SanATAN, A(l)TMAN & Brahman
At the “Science and Ultimate Reality” Conference held at Princeton University during March 15–18, 2002, to celebrate the 90th birthday of renowned theoretical physicist, John Archibald Wheeler, a colleague of Albert Einstein at Princeton, science writer Amanda Gefter and her father Warren Gefter, a Pathologist at the U Penn Medical School, asked Dr. Wheeler who created the universe? Wheeler responded, “Physics; the universe is a self-excited circuit.”
Gefter interpreted Wheeler to mean, the universe came out of nothing.
After decade-long research into unraveling the mystery of ultimate reality and the meaning of nothing, which included interactions with some of the best minds in physics, such as Stephen Hawking, Amanda Gefter released her findings in the path-breaking book, “Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn” in 2014 concluding that the universe came out of nothing.
Over 13 billion years ago, an incredibly small (about the size of Plank length, 10–33 cm), unbelievably hot, and immensely dense energy phase produced the universe in what has been referred to as the big bang event.
Gefter also concluded that on one side of the energy phase of the big bang event there is this ever-expanding universe but on the other side there is nothing, a void.
Jim Kowall, a triple board-certified physician with a doctorate in Theoretical Physics added, although nothing “physical” can pass through the size of Plank length, including the four fundamental forces of nature (electromagnetism, gravity, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force) to be present on the other side, consciousness can, for it not physical.
In other words, the universe came into existence when the undifferentiated consciousness of the void separated itself from the energy phase of the big bang event, and it has been expanding ever since.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, “The universe may end one day but consciousness will remain, for it is eternal.”
Now, we all have consciousness, the differentiated kind, and, therefore, we must be a microcosm of the undifferentiated consciousness of the void. This is how the expression, “Aham Brahmasmi” (I am a creator) or “I am that” came about.
In the same vein, Adi Shankara explains what we are not in this mantra, Chidananda Roopa Shivoham Shivoham. Listen to this mantra for eight minutes and watch your stress melt away. Many smart watches display stress.
For examples of the creativity capacity of human beings, see Yogananda Paramahansa’s book, “Autobiography of a Yogi.”
That book sold more than 4 million copies, and it has been translated into forty-five languages. The late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, made arrangements to have a gift-wrapped copy of the book distributed to everyone who was invited to his funeral service in 2011.
It appears Steve Jobs had a profound influence on his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, who recently returned after attending the Mahakumbh, a religious mega festival, at Prayagraj, India where she is reported to have expressed an interest in joining Sanatan Dharma.
In Sanskrit, Sanatan means eternal and Dharma means duty. Sanatan Dharma and Atman = Brahman are deeply connected. The duty of Atman is to return to Brahman, the source, at the end of life, but this realization comes after many lifetimes.
To further explain how Atman = Brahman and Sanatan Dharma are intricately linked we must refer to the ancient Saamkhya hypothesis which asserts that all of creation comprises of five principal elements and three Gunas.
The principal elements are: Prithvi (matter), Jal (water), Agni (fire or heat), Vayu (air or oxygen) and Aakash (consciousness and pranic energy).
It is true that we are born of our parents, but if we dig deeper we will discover that we are linked to the source, the energy phase of the big bang event.
We all have trillions of cells in our bodies. Inside the nucleus of our cells, there are 46x,x (for females) and 46x,y( for males) chromosomes. We inherit these chromosomes from our parents (23x,x from our mother and 23x,y from our father). Our parents inherit their chromosomes from their parents who in turn inherit them from their parents and so on.
So, if we keep going back in time, we will eventually reach the source, the energy phase of the big bang event.
According to Sanatan Dharma, our duty is to return to the source from which we have come but this realization comes after many lifetimes.
There are examples of some who have realized this duty in this lifetime.
Not long ago, His Holiness the Dala Lama interacted with Russian neuroscientists who were studying the phenomena of Thukdam.
The Tibetan word, “Thukdam” refers to a Buddhist meditative practice in which an accomplished meditator is absorbed in the process of inner dissolution of the five principal elements and consciousness back into the Primordial Light after clinical death (Wikipedia).
His Holiness explained, “When an ordinary person dies, there is a dissolution of the five principal elements (at the moment of clinical death). My senior tutor, Ling Rinpoché, remained in Thukdam for 13 days. Recently, a monk at Kirti Monastery remained in this state for 37 days.”
During the process of Thukdam, the body can remain warm, free from decomposition meaning that some of the five principal elements have remained even after clinical death.
Russian scientists examined 104 monks in meditation, and they observed a monk in Thukdam for 37 days at the Gyutö Monastery. A forensic physician examined the physical body at various stages after death. The scientists noted that the body of a person in Thukdam was in a quite different state from the body of someone undergoing the ordinary process of death.
In August 2020, IANS had reported that a Tibetan Buddhist scholar in Taiwan was in the state of Thukdam after being declared clinically dead on July 14. See also this video clip of a Thai Buddhist monk leaving his body consciously in about six minutes.
The three Gunas, S, R, and T explained in the Bhagvad Geeta are strongly linked to the two emotions.
The S component is strongly and positively correlated to positive emotions while the R and T components are strongly and positively correlated to negative emotions. Thus, internal excellence and emotional excellence are entirely equivalent.
The meditative processes that are intended to return us to the source also enhance the emotional excellence of the practitioner along the way. This is hugely significant for human beings even though they may not yet be ready to return to the source. This is because higher levels of emotional excellence promote exemplary performance, improvements in health & wellness, creativity and innovativeness, interpersonal relationships, and discord and violence, all supportive of a better and more peaceful world.
The trick is to introduce these concepts into AI systems design so the dangers from AI to humanity can be mitigated.
In Closing
Altman = Brahman tells us that we too are creators and that the creative capacity within us can guide us to return to the source after many lifetimes, while Sanatan Dharma urges that we should all strive to return to the source.
The meditative processes that are aimed at returning us to the source also bring about positive changes from within, which cannot come from any intellectual pursuits. These positive changes are the pathways for a better and more peaceful world.
Introducing these concepts in the design of AI systems will produce AI products that are less apt to cause harm to humanity.
What Sam Altman and Laurene Powell Jobs instinctively understood as important has a sound basis worthy for everyone to adopt.
Acknowledgments
The editorial assistance of Tony Belak, Mediation consultant and former Ombudsman, University of Louisville is gratefully acknowledged. The author thanks Jim Kowall for his review and positive comments on the article.
About the Author
Pradeep B. Deshpande is Professor Emeritus in and former Chairman of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Louisville. He is also president of Six Sigma and Advanced Controls based in Louisville, Kentucky. He is an author of eight books and over one hundred fifty articles in reputed journals that include Proc. Royal Society–UK, Chemical Eng. Progress, Ind. Eng. Chem. Proc. Des Dev, Chem. Eng. Science, among several others, and is a recipient of several international awards. He is a Fellow of ISA and has been nominated for a Padma Award. pradeep@sixsigmaquality.com.
