Significant advances have been made in understanding the nature of existence and reality since 1991 when this book was written. But the author discusses the philosophy of Bhagavadgita in light of physics and physical reality. Despite its antiquity, the author provides an excellent review of physics and philosophy and relates the essence of Gita to the big bang theory and other cosmological concepts.
In the Sankhya system described in Gita, the Ultimate Reality is the duality of Purusha (Mind) and Prakriti (Matter). The latter is a primordial matrix out of which all material phenomenon evolve by its interaction with Purusha. The matter and mind are derivatives of the same principle differing only in degree. Material nature by virtue of its constituent's qualities (called gunas) is responsible for creation of the phenomenal world. The universe is self evolving and no supernatural agent is postulated behind its manifestation, but in the later version of Sankhya, Isvara (God) is known to be behind its manifestation. In Gita, Lord Krishna is regarded as presiding deity over Prakriti and Purusha, the field and its knower, and Brahman and Maya. Krishna thus transcends both the phenomenal and eternal world and becomes wholly immanent as well as transcendent beyond the perishable and the imperishable. Gita puts Krishna above the Absolute, thus establishing a Vaishnavite religion with Krishna as its personal God. The first person singular (I) used in the Gita is not merely the nominative of narration. It stands for different things in different contexts. Thus it can be Brahman (Godhead) or Atman (Self). It can be Purusha, the knower, of the field (mind), or Prakriti (material nature). It is also Krishna himself at the same time. Its interpretation is perhaps the key to the whole esoteric aspects of the teachings of the Gita. It stands also for consciousness that creates everything, not surprisingly modern physics has strongly veered to the same conclusion.
The ultimate reality may be described in terms of matter/energy, and cause & effect in spacetime. Space and time can not be perceived in a dark or a changeless world. But in light matter appears to have dimensions in spacetime. According to relativistic physics, the concepts of past, present and future are relative. The physical appearance depends on the speed of the moving object. At the speed of light the mass becomes infinity, length becomes almost zero and time stops and reality becomes eternal. Spacetime are illusions created by human mind. They are useful in understanding the outside world. If space is an aspect of matter and time is of mind, then their unification into a spacetime continuum augers well in the unification of mind and matter in all their aspects of One Absolute Reality.
According to Sankhya, the effect pre-exists the cause, and there is no new creation but what was present in the cause in the potential form. Hence mind and matter are the manifestation of the same principle. The Prakriti is the homogeneous universal field (quantum field) at first in a state of equilibrium and the three constituents; the illuminating (sattvic), activating (rajasic), and restricting (tamasic) being in a balanced state. When this equilibrium is disturbed due to the preponderance of one or the other of the constituents (Gunas), creation becomes inevitable.
The spiritual goal of Gita is synonymous with immortality, which means freedom from transmigration of the embodied Self through successive cycles of birth and deaths. Yoga is the spiritual discipline for human development and ascent to the divine state. The self can never be the object of the knowledge. It is self illuminating and can only be realized by controlling the mind and focusing on the supreme reality, Lord Krishna, who unifies human consciousness and enables it to transcend itself. It therefore necessitates a complete detachment from all extrovert interests.
In the Sankhya system described in Gita, the Ultimate Reality is the duality of Purusha (Mind) and Prakriti (Matter). The latter is a primordial matrix out of which all material phenomenon evolve by its interaction with Purusha. The matter and mind are derivatives of the same principle differing only in degree. Material nature by virtue of its constituent's qualities (called gunas) is responsible for creation of the phenomenal world. The universe is self evolving and no supernatural agent is postulated behind its manifestation, but in the later version of Sankhya, Isvara (God) is known to be behind its manifestation. In Gita, Lord Krishna is regarded as presiding deity over Prakriti and Purusha, the field and its knower, and Brahman and Maya. Krishna thus transcends both the phenomenal and eternal world and becomes wholly immanent as well as transcendent beyond the perishable and the imperishable. Gita puts Krishna above the Absolute, thus establishing a Vaishnavite religion with Krishna as its personal God. The first person singular (I) used in the Gita is not merely the nominative of narration. It stands for different things in different contexts. Thus it can be Brahman (Godhead) or Atman (Self). It can be Purusha, the knower, of the field (mind), or Prakriti (material nature). It is also Krishna himself at the same time. Its interpretation is perhaps the key to the whole esoteric aspects of the teachings of the Gita. It stands also for consciousness that creates everything, not surprisingly modern physics has strongly veered to the same conclusion.
The ultimate reality may be described in terms of matter/energy, and cause & effect in spacetime. Space and time can not be perceived in a dark or a changeless world. But in light matter appears to have dimensions in spacetime. According to relativistic physics, the concepts of past, present and future are relative. The physical appearance depends on the speed of the moving object. At the speed of light the mass becomes infinity, length becomes almost zero and time stops and reality becomes eternal. Spacetime are illusions created by human mind. They are useful in understanding the outside world. If space is an aspect of matter and time is of mind, then their unification into a spacetime continuum augers well in the unification of mind and matter in all their aspects of One Absolute Reality.
According to Sankhya, the effect pre-exists the cause, and there is no new creation but what was present in the cause in the potential form. Hence mind and matter are the manifestation of the same principle. The Prakriti is the homogeneous universal field (quantum field) at first in a state of equilibrium and the three constituents; the illuminating (sattvic), activating (rajasic), and restricting (tamasic) being in a balanced state. When this equilibrium is disturbed due to the preponderance of one or the other of the constituents (Gunas), creation becomes inevitable.
The spiritual goal of Gita is synonymous with immortality, which means freedom from transmigration of the embodied Self through successive cycles of birth and deaths. Yoga is the spiritual discipline for human development and ascent to the divine state. The self can never be the object of the knowledge. It is self illuminating and can only be realized by controlling the mind and focusing on the supreme reality, Lord Krishna, who unifies human consciousness and enables it to transcend itself. It therefore necessitates a complete detachment from all extrovert interests.
Reference: The Big bang and the Bhagavad-Gita: A poetic rendering of the Gita with the introductory essay by R. A. S Kocha
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