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Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Spiritual perspectives of Nanotechnology

Abstract

The bigger is not always powerful. The subtler forms of the matter and energy that

form the material science are much more powerful than their gross particles. The hidden

forces that exist and operate in these subliminal particles can be recognized and

augmented through spirituality which is also a comprehensive science. Starting from the

law of conservation of energy where conversion of matter and energy are discussed, to

realizing the omnipotent powers of ‘Brahman’ the “Supreme consciousness” and its

manifestations in physical body through material perspective –all can be well established

through linking the material science of Nanotechnology with Spiritual perspective of it.

The Brahman has existed before the origin and end of every form of creation and it is

“Anaadyantha” – that which has ‘no beginning and end’. In between comes

Nanotechnology with its limitless powers through subliminal and minute particles storing

abundant energies in them. Nanotechnology as a material science talks about very small

particles of 10-9 cm size and the rare properties that they can display when small, can be

compared to the very life ie the soul which helps in inducing the correct consciousness

to identify oneself with the Ultimate.

This universe has a perfect “Rthm” and because of this perfect order in arrangement

and structure of these micro particles that there is less confusion. Once there is a disorder

or lack of “Rthm”, the entire cosmos goes for a wreck. In all these changing times what

remains constant is the knowledge of the Athman –The Brahman.

“Jnanam Theham Savignanamidam vakshyamyaseshadaha

yajnathwa neha bhooyognathavyamavashishyathe”

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Chapter 7-The BhagavadGita

“I shall teach you knowledge (Jnana) together with realization (Vignana) in their

entirety, knowing which, thereafter nothing remains to be known”

The gross components of the physical body are visible and tangible as they are made

up of the basic elements of the earth (Material Science). The union between this gross

physical manifestation ie “Prakriti” and that of the Subtle Truth ie “Purusha” can be very

well equated to the knowledge in its entirety(Savignanam) . A complete identification

between the two types of knowledge can reveal to the world the supreme bliss that is

available with every single creation.

Unraveling the mysteries that shroud the blending of the physical manifestations of

Nature ie “Prakriti” with that of Absolute Consciousness ie “Purusha” can be the science

of the 21st century-probably the real knowledge in its entirety.

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Introduction

At the outset, I accept my limitations about what I am going to speak, after hearing

the people, during the last few sessions; I do not think that I am even a speck of dust in

front of them in comparison!

A couple of days back, during some discussions, some of my colleagues were asking

me about my proficiency in Indian philosophy and understanding of Nanotechnology. For

the first part I said I know a little bit, and for the second part I said I know very little. I

also remembered a statement made by my professor who taught me few things in Indian

philosophy “The moment you say you know Brahman, It no more exists”. Perhaps a

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similar statement is made by one of the great scientists in Quantum Mechanics “You can

calculate and use Quantum Mechanics, but you cannot understand it”

Yet I took courage to venture into these deliberations based on one aspect of my

career. As a principal of a school that caters to more than 4200 students, I am concerned

not only with the day today working and academic attainment of students but also about

the attitudes, the personal growth and the vision of each individual.

In this world there have always been two extremes. On one hand the material

progress and explosion of knowledge that is taking place all around and on the other hand,

pursuit for the ineffable and unique spark that resides in every one of us. How do I, as a

principal correlate these two extremes and make them a part of the school ethos?

At one end of the pendulum is spirituality and at the other end is gross matter. At the

subtlest form of this matter are discoveries that are taking place at nano levels. The other

extreme is the “Angushta matra purusha “(Thumb like entity) residing in each one of us.

The power of the subtle

Nanotechnology is the manufacturing technology of the 21st century encompassing

precision engineering as well as mainstream biomedical applications in areas as diverse

as gene therapy, drug delivery and novel drug discovery techniques. It basically is a tool

that is used for the betterment of human kind. The most common concepts in Nano

technology are positional assembly of atoms and self replication.

Matter is made up of millions of minute atoms. At the existential level this subtle

form of matter has great potency stored within. All activities of the universe are regulated

by the behavior and inter particle relationships of these small particles. The chemical and

physical features are due to the structure. These particles can not be seen by naked eye,

but they do exist.

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Sand contains silicon as its main atom. A specific arrangement of silicon with some

other particles produces the micro chip, the most powerful tool in the hands of man today.

What is the size of this add on impurities? Beyond the computing sense of human sense

and mind? Yet we accept them!

RBC‘s size is about twelve millionth of an inch. A tiny particle of blood sample

consists of 0.3million of such particles. Can one, then think about the % of the iron

content an RBC, which is a major actor in Mammalian blood, has with it?

The zygote is a millionth of a cubic millimeter in size. This smallest particle of life

manifests physically in human form. Human brain which is a vehicle of human mind is a

tiny part of this zygote

If we can agree to acknowledge the existence of such minute invisible particles and

can talk about harnessing the energies stored in , what is the problem in accepting the

construct of the subtle energy ie the “Angushta matra purusha” in each one of us which

can only be felt and not seen?

If “Seeing is believing” has been the only criterion, then these micro chips,

haemoglobin, zygote and thousand other wonders of Science would have to be treated as

“magic, or Maya or miracle’! But human mind has gone beyond the criteria of ‘seeing is

believing’ and mastered the capacity of dealing with subtle matter., Just as

Nanotechnology needs highly specialized training and investment in terms of time and

money to become capable of dealing with matter at this micro level, so also to know and

deal with the Angushta matra Purusha” , the Spark , we need investment of time , training

in different dimensions!

At the root of every creation, there is atom. A small loss of mass results in an atom

bomb and a minute fusion between the smallest hydrogen atoms produces the powerful

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hydrogen bomb. Fission and Fusion, thus creates and destroys energy. The scientific law

says, that energy cannot be created or destroyed, and that it can be only transformed.

Then, where does this energy come from?

Nature has answers for every query. Ideas of nano particles are, hence bound to come

from Nature i.e. biology, chemistry and quantum physics. To quote Neil’s Bohr,”The

opposite of an idea is another great idea”.

Science, Technology, Spirituality and Religion

There are 4 words that I would like to focus upon:

Science and technology

Spirituality and religion

Science and technology

Science and technology have a very strange relation with each other. ‘One is totally

an aesthetic experience’ to quote Einstein and the other is totally ‘pragmatic’. This means

that one is leading to a pure experience of joy and is an outcome of thirst for truth and

beauty. Both Truth and Beauty are direct attributes of the ‘Divine’- the “Sat Chit

Ananda”

The other i.e. Technology tries to encash and convert the thirst into practical benefit,

bringing extreme material comforts and well being in day today life. Nanotechnology is

exactly trying to do that. If Science is the mother , technology is the child!

But we must remember that in the economy of the universe, there is nothing that

comes free of cost. Technology promises Atlantis & Utopia but sometimes it also creates

hydrogen bomb and atom bombs.

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From another point of view, if we look at the trends in science, especially in the last

century, one can see that it has been from gross to subtle!. If I use, perhaps at the risk of

misquoting David Bohm, the great quantum physicist, who is highly influenced by J

Krishna murthi, ‘the whole process of this is like the gradual pealing of layer and layer of

an onion’which at the present has led to the nano level’. I really do not know where the

further pealing will lead to?

Perhaps to that entity which is described as “Yatra vacho nivarthanthe aprapiyo

manasasaha”?

As an aside once when the holy Mother of the sri Aurobindo ashram was asked “Who

would first realize the divine?” the Mother answered “The scientist”. When asked,” Who

would realize the divine last?” she replied “The politician”!

Is the Nanotechnology consciously or unconsciously leading us to that ultimate truth

of universe which existed before Time and the Big Bang? Any search thus leads to

ultimate truth and beauty. How do we avoid the disastrous end of Atlantics?

This leads to the other two words namely spirituality and religion

Spirituality and Religion

Surprisingly, I do feel, right or wrong, spirituality has the same relationship with

religion as science has with technology. For both science and spirituality, the driving

force is the thirst for the truth and beauty and both of them talk about the inherent

universal law of (Rhtm)

.

“Ishavasyamidam Sarvam Yatkincha Jagatyam Jagat

Thena Thyakthena Bunjeetha Ma Kasya Swiddhanam”

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“Everything animate or inanimate that is within the Universe is controlled and owned by

the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are

set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they

belong.” (Isopanishad)

Swami Prabhu pada , when he describes this verse from Isopanishad , talks about

spiritual Communism. The sole proprietorship of this Universe is that of The Lord.

Human activities, today indulge only in sense gratification, in other words material

comforts. Swami Prabhupada calls it as a path of “Avidya” or advancement of material

knowledge. He goes on to say that the culture of “Vidya” or transcendental knowledge, as

essential for human beings.

The Vishnupurana talks of two energies “Para”( superior ) and “Apara”( inferior).

We human beings are placed in this material and inferior energy phase and only inferior

creation or material creation is possible. Yet the human beings can aspire for the

acquisition of the superior form of energy by raising his realm of activity through the

transcendental knowledge. According to the Vishnupurana, there is believed to be a

spiritual atmosphere beyond the cosmos where the superior knowledge of Brahman is

available.

Mandukya Upanishad almost confirms this view. It says “Brahman is all and Atman

is Brahman”.

Science and spirituality is in a way searching to reach this Spirit and experience the

supreme bliss!

Spirituality is inherently subjective and purely experiential in nature. Therefore it

cannot be objectively proved through the processes and instruments that are available in

Science.

One cannot use a butcher’s knife for performing a delicate surgery. You need a

different tool to experience spirituality and realize Athman ! A well groomed Mind,

probably!

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Technology and religion are perhaps utilitarian and cash counters that are used by

mankind either for their immediate comforts or incase of religion for solace and

comfortable afterlife. Let us see some quotes,

.

Renee Weber in “Search for unity” deliberates like this.” The major difference

between Science and Spirituality is that the first turns to the world outside and the latter

turns within. Science wants to master gross matter and spirituality, the Subtle! Science is

quantitative and spirituality is qualitative”

Max Planck says” Science can not solve the ultimate mystery of Nature. And that is

because we ourselves are part of Nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are

trying to resolve”. (As quoted by Renee Weber)

Ilya Prigogine, in a dialogue with Weber says “To do science, is to be open to the

world around us, including the human world”

The fundamental element of this cosmos is the space. Space is the all embracing

principle of higher unity as per Renee Weber

Unfortunately we make no distinction between the two on one hand Science and

Technology and on the other Spirituality and Science. We think all technology is science

and all religious stuff is spiritualistic. It must be noted that I am particularly referring to

those forms of religion which are dogmatic, ritualistic and fear oriented. This has led to

all the confusion. As a result of that, the search for the truth and the beautiful and the

everlastings gets converted into “How useful it is to me and my world” and the

enchantment and the vision of both science and spirituality get ‘merged’ into technology

and religion.

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How do we come out of this confusion?

Balancing the extremes

If we look at the story of human civilization, we know that spirituality had its origin

on the day on which the Homo sapiens started looking at the starry sky and wondering

what lay beyond it? Shall we say the story of spirituality is as old as the story of human

civilization?

On the other hand what we call as modern science is of very recent origin. Western

science started when Aristotelian approach was left behind and Galileo started talking

about motion and gravity. Was James Watt’s steam engine the starting point of

technology in its modern version? Compared to that how recent is Nano technology?

Then what can one say about Nano technology? It is yet a child! Walking on all its

four, crawling, going in every direction and again going back to its mother science.

Yet this child is like BalKrishna who was able to kill “Poothana” and hold the

“Govardhan” on his small finger!

And I am very certain and as nanotechnology grows in strength and stature and starts

covering multidimensional world outer as well as inner, it will really prove its worth!

I feel it has already crossed the border, shall we say artificial border, that has been

created between matter and mind?

It will have to cross the border, the artificial border that we have created between

matter and mind. Processing at nanotechnology level depends upon imparting a meaning

for the information received and taking action based on that meaning. This involves a

receptive mind. The inner powers or the hidden consciousness of the human mind

originate from that Supreme consciousness, according to the Aitereya Upanishad. Where

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there is something heard, felt, or known, seen, it becomes finite. It is mortal. Spirit or this

Consciousness is infinite and immortal and hence can not be touched, seen or felt.

As soon as we start talking in terms of information, we have unconsciously crossed

the border of material and as soon as we start we talk in terms of ‘meaning’ we have

already entered the field of “Consciousness”. This is the narrow bridge or “Isthmus” that

connects the island of nanotechnology to the continent of consciousness.

And when we enter the field of consciousness, we have already left far behind not

only matter but also mind. We have already reached ‘chith’. With “Chith” comes the

“Chith shakti” the executive power- perhaps the power that is behind the whirling

galaxies and also the power that created the soft rose petal. When ‘chit’ comes in the

picture it already brings with it the other two factors of the triune of sat chit ananda.

This is spirituality into purest senses.

Education:I think, one of the major reasons for the perversions that took place in use of

technology and also in religion, fundamentally lie in the ego of either an individual or a

group or of a nation! One of the most important characteristics of the ego is ‘Alpam’

(Trivial). If when one can go beyond the narrow self and start thinking in terms of wider

‘Self’, the ill effects that get generated by the ego starts diminishing.

Nanotechnology is perhaps, the key of ‘Alice in wonderland’, that will open to the

garden of understanding of the universe.

In my introductory remarks, I had mentioned about our concern about the vision of our

youth. How to create an ethos that will prepare our students for this journey?

We have failed miserably in our education systems, on three counts:

In order to create the so called secular education, we have totally neglected the

eternal font of spirituality by creating white-washes of so-called moral science or

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value education. Spirituality is not simply a code of conduct; it is much much

more than that. It is a search for truth and beauty!

Secondly, in science teaching we have failed to teach in an open-ended inquiry

method, in search of patterns and hidden orders. We have converted science

teaching into closed book learning of all laws and commandments.

Thirdly, we have failed to create a link between schools and colleges with

institutions and organizations at the most enchanting frontiers of science. I have

had a personal experience of fruitfulness of such linkage during the last year,

when one of my students received two Intel awards for a research project in

biochemistry. Unfortunately, such an experience is rare commodity here.

We can make a beginning at least in the last two areas, and there you people and

your organizations can play a major role. Fascination of science as an enchanting activity

could be created if this link could be established between schools, colleges and research

institutes.

At our level, our resources in terms of knowledge are limited and our horizons are

narrow. You can help us in increasing our knowledge base and widen our horizons

through this linkage.

I have a feeling that, the barriers with the outer world and the world within, is also a

barrier that nanotechnology may wish to breakdown and re-interpret in the Upanishad

language eg- “Aham Brahmosmi (I am the universe)”

It may appear that it is an anthropomorphic approach, but as soon as we bring in

terms like creation, information, moon etc in our vocabulary, we are becoming

anthropomorphic.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to quote from the Kaushidaki Upanishad

Upanishad says, “When a man is speaking, he can not be breathing. This is the sacrifice

of breath to speech. When a man is breathing he can not be speaking. This is the sacrifice

of speech to breath. (As quoted by’Juan Mascaro’)

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“When consciousness rules speech, with speech we can speak all words,

When consciousness rules breath, with in breath, we can smell all perfumes,

When consciousness rules the eyes, with the eyes we can see all forms

When consciousness rules the ear, with ear we can hear all sounds

When consciousness rules the tongue, with the tongue we can savor all tastes

When consciousness rules the mind, with the mind, we can think all thoughts”

In our students or learners, what has to be awakened is this consciousness that rules

the speech, breath, eyes, ears, tongue and mind. This knowledge of Consciousness is

the ultimate knowledge!

When man has faith, he thinks. When he thinks, he knows and when he knows he creates.

The Chandokya Upanishad says, “Where there is joy, there is creation. Where there is

creation, there is progress”.

Let the Science that talks about known, lead us to the Unknown!

Whatever level the teaching takes place, whether at school level, secondary level,

tertiary level or post tertiary level or in labs or research institutes, if joy of creation is

kept as the bottom line, then the original purpose of science i.e. search for truth and

beauty would find a proper blend with spirituality

To end, let us be anthropomorphic in real sense and pray at the same time that in not

too distant future, nanotechnology through some super strings theory of modern physics

is able to transcend our limitation and say, ““Ishavasyamidam Sarvam Yatkincha

Jagatyam Jagat Thena Thyakthena Bunjeetha Ma Kasya Swiddhanam”!

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References

Rene Weber (1986), in ‘Dialogues with Scientists and Sages’, published by

Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and Newyork

Carl Sagan (1980), in ‘Cosmos’, published by Ballantine Books

Pandit Shriram Acharya (2001), in ‘Extra Sensory Potentials of the Mind’,

Published byShri Vedmata Gayathri Trust

Swami Rama (1996), in ‘Perrenial Psychology Of The Bagavad Gita’ , Published

by The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy

Swami Prabhupada (1972), in ‘Discovering the Original Person’, by Bakthi

Vedanta Trust

Juan Mascaro (1965), in ‘Upanishads’ by Penguin Books

Dr Brian Weiss (1996), in’ Only Love is Real’ by Warner Books