LIFE DEFINED

              The most curious aspect of life, probably, is that it can be lived and experienced but difficult, almost impossible, to define. The early human beings realized that the world could be divided into two categories of entities namely animate or living and inanimate or nonliving. Intense observations on these two categories led them to draw certain essential differences between the two.  However, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.) the legendary Greek philosopher believed that such clear cut distinctions were not possible in nature. Despite intense scientific investigations and observations even modern scientists agree with Aristotle in that it is indeed difficult to arrive at a close distinction between living and nonliving, although it is easy to distinguish an animal as living and a stone as nonliving on a cursory observation.

       All definitions of life in modern science are concerned with the properties of life rather than the principle called life. Accordingly physiologists define life as any system capable of eating, metabolising, excreting, breathing, moving, growing, and reproducing and constantly responding to external stimuli.  Metabolically life is the property of any object surrounded by a definite boundary and capable of exchanging materials with its surroundings. A single celled amoeba and a bacterium are examples of such systems. Biochemically life subsists in cellular systems containing both nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and proteins (enzymes). A geneticist may define life as something that belongs to systems which are able to perform complex transformations of organic molecules, construct copies of themselves from raw materials and are capable of evolutionary changes through natural selection. However, all these descriptions fall short of the actual definition of the principle that makes a system living and performing.

       Indian sages recognised this life principle as Atman which is the “unborn, eternal, everlasting entity that never perishes when the body ceases to exist” (Katha Upanishad, 2.18). The same is expressed in the Bhagavad Gīta as well (2.20). It is that principle which enlivens all organ systems of organisms: “It is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech indeed of the speech, the breath of the breath, and the eye of the eye” (Kena Upanishad, 1.2). “It moves (when the organism moves); it does not move (because it is everywhere); it is far away (as it is beyond the comprehension of common intellect), yet it is so near (as it is within every living thing); it is the eternal spirit of everything that we know” (Īṡāvāsya Upanishad, 5). However, ‘life’ is such a phenomenon “which has no definite shape, neither beginning nor end” (Bhagavad  Gīta, 15.3). Although it is true that life has no definite shape or structure, it assumes the structure of the body through which it is expressed. It may appear as a minute bacterium or as a big blue whale which can easily accommodate a full grown elephant in its belly. It may manifest as small as an alga or as a giant peepal or redwood tree. In other words life manifests itself in innumerable shapes and sizes and numbers as animals, trees, shrubs, grasses and a host of other forms, both ‘animate’ and ‘inanimate;’ it may also express itself through emotions, thoughts and feelings. However, “when it is existing in a living body or departing from it (at the time of death) this principle cannot be comprehended through ordinary means of perception, but only through the eye of wisdom” (Bhagavad Gīta, 15.10). It is beyond the comprehension of the sensory system of human beings, but could be experienced by super sensory perception through yogic practices. All ancient Indian scriptures vouch for the fact that the principle of life is eternal entity without a beginning or end and is not destroyed along with the destruction of the body. One interesting aspect of life is that various words in different ancient languages used to denote life has something related to breathing. The etymological roots of ‘soul’ and ‘spirit’ mean ‘breath’ in many antique languages. The words used for ‘soul’ in Sanskrit (atman), Greek (psyche) and Latin (anima) all mean ‘breath.’ The same is true for the word for ‘spirit’; in Latin (spiritus), in Greek (pneuma) and in Hebrew (rwab) all meaning ‘breath.’ Of course, breathing is the immediate visible expression of life in a living organism.

SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY OF SOUND

Sound is the subtlest symbol of Brahman, the Absolute Conciousness. Hence it is called ‘.Sabdabrahman’. Sound consists of two divisions or classes : articulate , also called alphabetical and inarticulate or intonational sound. Articulate sound can be recited in the letters of the alphabet. It deals with knowledge or understanding by the intellect. Inarticulate sound deals with feelings, emotions, of the mind. Articulate sound has a limited application because it can be articulated by only those who has sufficient training and knowledge of a particular language. Language is the medium of communication. However, even if one does not know the language of another, emotional expressions such as cries and laughter will communicate the sense of sorrow or happiness. This is the universal way even babies communicate and this method exists in other animal species as well. Music is another example of intonation which has great positive effect on all living organisms. The symbol OM (AUM) is both articulate and inarticulate. Mere chanting of OM has extraordinary effect on human beings. The two aspects of OM together help an individual to realise Brahman, God of the Upanishads.

ṠRUTI   AND     SMRITI

The spiritual or religious literature of any society consists of two sections: one section containing the eternal truths which are applicable to the human society anytime, anywhere in the world; the second section deals with a certain set of rules, regulations and procedural details of religious practices. These are often dogmatic but are liable to get transformed in due course according to the local requirements and commitments of the society at a particular time. Ancient Indian spiritual knowledge also is divided into two sections: ṡrutis and smritis. These are the two types of truth in Indian thought highlighting the permanent aspect as well as the aspect of the religion that undergoes transformation. Ṡruti consists of eternal truths and messages for humanity as a whole, beyond the vicissitudes of time and space. Vedas and Upanishads belong to this category of spiritual wisdom, whereas the various literature concerning the practice of religion, Manusmriti for example, and epics (Mahābhārata and Ramāyana) and a plethora of religious literature of the ancient Indian society constitute what are called smritis. Ṡruti is apourusheya, sans beginning, eternal and of unknown authorship. These are also called Sanātana dharma, ‘the eternal religion’ so as to distinguish them from smritis which are called Yugadharma. Sanātana dharma is the foundation of the so called ‘Hindu’ religion and way of life. The word ‘Hindu’ is a misnomer, a misrepresentation of the word ‘Sindhu’, by Muslim invaders from Persia who conquered the western banks of Sindhu river in 8th Century C.E. Even the word ‘India’ is derived from the Greek word ‘Indus’ for the Sindhu River. The real name of the country is Bhāratam meaning the land of great enthusiasts in learning and wisdom. ‘Bhā’ in Sanskrit means ‘light’ or illumination and ‘rati’ is inclination, desire or special consideration. Hence the ancient Indian religion is Sanātana dharma, the eternal religion which is still being practised, of course with modifications, in independent India. Sanātana dharma is universal in character and eternal in nature and is not restricted to any special community and region. Yugadharma, on the other hand, is for a particular people at a particular age. These two aspects of a religion exist side by side and usually they complement each other. However, in case there is a conflict between ṡruti and smriti, the ṡruti will have an upper hand. “When there is a conflict between ṡruti and smriti, ṡruti alone will remain.” Truth alone will remain, not dogma. This golden rule envisaged by the Indian sages thousands of years ago has been the strength of India’s culture and civilization. Such bold convictions are unparalleled in world literature and religion. Many a time this conflict between eternal and ephemeral in religions and an over- emphasis of the dogmatic aspect of religion are the basic reasons for religious intolerance and violence.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION: EMERGENCE OF A CONFLICT

    The science that Indian sages developed through the inputs of wisdom acquired through  super-sensory experiences during meditation, for the further evolution and spiritual emancipation of mankind, is Vedānta enshrined in the Upanishads. Science is any system of systematic knowledge acquired through observation, inference and often intuition which are verifiable through experimentation.  Both the words ‘Veda’ and ‘Science’ mean knowledge. ‘Veda’ is derived from the root word ‘Vid’ meaning ‘to know’, so also the root word of ‘Science’ is ‘Scientia’, the Greek word meaning knowledge. However, modern science is the knowledge of physical matter acquired through sensory perception compartmentalized in various sections such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Neurology. It has to be remembered that these physical sciences of today were part of the natural philosophy until 17^th century C.E. when it was distinguished into Physics and Metaphysics by Descartes. Then started the great divide and distrust between these two branches of knowledge as evidenced by the endless conflicts between religion and science that was the hallmark of Western World history of the middle ages and thereafter.

    The triumph of the physical sciences in recent centuries, especially in the last one hundred and fifty years, is the victory of the spirit of inquiry over untested beliefs, prejudices and dogma. This unprecedented success of physical sciences heralded episodes of conflicts and clashes between science and its spirit of inquiry and forces of prejudice and blind belief in the form of religious dogmas. These unfortunate episodes are special features of history, especially of modern European region. Religion which reigned supreme during the period of pre-scientific era lost its authority and prestige and got almost discredited either as a ‘dangerous error’ or a ‘harmless illusion’. By the end of nineteenth century C.E. religion almost made an exit in the West. This triumph of science, the spirit of free inquiry and the acquisition of verified knowledge almost is an echo of what the Upanishad sages stated centuries ago. “Truth alone triumphs, not untruth” (Mundakopanishad, 3.1.6). Swami Vivekānanda traced the recurring conflicts of science and religion in the West to the absence of rational and experimental approach; in other words, the absence of scientific spirit in understanding and experiencing religion by the scientists and science by the religious bigots.

THE INDIAN POSITION

     Fortunately for India such conflicts and confusions never occurred because the ancient seers approached religion as well as science in an objective and dispassionate manner. Their spiritual as well as secular investigations aimed only at discovering the truth. They hardly had any interest in any dogmas or fantasies and prejudices either scientific or religious. They considered the secular as well as spiritual sciences as two sides of one coin, both complementing each other. Ancient sages of India through their investigations found out that man lives and functions in two fields, the external and the internal. Human life is the whole range of experiences from both these worlds. The sages realized that the study of one of these worlds gave only a partial picture of the whole phenomenon. They also knew that the result of investigations of one aspect of life is also relevant in understanding the other aspect. Swami Vivekānanda has beautifully elaborated this concept thus: “There are two worlds, the microcosm and the macrocosm, the internal and the external. We get truth from both of these by means of experience. The truth gathered from internal experiences is psychology, metaphysics and religion; from external experiences, the physical sciences. Now a perfect truth should be in harmony with experience in both these worlds. The microcosm must bear testimony to the macrocosm and the macrocosm to the microcosm; physical truth must have its counterpart in the internal world, and the internal world must have its verification outside” (Complete Works, Vol II, p. 432). The sages and thinkers of ancient India studied human being in depth--his physical life, his nature as revealed by his consciousness, his thoughts, emotions and his ego in relation to the physical universe that surrounds him.

     Indian culture, philosophy and religion are all based on the supreme vision of the Vedic sages who accepted both the departments of science namely one dealing with the external world which is within the realm of sensory perception and the internal world which is in the realm of super sensory perception. Upanishad calls these sciences Apara vidyā and Para vidyā respectively. (Vidyā means science). Apara vidyā is ordinary science, what we call physical science, and para vidyā is what is called spiritual science. Apara vidyā or physical science operates at the sensory level dealing with objects. In Vedānta these are the vishayas whereas para vidyā or science of spirituality operates at super sensory level and deals with the perceiver of the objects. This perceiver in Vedānta is known as vishayi. The science that is revealed in the Upanishad is a comprehensive understanding of the vishaya and the vishayi. That is the whole of science that is there to be learned or realized. In India the spiritual science was never against the physical sciences, rather the former was a continuation of the latter. The continuation of these departments of science results in the synthesis of what is called Brahma Vidyā, the totality of reality. Upanishads declare that Brahmavidyā is ‘the basis of every other science’ (sarva vidyā pratishtha).  Upanishads deal with Brahmavidyā or Atmavidyā or the science of self. Brahman is the Self of the universe, and the universe itself is the manifestation of Brahman. Brahman deals with the totality of reality observed from outside whereas Ᾱtman refers to the reality seen from inside. The nature of Ᾱtman and Brahman is pure consciousness. Upanishad seers realized that “this Ᾱtman and that Brahman are one” . ("Tat Tvam Asi" , Chandogya Upanishad).

The Science Of All Sciences

In Bhagavadgita Sree Krishna tells Arjuna that “ of all types of knowledge I am the knowledge of the Self “ (Bg.10.32 ).”Vidya” means science , that is knowledge. The precise knowledge that can be verified and communicated is called science. Therefore Vidya, knowledge , science allmean the same thing. Knowledge or Vidya are of many types namely,rasayana vidya or chemistry, Bhutan Vidya or physics., etc. The science of spirituality is atmavidya . Among all the sciences this is the pre-eminent acience according to Vedanta — the science of the human being in depth, the science of human Possibilities., The Science of all sciences. The spiritual science or Adhyatma Vidya recognises a profound dimension in the chore of human being , the one who creates all physical sciences.. Natuarally the spiritual science is superior to physical science. The human being is unique and supreme. India developed this science years ago and it is elaborated in the Upanishads or Vedanta. It was discovered that behind the senses, behind the body and mind,is the infinit Atman —ever pure, ever free, infinit in dimension.

WALKING
Physical exercise, especially walking is very exhilarating for the body and mind. For the body the blood circulation increases, lungs work more efficiently and when breathing improves more oxygen will be inhaled and that improves the total metabolic activity of the body. Muscles become more pliable and movements become more easier. Apart from all these probably the most important factor is walking improves digestion.

People are familiar with the process of food consumption and digestion. But they are not much aware of another process of digestion that is digestion of knowledge. While walking we think and analyse what we have learned and such knowledge is slowly digested and assimilated into our mental faculty. This process will prompt rethinking of the same knowledge later and our discriminatory faculty of the mind undergoes a remarkable transformation towards better. Constant practice of such process leads to  knowledge that is acquired becoming wisdom and a man of wisdom is jnani in Sanskrit. That is the power of the exercise of walking.

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

The term “life” is used to denote the eternal principle that exists in all living systems as well as to indicate the process of living or for the overall properties of living organisms. All living organisms possess “something” in common that enables them to perform vital activities such as maintenance, growth, reproduction and interactions with the environment in which they live. When organisms cease to possess this “something” they cease to be living or they are dead.

The question that arises now is, what is this eternal principle that exists in all-living systems?   In other words what is life?

According to modern science there is no generally accepted definition of life. Physiologists regard any system capable of eating, metabolizing, excreting, breathing, moving, growing, and reproducing and constantly responding to external stimuli, as living. Metabolically, life is the property of any object surrounded by a definite boundary and capable of exchanging materials with its surroundings. An amoeba, a single cell or a bacterium is all examples of such systems. Biochemically life subsists in cellular systems containing both nucleic acids {DNA, RNA} and proteins [enzymes]. A geneticist may define life as something that belongs to systems able to perform complex transformations of organic molecules and to construct from raw materials copies of themselves capable of evolution through natural selection. However, almost all of these definitions are the manifestations of the properties of life rather than definitions of life itself.

Our scriptures have recognized this principle behind all living systems as Soul, Spirit or Atman [in Sanskrit], which is “unborn, eternal, everlasting entity that never perishes when the body ceases to exist” [Bhagavad Gita: 2:20]. It is that principle “which is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech indeed, of the speech, the breath of the breath, and the eye of the eye” [Kena Upanishad: 1:2]. “It moves [when the organism moves]; it does not move [because it is every where]; it is far away [as it is beyond the comprehension of common intellect] yet it is so near [as it is within every living thing], it is the internal spirit of everything that we know” [Isavasya Upanishad: 5]. However, life is such a phenomenon “which has no definite shape, neither beginning nor end and not even stability” [Bhagavad Gita: 15:3]. It is true that life has no definite structure and shape or size. It may appear as small as a bacterium or as big as a blue whale, which can easily accommodate a full-grown elephant in its stomach. It may be as small as algae or as big as some of the trees that exist in certain forests. Life appears in innumerable shapes sizes and numbers, as animals, trees, shrubs, grasses and a host of other forms. It may express itself in emotions and feelings without any structural characteristics. It appears to change from one stage to the other as the changes from childhood to youth through adolescence and finally to old age. That is why our scriptures say that this eternal principle, “when it is existing in a living body or departing from it cannot be comprehended through ordinary means of perception, but only through the eye of wisdom” [Bhagavad Gita: 15:10].

All these descriptions from the scriptures point to the fact that life is a phenomenon that has no beginning and end, is continued in the bodies of living organisms, small, big, fat, or slim, moving or unmoving, incomprehensible with the normal sensory perceptions and  is not destroyed along with the destruction of the body. It is interesting to analyze these features of life through modern science. This may involve elaborate discussion and analysis, which is beyond the scope of this article. The emphasis now is the purpose of life rather than the nature of life. In this context the term life is used to denote the total experiences of the organism throughout the lifespan starting with birth and ending in death.

All organisms go through the processes of birth, growth, transformation, reproduction, decay and death and these processes are repeated generation after generation. What purpose they fulfil by going through this never-ending cycle of life. Why should organisms go through this cycle at all? These are questions of interest for philosophers, scientists, and even ordinary human beings who have the time and inclination to ponder over such enquiries.

The biological purpose of existence, for all organisms, is to survive and perpetuate their kind. After birth they survive and grow, often with help from their parents. On attaining maturity their next responsibility is to find suitable mates and reproduce. Life comes to an end for many animal species at this stage, as if once they produce their young ones their presence in this world is no longer required or they have fulfilled the purpose of their existence. Even for other organisms life comes to an end after   reproducing few more offspring few more times.

Biologists believe that this process of survival and reproduction by organisms, generation after generation, is the mechanism to enhance genetic variability, so that every generation may produce individuals better adapted to survive in an ever changing environment: a process of a perpetual journey towards perfection, a phenomenon we call evolution.

Human beings, as part of the biological world, have the same fundamental purpose for life. However, the superior intelligence and capabilities of man make him more aspiring and he is constantly trying to improve upon the old or to produce something new. The story of our civilization, our scientific and technological achievements, our arts and architecture, our language, literature and music, are all glorious examples of this intrinsic urge to achieve and accumulate. At present the biological meaning of life for man has almost become secondary rather than primary. Now for majority of human beings the purpose of life is life with a purpose, or life with a definite aim.

According to Sri Sankara three things are rare in life: “Manhood, a burning desire for liberation, and the capacity to surrender completely to a man of wisdom” [Viveka Chudamani: 3]. To be a human being, we have undergone many thousands of millions of years of evolutionary change and we are the only organisms who have the requisite qualifications and capabilities to choose a positive way of life and also to look forward to grow and emancipate the inner self. Life with a purpose or aim is rather easy to choose and almost all of us have chosen something or other as purpose or goal of life. Often we fix so many targets for us to attain in one life before we finally kick the bucket. Unfortunately all such aims and purposes are associated with the attainment of worldly pleasures and wealth in anticipation that these achievements will lead to true happiness. A few individuals are in pursuit of perfection in their chosen fields, such as artists, musicians, scientists and technocrats. Some, of course are after power and positions. However, the question still remains, are these true aims and purposes of human life?

According to all systems of Indian philosophy the ultimate goal of human life should be spiritual. The Indian systems seek to obtain a state of existence called “moksa”. Moksa is the highest good,  parama purushartha [the ultimate value]. All other values of life are only secondary or sub serve this realization of the ultimate good.

Moksa is a state of perfection, a result of an integral experience. According to Sri Aurobindo moksa is the master word in Indian philosophy. It is a philosophical ideal as well as a religious ideal. It is not conceptual. Mere intellectual study will not enable us to attain it. It is the ultimate realization of the Self or Atman. It is a certain immediate experience resulting from the acquisition of knowledge and self culture.

The question definitely may arise “why aspire for moksa?” The desirability of keeping moksa as the ultimate purpose of life is primarily due to the need for the radical termination of all sorrows of life and the attainment of eternal happiness. It is considered to be a practical way to overcome and destroy the sufferings of human life [samsara]. It is the master radical remedy for the ills of life. All systems of Indian philosophy regard life in this world as a preparation for the realization of moksha. Dr. Radhakrishnan says “sansara is a succession of spiritual opportunities.”

The most important and noble goal of human life, thus, is to aspire to gain insight into the nature of one’s essential Self or Soul or Atman. The Upanishads teach that the Self and the Cosmos are one. It is repeatedly asserted that one’s Atman is inseparable from all that there is. This is profoundly expressed in the mahavakya “You are [all] that” [Chandogya Upanishad: 6:8]. Gaining experimental insight of this identity is to be aspired for, because such knowledge affects one’s release [moksha] from continued rebirth.

The state of moksa is conceived as attainable here and now and not elsewhere. The Katha Upanishad says: “when all desires dwelling in heart vanish, then a man becomes immortal; and [even] here reaches the goal.”[Katha Upanishad: 4:14]. Such a person who has attained his goal in this life is called a jivenmukta, or ‘one that is free while still alive’. This view recognizes the possibility of perfecting oneself in the present life itself. Perfection, possibly, means rising above or overcoming every form of narrowness, through knowledge and self-discipline.

 

VEDANTIC SCIENCE IN THE EYES OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Swami Vivekananda, the renowned student of the spiritual master Sri Ramakrishna, was the first great Hindu teacher to bring the message of the East, Vedanta, to the western world. Vivekananda was a true renaissance figure, a spiritual and intellectual giant of his time. He embodied the best of East and West in his spiritual values and personal character.

One of the characteristic features of his lectures on religion and spirituality was a striking balance between Western science and Eastern philosophy. He created a synthesis between the emerging modern science of his time and eastern Vedantic philosophy. Religion was on the defensive in the face of reason and technological progress when Vivekananda started his spiritual career. Science and technology claimed that material prosperity was the only goal for humanity. To combat this onslaught of science and technology on religion and spirituality, Vivekananda entered the arena as the great disciple of the spiritual leader, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He brilliantly emphasized the fact that science and spirituality are not contradictory to each other but complimentary, and both are but two sides of one and the same coin, Truth.

 In his attempt to reconcile western science and Vedanta he tried to show that the religious way of looking at the Universe was not unscientific.  He showed that the fundamental principles by which all scientific enquiries proceed are also satisfied by Advaita Vedanta. First the particular is explained by the general, the general by the more general, till the universal is reached. Second, the explanation of a thing must come from within the thing itself, and not from outside. Swami Vivekananda was also one of the first Eastern teachers to grapple with Darwin’s evolutionary theory. He formulated a Hindu philosophy that sought to embrace the emerging evolutionary world view of the Western scientific community. He vehemently argued that the effect is nothing but the cause in another form. “The seed is the form out of which the big tree comes and another big tree was the form which is involved in that seed. The little cell, which afterwards becomes the man, was simply the involved man and becomes evolved as a man”. He, through his brilliant logic and reasoning, showed that the creation is in effect the evolution, and not creation of something from nothing. Through evolution, the One becomes many.

The third principle or conclusion of science which tallies with Vedanta is the essential unity of things, the unity in diversity. Swami Vivekananda showed that we are all one, mentally, physically and spiritually, a conclusion the modern sub-atomic physicists arrived at almost half a century later. Through a brilliant exposition of ‘Sankhya Cosmology’ Swami Vivekananda emphasized the necessity of harmonising the internal and external experiences. He said that knowledge from the internal experiences (Microcosm) must bear testimony with the knowledge gained through external experiences (Macrocosm). He thundered...........”Physical truth must have its counterpart in the internal world and the internal world must have its verification in the outside.”  Swami Vivekananda showed that like any other science, religion also has its own methods and procedures, its own promises and conclusions based on reason and experience.

Swami Vivekananda was also critical of the physical and evolutionary sciences. According to him any system or philosophy based purely on materialistic and utilitarian ideas was inadequate to explain the whole of human existence. These sciences are inadequate to provide answers to all our problems. Vivekananda considered the theory of evolution incomplete. He believed that the process of evolution presupposed a process of involution. A machine gives only that much energy that is put into it.  He supposed that if a man is an evolution from a lower organism then the perfect man, the Buddha man, the Christ man, must be present in the lower organism. Of course, the science of Genetics was not there at the time of Swami Vivekananda, and the mechanism of inheritance and nature of hereditary material were unknown at that time. However, Swami Vivekananda saw the theory of evolution, which revolutionized the world, not as a threat to the spiritual world, but as an opportunity to enrich our understanding of the movement of spirit in all aspects of the material world.

Living just decades after Darwin published “The Origin of Species” Vivekananda was well versed in Western science and philosophy. He perceived no inherent contradiction between an evolutionary cosmos and the great tradition of Indian Vedanta. He was truly a Vedantic Scientist.

                                      

  

   REBIRTH: A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE

According to Hindu sastras life is an endless cycle of birth – death – re-birth and so on, until one attains Moksha – a permanent state from which there is no return.

“Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam

Punarapi janani- jathare sayanam”

(Again birth, again death, and again lying in mother’s womb. This process of birth and death is very hard to cross over. Save me O! Destroyer of the demon Mura through Thy Infinite Kindness.)

Bhaja Govindam – Sri Sankaracharya.

Although, philosophically and spiritually the process of this cycle, its purpose and consequences etc. have been endlessly explained, debated and realized by many, this phenomenon is still beyond the comprehension of modern science. Is it possible to analyse this concept biologically? Or can it be reconciled within the present-day understanding of life and life-processes exposed through modern scientific investigations?

Biologically an organism is the sum-total of its genetic make up. In other words, we are what our genes are. Our appearance, behavior, temperament, basic intelligence, physiology, anatomy, in fact, everything involving our structure and function are dependent on the function or non-function of around 30,000 genes that we possess. These genes are transmitted to the next generation – to our sons and daughters – at the time of reproduction. A set of genes from of the father is transferred to the progeny through his sperm and a set of maternal genes is transferred to the offspring through the ovum of the mother. The progeny, which develops from the combination of sperm and ovum at the time of fertilization, is the sum-total of the genetic make up of the father and the mother. Although the offspring has all the genes of the parents, since they are in a new combination, the children do not exactly resemble the parents. However, parents’ features are, no doubt, manifest in them, both in terms of appearances and behavior. Now, the question is, are we not represented in our children? The features of one generation is the reflection of the previous generation and will continue to be manifested through generations as the same genes, in new and new combinations, are transmitted endlessly generation after generation. If this is not re-birth what is it?

Another instance of biological rebirth is the transformation of a child, through adolescence and youth, to old age. When a child matures into a young man or woman, through the processes of growth and differentiation, the childhood and adolescent stages become past phenomena and when the youth gives way to old age, the experiences and memories of the earlier stage become things of the past. However, by the time the old age is set in the next generation has already become established.

The doctrine of Karma and rebirth are integral to the Indian philosophical systems of thought. The rebirth is considered as a consequence of Karma. We suffer for what we have done. We reap what we sow; every birth is an opportunity for man’s spiritual development as one short life is hardly sufficient for the purpose. This doctrine also assures us that whatever good we achieve in one’s lifetime is not lost forever, but is carried to our other lives. A close scrutiny of biological rebirth also reveals that this cardinal principle is ingrained in this system as well. What we enjoy or suffer in the present is a consequence of our actions in the past. A child brought up with good values, character and discipline, supported by proper education, is expected to do well, personally and professionally in youth, ensuring a trouble-free and smooth old age. Such an individual will be an asset to the family, society, and the nation. Our present life will, definitely, have an influence on our future. Our way of life, ambitions, values, character and integrity will definitely mould the same set of characteristics of the next generation.

In the biological world, every organism has to perpetually interact with its surroundings and also with the fellow organisms in order to survive and reproduce. In this process organisms have to make innumerable adjustments in its system and behaviour. These actions, interactions and adjustments make them more suitable to exist in a particular environment. Since environmental conditions are not static, organisms have to continuously strive for better and better organisation and behaviour. This endeavour continues through generations and the benefits accrued in every generation are carried over to other generations. The minute, imperceptible changes in the genetic system when accumulated and carried through generations, result in perceptible changes in the structure and function of organisms. This is what we call the evolution of new species, which is better equipped to survive in a particular environmental situation. Thus, every generation is an opportunity to improve on the previous one and a step towards attaining perfection. The story of human evolution, perhaps, is the best illustration of this principle. Simple organisms, smaller than an amoeba, through millions of years of genetic change, and through innumerable transformations, have evolved into human species, endowed with a rational brain and an intellect capable of unparalleled achievements. Our progress in science, technology, arts, culture, philosophy and spirituality is a consequence of the experiences of past generations, every generation adding and improving on the previous one. Man’s quest for perfection continues – a search for the ultimate achievement, may be Moksha!

Thus, it is possible to reconcile ancient wisdom with modern scientific principles, of course, with minor adjustments in the process of analytical thinking. There is an over-simplification of philosophy and science in the above discussion. This is mostly necessitated because of constraints of space and also because the intent is not an unequivocal exposition of a scientific theory. The intention is to generate a debate on the topic and as such, readers’ response is immensely valuable.