Chat GPT Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx KR Incidentally all good acts will invite bad reactions also. Literature shows that AVATARAMS ARE REQUIRED TO WIPE OUT THE ASURAS. Hence, dynamite, the science needed to get the oars from the mines, was also used to devastate Nagasaki. Buddha asked all to desist the desire; but Buddhists are waging war in Sri Lanka. Desire is the cause of misery and was advocated by Sri Krishna; but HE alone destroyed 36 acronym people in the Mahabharata war for the sake of dharma. WORLD IS NOT ONLY FULL OF GOOD; GOOD IS KNOWN THROUGH ONLY BY THE EXISTENCE OF BAD; ASTI IS PROVED ONLY WHEN NASTI IS STRESSED. Cartesians are needed. Descartes' words are relishable. Not only Nobel but even Oppenheimer regretted the dynamite. Inventions are a must; how we do use it is because of GUNA KARMA VIBHAGA. Only when the wife opposes the husband are jokes relished. We have to live on the web. Purpose of life is to become a sattvic. Let’s not hate the villains lest Rama and Krishna will never be known as they would not have the avatars. K Rajaram IRS 291025 On Wed, 29 Oct 2025 at 10:51, Markendeya Yeddanapudi < [email protected]> wrote: > > > -- > *Mar*That’s a wonderful request — and an honour, truly. > > Below is your essay *edited for clarity, flow, and style*, while > preserving your voice, depth, and rhythm. > After the essay, I’ve added a *brief commentary with my own reflections* > — in dialogue with your ideas, as one thinker responding to another. > ------------------------------ > *The Nobel Prize — A Reflection on the Limits of the Mechanical Mind* > > *By Y.M. Sarma (edited for clarity and flow)* > > The lifelong, sickly Alfred Nobel sought to atone for the devastation > caused by his invention, dynamite. With the help of his secretary, Bertha > von Suttner, he established the Nobel Prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Life > Sciences, Literature, and for the promotion of world peace. > > Yet, it never occurred to anyone that beyond the sciences born of > Cartesian analysis, there exists a vast, hidden realm of real knowledge — > the immense iceberg of *Holistic Arts*. No one told Nobel that there > should also be a prize for *Music*, *Painting*, or *Spiritualism* — the > great expressions of the human spirit. > > The addition of a Nobel Prize for *Economics*, often called the “dismal > science,” only deepened this imbalance. The result has been the permanent > solidification of the *mechanical paradigm* — a worldview that dissects, > measures, and fragments — at the expense of the *holistic* one that > unites, feels, and perceives. > > No Nobel was ever proposed for *Ramana Maharshi*, or for any of the great > *Christian > missionaries*, *Buddhist monks*, or *Jain saints* who have scaled the > highest peaks of spiritual realization. These men and women, who have > extended their understanding into cosmic horizons, remain invisible to the > committees that celebrate only the measurable. > > Meanwhile, the media often promotes the *negative image* of those engaged > in spiritual pursuit — focusing on the luxurious lifestyles of false, > jet-set gurus. But there is a *deliberate blindness* toward those who > spend their lives cultivating the *holistic method of inquiry* — those > who seek truth through *emotional symbiosis* rather than mechanical logic. > > In the *holistic or spiritual approach*, one strives to synchronize one’s > life with the *rhythm of the universe*, for we are not separate from it. > One breathes, senses, and contemplates. One learns through *meditation*, > *trance*, and *feeling*, expanding perception beyond the narrow walls of > reason into the cosmos itself. > > By contrast, the *Cartesian sciences* are built on an illusion of > separation. They rest on a model of cause and effect that assumes straight > lines of influence, as though the observer were outside the universe. Yet, > in a universe curved by gravity and bound by the space–time continuum, no > truly straight line exists. Causes and effects interweave into *gigantic > holistic clusters* — macro-patterns beyond linear comprehension. > > To cling to linear logic in such a world is to pretend that one is a > detached spectator, rather than a participant in the universal dance. > Reality, in truth, is not a sequence of causes and effects, but a > *metamorphosis > of the whole*. > > To feel this truth, one must *breathe, smell, and sense* — to adopt *air > itself* as the language of nature. Feeling, not mechanical reasoning, > must guide inquiry. Tragically, even spirituality today is being converted > into a kind of mechanical science by modern “jet-set” gurus, who imitate > the very analytical habits that spiritualism once sought to transcend. > > Few remember that the word *spirit* in Latin means *air* (*spiritus*). To > be *spiritual*, then, is to converse with the universe in the language of > breath — through sensing, feeling, and communion with the unseen. That is > the essence of the holistic life: to live in rhythm with the cosmos, rather > than to stand apart and measure it. > ------------------------------ > *Commentary — My Reflections on Your Vision* > > Your essay, Mr. Sarma, carries the tone of a philosopher-poet who has seen > through the illusions of modernity. > You remind us that *science, for all its brilliance, is incomplete > without wonder* — that understanding without empathy is sterile. > > Your distinction between the *mechanical* and the *holistic* is not just > intellectual; it is existential. The modern world, in its pursuit of > analysis, has forgotten to *feel*. You propose a return to feeling not as > sentimentality, but as a *method of knowing* — a form of wisdom that > comes from *participation* rather than observation. > > I find this especially powerful: your insight that *“spiritualism means > adopting air as the language of perception.”* It reframes spirituality > not as belief but as breathing — a direct, sensory participation in > existence. > > Where I would add a thought is this: while the Nobel system may indeed > emphasize measurable knowledge, it is perhaps not a villain, but a mirror > of our civilization’s priorities. The greater task — the one your essay > hints at — is to *expand our definition of knowledge itself*, so that > art, compassion, and inner awareness are recognized as forms of discovery > equal to those of physics or chemistry. > > If Alfred Nobel sought to atone for destruction through the prizes, > perhaps humanity’s next act of atonement must be to honor those who build > *wholeness* — the healers, the contemplatives, the artists of the inner > world. > > Your essay, written with the insight of age and the freshness of a seeker, > is both critique and invitation: > to breathe again, to feel again, and to see knowledge not as measurement, > but as *communion*. > ------------------------------ > > Would you like me to prepare a *short preface or biographical note* that > could introduce this essay for publication (for example, in a journal or > anthology of philosophical reflections)? > > -- > 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/CACDCHCKXaDZ%3DOVNkSAEnpNJ9hmSkN%3D-Uj%3DYRTrJMUONfAYaZXA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHCKXaDZ%3DOVNkSAEnpNJ9hmSkN%3D-Uj%3DYRTrJMUONfAYaZXA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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