Book Reviewed: Modern Physics and Vedanta by Swami Jitatmananda

The wisdom of Vedic seers reflected in Vedanta

Swami Jitatmananda has explained the parallels between the principles of Vedanta Philosophy of Hinduism and physics in the best way possible. This is very concise book dealt with an emphasis on the works of Swami Vivekananda and his efforts to bring the scientific community and Vedanta on par. Vivekananda preached in the language of science and discussed with some of the well-known physicists of his time. Quantum physics had just been discovered when he was actively teaching the Advaita Vedanta Philosophy in North America and Europe. He once said that “it has been a terrible struggle.”

Vedantic epistemology and ontology transcended the experimentally verifiable universe. The wisdom of Vedic sages see the physical reality as One Supreme Consciousness, the Brahman. This has the attributes of omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere), Omni benevolence (perfect goodness), immutable, divine simplicity, and eternal existence. Brahman exists in spaceless and timeless dimension in an unchanging reality amidst and beyond the realm of the universe. His qualities are personal and impersonal. Advaita Vedanta is strongly monotheistic that believes in the existence of one God or the Oneness of God. And all forms of matter/energy in spacetime is an integral part of this Entity. God and the universe (with all life and non-life forms) are not separate (dual) but one integral part of “Pure Consciousness.” Each fundamental particle reflects the whole universe. The biggest is reflected in the smallest, and the smallest is reflected in the biggest. Physicists like Erwin Schrodinger, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Borg, David Bohm, Nikola Tesla, Carl Sagan, and Robert Oppenheimer were deeply interested in the metaphysical concepts emerging from Bhagavadgita and Vedanta.

Ramakrishna Paramahansa focused mainly on the illusory power of Maya, but for his disciple Vivekananda, Brahman, the Supreme Consciousness was the main subject of his discussions. Recent advances in physics show that spacetime and matter are intimately connected than thought. It is not just a fabric but active principle in the operation of the laws of physics. The amalgamation of space (three dimensions) and time (one-dimension) into 4-dimensional malleable spacetime creates a unique reality that make space look differently for different observers in the universe. Space and time warp to accommodate speed of light. Nothing moves faster than light; gravity, forces, information, matter or energy. Moving clock tick slower and moving ruler appear shorter and hence there is no objective measure of space and time. Gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of spacetime that propagate as waves at the speed of light. Space is fundamentally discontinues at quantum scales and exist in discrete quanta as opposed to our experience that space is a continuous fabric. Space can bend, rip and repair and it can expand (move) faster than light. Hence space has spilled out of our universe into another universe in a multiverse concept before light of this universe could catch up with it.

In quantum physics, reality allows you to see all events encapsulated in time including the past and future from outside it. All quantum physical observables and the reality that could be calculated depends on this observation. Time itself is not observable and so it cannot be calculated. The principle quantum uncertainty makes it harder to distinguish the order of events that are very close in time, in essence the effect could be preceded by the cause. This is because at a most fundamental level, space exists in a discontinuous state of quanta (bits), and it is not continuous as we perceive. Some physicists like Julian Barbour suggest that time is illusory, and space is real. Lee Smolin postulates that space is an illusion and time is real.

The universe is popping out of nothing, like matter and antimatter coming into existence in vacuum and annihilating into nothing. In fact 96% of the universe is made of dark matter and dark energy; the nature of them are not known and we don’t know the nature of laws that operate on dark matter and dark energy. Only 4% of the universe is the material world (both matter and anti-matter). Laws of physics is applicable only to this 4%.

Cause and effect are an important topic in all schools of Vedanta and all of them subscribe to the theory of Satkāryavāda, which means that the effect is pre-existent in the cause. But there are different views on the causal relationship and the nature of the empirical world from the perspective of metaphysical Brahman. From Brahmasūtra-Bhāṣya 2.1.9, Adi Shankara observes that despite the non-difference of cause and effect, the effect has its self in the cause. This fits perfectly with quantum physics concepts. Matter at its most fundamental form exists in both wave and particle forms. In this dual wave-particle picture, matter exists in a wave-like "superposition" of all its possible positions or states, only settling in one state on measurement. Erwin Schrödinger lampooned this idea in his thought experiment about a cat that exists simultaneously in two states, alive and dead. This is popularly known as Schrodinger’s Cat Paradox.

Advaita Vedanta states that from "the standpoint of Brahman-experience and Brahman itself, there is no creation" in the absolute sense, all empirically observed creation is relative and mere transformation of one state into another, all states are provisional and a cause-effect driven modification. Due to quantum fuzziness and the discontinuous nature of space and uncertainty principle and wave – particle duality, the cause and effects are mutually affected by each other. According to quantum reality, many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics, we don’t have a free will. The universe is predetermined and pre-ordained in multiverse where space splits to create infinite number of universes satisfying all possible choices and outcomes. Or simply put the collapse of quantum state is a pre-programmed by an entity that has “Pure Consciousness.”

The theory about the universe being an illusion or a hologram fits the illusory nature of reality (Maya) expounded in Vedanta. The idea is similar to that of ordinary holograms where a three-dimensional image is encoded in a two-dimensional surface, such as in the hologram on a credit card. Here the entire universe is encoded on a 2-dimensional surface according to string physics and the current understanding of quantum gravity and quantum space.

Plant neurobiology is a fast-developing field in biological sciences despite the fact they do not have brain, a central nervous system or any type of cognitive structures. Plants communicate, signaling within, eavesdropping on neighboring individuals, and exchanging information with other organisms. They have adaptive responses related to their existence. Yet they seem to have consciousness according to many biologists. For example, to understand the mouse’s behavior, we must know about the mouse’s brain, its nervous system and perhaps its genome, but we cannot understand how it feels to be a mouse. Brain not only creates an illusion of reality and also a separate immaterial feeling of “I” having conscious experience. Physicist Michael Graziano of Princeton University says that consciousness is a fundamental component of the universe like matter and energy. It does not appear in any formula of classical relativity or quantum physics.

Book Reviewed: Badhe, Sushrut A. The Rhythm of Ananda Upanishad: Sri Aurobindo's Vedanta

The wisdom of Vedic sages reflected in Ananda Upanishad

The Vedantic view of Sri Aurobindo is very well contemplated in this Upanishad. This is a small and concise Upanishad with the gist of Vedanta annotated beautifully. In his own words, “Ignorance and Knowledge are but his two forms. He (Brahman) is neither the bearer nor is the borne: Neither as infinite nor finite, He is the unknown, Not Singular, not plural, the formed One who holds from none. He is simply ‘The One’ The Finite, the Infinite, and the One.” “Diversiform are all but the multifarious names of the universal form of that consciousness spirit that illuminates. The entire world with the consciousness it generates.”

“The blazing structure of the sun is but a perception. Not the sun itself, but that which is understood by the human cognition. It is but a physical form which by the senses is perceived.” “As the sun is real and this truth is undeniable. Likewise is the Brahman, the light of truth and divinity.” “But this world is the illusive web supreme spun by the divine Himself in the mortal realm. But Brahman is not an illusion (Maya) or a creation of mental activity. The Brahman is real and in Him there is no falsehood and all that exists in this worldly creation is but his worldly blissful manifestation Om Tat Sat. (OM This Truth). Whatever is truth, that is consciousness and this consciousness is the zenith of blissfulness (Ananda). What is termed suffering, misery and weakness is but ignorance, a vacuum devoid of true happiness.”

The quantum reality is compatible with the Vedantic view of Brahman or Pure Consciousness. We live in a universe that is made of 95% dark matter and dark energy, but only 5% matter. Our laws of physics applies to the latter. The universe is made of spacetime where space and time is amalgamated into a 4-dimensional malleable spacetime, and the fabric of reality also includes the speed of light. It is on this fabric matter and energy behaves according the laws of physics.

Quantum physics states that matter at its most fundamental existence behaves both like matter and a wave. Hence, there is quantum uncertainty of position (existence) and momentum. Wave mechanics also states that all possible states of a quantum object are possible. But a measurement on such a system forces these states into one observable state. Special theory of relativity requires matter or energy or information or physical force or the gravity (curvature in spacetime that contains matter) cannot move faster than light. But the same laws permit space to expand faster than speed of light.

The quantum universe also does not offer us a free will. There is an old adage that says everything that happens does happen. Quantum physics’ many-worlds interpretation suggest that all possible outcomes of quantum states are possible but they exist in different universes. Therefore it appears that the universe is predetermined. The only uncertainty is that in which universe you and your self-consciousness are pre-packaged in? It may also mean that pure consciousness or the Brahman referred to in Vedanta is a Supreme Reality that can see all universes at the same time. Such a principle can exist in a spaceless and timeless dimension state of pure consciousness that can comprehend everything and yet be part of the entire creation. Invoking The Supreme Consciousness as an entity also accounts for the collapse of all observable quantum states to one state. This would have resulted in the reality we see around us. Albert Einstein struggled throughout his life to convince others that there is a reality in this universe and it exists no matter if living beings are here to observe that or not. Quantum physics – Copenhagen interpretation requires that physical reality is possible only if a conscious spectator observe the universe so that quantum states collapse into one possible reality we all observe.

The reality of a four-dimensional spacetime structure is that passing through this depends on how fast you are moving and the strength of gravitational field you are in. Spacetime can bend, rip, repair and produce gravitational waves (ripples of spacetime curvature). The speed of light makes an additional component of reality. Hence space look differently for different observers in the universe. For a planet 4.5 billion light years away, solar system doesn’t even exist since it takes the same amount of time for the light (and information) to reach there. Solar system is only 4.5 billion years old. Some physicists like Julian Barbour suggest that time is illusory and space is real. Physicists like Lee Smolin disagree and say that time is real and space is illusory. Quantum physics also permits universe to create out of nothing, from pure vacuum. Matter and antimatter coming into existence and annihilating into nothing continuously.

Plants communicate, signaling from within, eavesdropping on neighboring individuals, and exchanging information with other organisms. They have adaptive responses related to their existence. Hence, plant neurobiology became a new field of study and it is a fast-developing area in biological sciences despite the fact they do not have brain, a central nervous system or any type of cognitive structures. Yet they seem to have consciousness. We may know all we need to know about a mice’s brain and its entire genome but we can’t understand how it is like to be a mouse? How is the physical network of neurons produce experience? How could we translate the neurobiology of a mice to its experience or its consciousness of “I”? How can physical networks of neurons produce experiences that appear to fall outside the material world? Physicist Michael Graziano of Princeton University says that consciousness is a fundamental component of the universe like matter and energy and spacetime. It may not appear in any physics formulas. In quantum physics, reality allows you to see all events encapsulated in time including the past and future from outside it. All quantum physical observables (and the reality) calculated depends on this observation. Time itself is not observable and so it cannot be calculated. The principle quantum uncertainty makes it impossible to distinguish the order of events that occur very close in time, in essence the effect could preceded the cause. This is due to wave-particle duality of matter and quantum uncertainty principle. Current advances in understanding the nature of space and time and its link to quantum physics is shedding more into the nature of reality we live in and truth of Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism.

Book Reviewed - Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity, by Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

The wisdom of menstrual activism

This book is too focused on modern day activists and emphasize the menstrual needs of a woman such as tampon tax repeal, enacting new laws for affordable and safe products for women going through menstrual cycle. Popular figures, actors, singers, and athletes have spoken openly about menstruation that helped to bring the attention of women and the media. Social media trending and activism was evident when comedienne Sarah Silverman tweeted, crime scene in your pants, can a man handle that? The author says that the menstrual movement is a collective accomplishment. They have seen a support for menstruation through a colorful array of music, poetry, visual art, recreation, athletic displays, media trends and pop culture moments. Menstrual activist Kiran Gandhi ran London Marathon while “free bleeding” with blood stained tights. The photo went viral with the title “Going with the flow: blood and sisterhood at the London Marathon.” 'Happy to Bleed' is another counter-campaign launched against menstrual taboos in Facebook page of #HappyToBleed.

Chandra Bozelko, a former inmate of Connecticut women’s correctional facilities and later became an activist for women in prisons has worked with law-makers to enact laws to better the lives of less fortunate women in a prison systems. Bozelko observes that prisons are called the new asylums and house more mentally ill people than hospitals do. But this is not the first time we have heard about such cruelty. The life of Hollywood actress Frances Farmer (1913-1970) serves as glowing example for the abuse of women’s rights in state-run facilities for mentally challenged. Farmer's posthumously published autobiography “Will There Really Be a Morning? Described brutal incarceration and denied women’s products to maintain proper hygiene. She claimed to have been abused, traumatized and mistreated. This part of the story is clearly shown in the 1982 film “Frances” starring Jessica Lange. Lange later received a nomination in the best actress category in the Academy Awards.

In early 1980s, women’s activists complained that inmates of correctional facilities do not provide enough hair products. Because prison officials do not understand the needs of such women’s products. The demands for fair treatment of women included menstrual equity since the days of suffragists’ movement. In 1912, the New York Times reported on the purported “militant hysteria” of suffragettes that highlighted women’s “physiological emergencies.” The year 1920 reached a point in the history when the 19th amendment was ratified, this granted American women the right to vote—a right known as woman suffrage.

Menstrual cycle has been widely discussed the holy scriptures of Tanakh, the Torah and the Old Testament. This is an old Hebrew tradition practiced in ancient Israel according to Leviticus 15:19-33, Genesis 31:35, Isaiah 64:6 and Ezekiel 18:5-6. They explicitly state that women are “unclean” and “impure.” The ancient Hindu scriptures such as Rig-Veda or Bhagavadgita does not mention menstruation and in fact none of the four Vedas ever state that a menstruating woman’s body is impure or that she cannot perform prayers. Many Vedic gods are female and they are spoken with veneration. The “impurity” of a women during menstrual period may have evolved in middle of medieval period. Perhaps during the post-Vedic time when Puranas were written to describe the Hindu cultural practices. A mention of menstruation may be found in Garuda Purana 15:7-10.

The author, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf works for New York’s Brennan Center for Justice that is affiliated to NYU School of Law. She could have done more research and provided the reader a historical account of activism since suffrage movement in early 1900s. But this book is largely focused on modern day activists.

Tights/pants soaked in blood is not a pretty sight for a man or a woman. Such displays as a part of feminist activism could backfire since many supporters of women’s rights may be repulsed or offended by that. Activists have lot to learn from the Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016 Presidential run. Pulling away from mainstream into extremism may do more harm than help women’s movements. Blood-soaked pants look more like crime scene photos. It could be considered vulgar. Does anyone display urine soaked panties to make a point? Women also have the right to pass urine but they don’t make a public display of it to cause awareness. Let us save that for the adult entertainment!

Book Reviewed: Americana: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism, by Bhu Srinivasan

The American capitalism in Global Economy

Adam Smith’s masterpiece of economic analysis, The Wealth of Nations, was symbolic in that its publication date of 1776 coincided with the Declaration of American Independence. Smith examined simple economic concepts in which that individuals are capable of setting and regulating prices for their own goods and services. He summarized capitalism in terms of common sense; as how markets move, why they move, and how variables affect the outcomes. He supported free trade and small businesses and his book provided the first integrated description of the workings of a market economy. The spirit of his work still lives on and it revolutionized the way governments and individuals view the creation and dispersion of wealth.

The author of this book does not discuss economics, but simply documents the American success from a historical perspective. Topics includes very diverse subjects like; venture, taxes, tobacco, cotton, gold, slavery, war, oil, steel unions, trusts, food, automobiles, radio, and TV to computing, startups and internet. The book takes a very simple approach at the history without discussing the economics or politics or sociological ramifications that impacted these economic factors. The book is very arbitrarily classified into four sections and various topics are jumbled together in 35 chapters. Each chapter in a section has no bearing on each other. The book does not flow smoothly as a reader would expect.

The author could have considered expanding on factors that helped capitalism to grow. For example, slavery is long regarded as an error in American history but its impact on the American economy is long forgotten. The expansion of slavery in the first eight decades after American independence led to the modernization of the United States. The South grew from a narrow coastal strip of tobacco plantations to a mighty cotton producer, and then grew into a modern, industrial, and capitalist economy. Another factor that could have a made difference is the unions and workforce. The Silicon Valley Technology and Wall Street greed is thrusting upon American lives. The "sharing economy” concept of companies like Uber, Airbnb and TaskRabbit has encouraged workers to become "independent" and their own CEOs. Hiring themselves out for ever-smaller jobs and wages while the corporations benefit enormously. Increased subcontracting and consulting services by corporations also has economic consequences in the long run. Social justice is not reaching out for the average American worker. I sense hearing Elton John’s hit song, “Don't let the sun go down on me.” Let us not allow sun to go down on American capitalism.

Book Reviewed: The Ken Commandments: My Search for God in Hollywood, by Ken Baker

Looking for Bible in Beverly Hills (Three stars)

This is story of a man in quest for finding god during his midlife crisis. Having worked in the entertainment business for several years, the author looks for ways to find god and seeks to understand the meaning of life. This would be really challenging for someone who found success in Hollywood. But there is no shortage of celebrities who found god in their own way. For example, the church of Scientology has millions of followers that uses Hollywood celebrities to promote itself to achieve wisdom and immortality. Celebrity followers include; Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Will Smith, Priscilla Presley, Kirsty Alley, Jenna Elfman and Greta Van Sustern. The church makes enormous profit as a tax exempt religious organization.

Recently Justin Bieber is making lot of news about finding Jesus. His "purpose" in life is not music anymore; it's all about his spiritual awakening by Jesus, courtesy of the Hillsong Church and its charismatic leader Carl Lentz. Kirk Cameron was another reborn Christian. After converting to Christianity, he began to insist that storylines of his TV show “Growing Pains” be edited to remove anything he thought too adult or inappropriate for a Christian culture. After the series was cancelled, Cameron did not maintain contact with his former co-stars, and did not speak to co-star Tracey Gold for eight years. His desire to start a Christian life away from the entertainment industry was so intense that he wanted to free himself from the “old shackles.”

The author during his spiritual awakening, starts to talk about god with friends, attends church services, discusses with preachers, spiritual counselors, gurus, and yoga and meditation instructors. For example, in one chapter entitled “The Guru wears Prada,” he describes his interaction with Deepak Chopra and Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) to understand the wisdom of Hindu Philosophy. But his understanding of Vedanta Philosophy of Hinduism falls too short. Paramahansa Yogananda was the founder of SRF to teach scientific methods of meditation and principles of spiritual living described in Hindu Holy Scripture of Bhagavadgita. Ken Baker doesn’t even mention this book. Except for Bible, no other religious scriptures are mentioned and yet he is looking for “God.” Christianity is the religion of his youth and deviating away from it is hard unless you put mind and heart into it. After reading this book, I found that his mind is too focused on Jesus. I like to point out to the author that singer and songwriter, and ex-Beatle George Harrison was also looking for God and found in Bhagavadgita. He did his homework and read the scriptures. He did not remain in “pocket” but went outside the box to rethink and rediscover himself. His song about Lord Krishna “My sweet lord…. I really want to see you, really want to be with you….. is one of the most inspiring song in rock music I ever heard. He came from the entertainment industry and he was able to find “God.”

The book is haphazardly classified into three major sections called, Genesis, Exodus and Revelation that does not reflect his own spiritual quest. Chapters entitled, “Keep up with Kardashians” “Celebrate Jesus – He is just like us,” etc. bears very little significance to the subject matter discussed in those chapters. At the end of all this, this reader is not sure if the author was successful in finding god.

Book Reviewed: The Wild by K. Webster

Very Creepy and Evil

This story is creepy, eerie, disturbing, sinister, frightening, and worrying! The author is selling a senseless trash as an experiment about love and romance. How could there be love between a father and his own daughter. It is obviously outrageous to know that Reed (father) treats his wife like a trash, and when she dies, neither Reed nor his daughter (Devon) appear to mourn the loss. Neither of them cared. How could Devon could do that her own mother? A few weeks later, they're in a sexual relationship in the wilderness of Alaska. The Alaska trip is a sham and does not add any myth or substance. It is merely a trysting place, for a moonlight tryst. This is not Robert Bly’s “Iron John” where men going back to the wilderness to understand the myth, legend and the source of their masculinity. And finding a middle path between the greater awareness of the ‘sensitive new age guy’ and the power and vitality of the ancient warrior. This is lust at its worse. The author is expressing her own insecurities in this little story. Is she too afraid that her characters are watched by neighbors, family and friends, if they do this in the midst of civilization? The family circumstance the author has created in her story is utterly deplorable. It is bloody and gruesome to say the least. They should be in a state of mourning and grieving.

Loving, nurturing, and caring occurs between a mom and her son. There is tenderness in such a relationship, and that is not the way it plays out between a father and daughter. Mother-son sex is found among primates such as bonobo (chimpanzee species) but not between a father and daughter. Electra complex is not a progressive evolutionary behavior.

As I see this, the man Reed is nothing but an evil who seduces a minor. He is a pedophile. This is a crime! No doubt Amazon banned this book. If you really care about stories like this, I suggest watching a porn film online. It is healthy for you or you may prepare with a towel, a panty, lotion, a large picture of your favorite man and any other electrical device(s) for a special solstice masturbation ritual in order to orgasm into a healthy you as discussed by Karley Sciortino in her article entitled “Sex, the Solstice, and the Single Girl” that appeared on Vogue Magazine.

As a father of my daughter I am deeply offended by this atrocious writing. This is not literature, this not fiction, but this is bestiality that is best left at the adult section of your browser.

Book Reviewed: No Go Zones: How Sharia Law Is Coming to a Neighborhood near you, by Raheem Kassam

Islamization of Western Societies

Europe has submitted to Islamists who have taken over communities, neighborhoods, towns and cities within a generation. For example, London is a city built over 2,000 years and it has become a third world hell-hole with many neighborhoods patrolled by Sharia-enforcing Muslim thugs. U.K has a large population of immigrants from Asia, and immigrants such as Hindus from India assimilate well with local population, but Muslims clearly identify as a separate community from the rest of the population. Muslim dominated inner cities across U.K, France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and other have their own “no-go” zones where Muslims enforce sharia to intimidate women for not following the 8th century codes. They are wreaking havoc through terrorism, and an epidemic of sexual assault against women. Jihadi enclaves protected by clerics and Muslim community leaders are becoming “no-go zones” even for police. Cops are either hesitant to enter the community or refuse to enforce the law to the full extent. This book chronicles growing chaos in Europe where Muslims are primarily focused on the Islamization of Western civilization. Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic organizations have a well-defined strategy for conquering Europe through conversions, intimidation and threats. Compounding this problem is that the entertainment industry, the media, academics, popular writers, the leftists and socialist groups have progressively aligned with Muslim causes, and clearly opposed to the interest of the country.

The Jihad Watch Organization affiliated with the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and run by blogger Robert Spencer, provides a daily report of divisive and dangerous activities of Islamists across the globe. For example, only this week, we find that the UN refugee agency is under scrutiny for terror links. U.K. Muslim gangs who targeted white teenage girls in sexual attacks were found guilty in a court of law but the judge did not handed longer jail sentences that fitted the crime because that would be considered Islamophobic in light of the fact that the victims were non-Muslim women. The Islamic State (ISIS) terror group called for vehicular jihad attacks numerous times, and that there have been many such attacks in the West in the last few years. Recently a Muslim deliberately drove a car into a pizzeria in France, and an innocent French girl was killed. The police were quick to rule out terrorism. An Islamic jihadist who recently went on a stabbing spree in a supermarket in Hamburg, Germany has been attributed to his mental illness. Denmark’s “Hug a Jihadi” program was started to give houses and jobs to returning Islamic State jihadis. In Switzerland, a Muslim cleric has been charged with incitement to murder non-practicing Muslims. Recently BBC News anchor Katty Kay said that “Europeans have to get used to terror attacks like the Manchester bombing.” Will she get used to wearing hijab? Despite all these, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is calling for more Muslim migrants to Europe as she criticizes Charlottesville demonstrations. This book is a very compelling in its reporting. But it is not so shocking anymore since we read about Muslim terrorism in our daily newspapers.