CONSCIOUSNESS - THE VEDANTIC MODEL

“It is a fact that there is a point, one single point in the
immeasurable expanse of mind and matter, where science and
therefore every causal method of research is inapplicable, not only
on practical grounds, but also on logical grounds, and will also
remain inapplicable. This is the point of (our) individual awareness.”
- Max Planck
According to Vedanta, Consciousness purely belongs to the
spiritual domain and is the fundamental quality of a particle of life
known as Spiriton. There are two types of Consciousness, individual
and all pervading, universal. The Supreme Lord is entirely conscious
of everything in the universe, whereas the individual living entities
are conscious of only themselves. The ontological nature of
consciousness is beyond the physical domain. The 3rd Canto of
Srimad Bhagavatam, chapter 26 (popularly known as Sankhyasastra
or sankhya darshan) clearly elaborates that Jiva, life is characterized
by the presence of a quantum of Consciousness and it exists in a
separate domain.
Moreover, matter is always inert and does not possess
consciousness, the living force. Vedanta describes matter as the
field of activity. But, certainly there exists an interaction between
the individual particle of consciousness, the Spiriton and matter
through the supreme consciousness, God. Moreover, the natural
events that are taking place in the material world, are maps of the
events occurring in the spiritual plane (Consciousness). Thousands
of years before Descartes, the famous French philosopher, the sages
of the Vedic tradition realized a step further, ahambrahmasmi,
meaning I am Brahman, I am spirit, conscious self. This is
Consciousness for which the Sanskrit word is chetana. False
Consciousness is exhibited under the impression that “I am a product
of material nature”.
Many brilliant scientists of the twentieth century also agreed
that consciousness could not be explained in terms of the material
paradigm. Niels Bohr expressed, “We can admittedly find nothing
in physics or chemistry that has even a remote bearing on
consciousness. Yet all of us know that there is such a thing as
consciousness…….”. Consciousness is a principle that transcends
not only physics and chemistry, but also the mechanistic principles
of living beings.
According to Bhagavad Gita 3.42 “The working senses are
superior to dull matter, mind is higher than the senses, intelligence
is still higher than the mind and he (the soul) is even higher than
the intelligence”.

You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!

Join ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT

Email me when people reply –