The Relativistic Equation of Spirituality and Temporal Component of Imperfection (MTS-8: Towards A Mathematical Theory of Spirituality Based on Advaita)

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Ref Pages 15-20 of http://sunyaprajna.com/Advaita/Advaita_Math.pdf

 

 

As mentioned in the last posting, Goodness and Knowledge are not two independent

spiritual characteristics, but one and the same. As a jeeva detaches itself more

and more from the O-E-T through spiritual saadhanaas it moves closer and closer

to the Infinite Good and Knowledge represented by the vertical axis. In this

process, the jeeva gains both Purity of Mind and Knowledge of Self leading to

the experience of increasing peace and contentment while still in its

vyaavahaarik existence. Realizing the Brahman is no doubt the ultimate goal of

evolution, but the blessings of spiritual saadhanaas are here to enjoy long

before reaching that ultimate state.

 

If the vertical axis is Perfect Knowledge of Self, the jeeva’s proximity to that

vertical axis represents its degree of knowledge relative to that Perfect

Knowledge. How does one measure the proximity to the vertical axis? It is

argued in pages 15-16 that the projection of (one unit length) of the path AC on

the vertical axis, or sine(theta), measures the Knowledge of Self the jeeva has

relative to that of a Perfect Being fully established in Self. In the paper,

this measure is termed as the “Relative Awareness” of the jeeva, Awareness

meaning Knowledge of Self.

 

“Experienced time”, it would be recalled, is the projection of the path AC on

the horizontal axis. The “experienced time” over one unit length of the path AC

is cosine(theta). One unit length of the path AC represents one cosmic unit of

time. If theta were zero, that is if jeeva were totally attached to O-E-T,

cos(theta)=1 and hence its experienced time is same as the cosmic time.

Therefore, for J2 with spiritual detachment theta, cos(theta) is also the ratio

(Experienced time of J2 relative to the experienced time of a jeeva J1 totally

bound to O-E-T). A jeeva totally bound to O-E-T is also one whose Relative

Awareness is zero. For a jeeva with theta=60 degrees,for example, this ratio is

1/2 signifying that its experienced time is only half as much as that of J1. In

general, the ratio signifies the contraction in Experienced Time due to

spiritual detachment.

 

This sets the stage, as shown in pages 16-17, for deriving a simple but

remarkable equation connecting Relative Awareness to contraction in Experienced

Time. Noting that these two quantities are respectively sin(theta) and

cosine(theta) and noting that cos(theta)= sqrt(1-sin(theta)^2) we have the

following relation for a jeeva J2 with spiritual detachment =theta and J1

totally bound to O-E-T:

 

(Experienced Time of J2 relative to that of jeeva J1 with zero Knowledge of

Self) = sqrt(1-(J2’s Knowledge of Self relative to that of the Perfect Being

with Maximum Knowledge of Self)^2)

 

Compare this with the well known result in Special Relativity Theory relating

two observers J1 and J2, J1 being stationary in space with respect to a frame of

reference and J2 moving at some speed with respect to same reference:

 

(Time experienced by J2 relative to that by an observer J1 with zero speed in

space)= sqrt(1-(J2’s speed in space relative to that of light which has Maximum

Speed in space)^2)

 

The two results are strikingly similar in form and substance. In fact, by

substituting “Speed in Space” for the advaitic term “Knowledge of Self” the

former result in the spiritual realm (derived using concepts in Advaita) is

transformed into Einstein’s result in the material world. Even more remarkable,

this translation of terms itself is not arbitrary but is in fact consistent with

the advaitic tradition which speaks of Self and Space as though they are one and

the same. Similarly, Mahatmas fully established in Knowledge of Self are often

compared to Light, a point reiterated also by Nair ji in one of his comments on

my paper.

 

The correspondence between concepts in Advaita and Modern Physics has been

pointed out by many great minds such as Swami Vivekananda over the last one

century and written about by scholarly scientists such as Fritjof Capra. If I

am not mistaken (- and there is ample opportunity for being wrong due to my

woefully limited exposure to the vast amount of writing on this subject-) this

however may be the first time that the correspondence has been established

formally using a mathematical representation of Advaitic concepts.

 

The reason why there should be such a strong correspondence is far from obvious.

Does it suggest some as yet unknown common unity between the laws governing the

spiritual realm and the physical laws of the material realm?

 

Despite the strong similarity, I do not think that the Self of Advaita is

exactly the same as the Space of modern Physics, nor Knowledge of Self identical

with physical light. The “time dilation” experienced by a space traveler is

very likely a phenomenon altogether different from the compression in

“experienced time” for a spiritually detached jeeva, as argued in pages 18-19.

For a space traveler, the clock itself (as well as all physical processes

affected by the travel) slows down. Hence the space traveler does not feel any

different nor is it claimed that space traveler experiences more peace and

contentment.

 

On the other hand the clock does not slow down for a spiritually detached jeeva;

it ticks the same as it does for all other jeevas. The difference is in how

changes in the world affect the jeeva’s perception of itself. Whereas a jeeva

bound to the O-E-T is constantly assailed by the notion “I am changing” as the

world changes, an evolved jeeva feels less so. Ultimately, one fully

“Established in Self” (as the very term implies) has no sense of change in

Itself even as It sees the clocks tick and the world around change.

 

Identification with all beings at all times is perhaps the single most

definitive criterion distinguishing an evolved jeeva. An imperfect jeeva fails

not only to identify with other jeevas around it, but also incompletely

identifies with what it itself was in the past. The underlying thought that “I

am different now from what I was in the past” is at the root of this

imperfection. We may call it the “temporal component of imperfection”. The

imperfect identification with jeevas around us can be termed as the “spatial

component of imperfection” since it is space that separates one jeeva at any

given time from the other jeevas.

 

Viewed this way, the relativistic equation of spirituality shows how the

temporal component of imperfection diminishes and the sense of “I AM” solidifies

as the spiritual detachment increases and ego vanishes.

 

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a Happier New Year,

 

Hari Om!

 

- Raju Chidambaram