The Relativistic Equation of Spirituality and Temporal Component of Imperfection (MTS-8: Towards A Mathematical Theory of Spirituality Based on Advaita)

12-19-2005, 03:30 AM

Ref Pages 15-20 of http://sunyaprajna.com/Advaita/Advaita_Math.pdf

As mentioned in the last posting, Goodness and Knowledge are not two independent
spiritual characteristics, but one and the same. As a jeeva detaches itself more
and more from the O-E-T through spiritual saadhanaas it moves closer and closer
to the Infinite Good and Knowledge represented by the vertical axis. In this
process, the jeeva gains both Purity of Mind and Knowledge of Self leading to
the experience of increasing peace and contentment while still in its
vyaavahaarik existence. Realizing the Brahman is no doubt the ultimate goal of
evolution, but the blessings of spiritual saadhanaas are here to enjoy long
before reaching that ultimate state.

If the vertical axis is Perfect Knowledge of Self, the jeeva’s proximity to that
vertical axis represents its degree of knowledge relative to that Perfect
Knowledge. How does one measure the proximity to the vertical axis? It is
argued in pages 15-16 that the projection of (one unit length) of the path AC on
the vertical axis, or sine(theta), measures the Knowledge of Self the jeeva has
relative to that of a Perfect Being fully established in Self. In the paper,
this measure is termed as the “Relative Awareness” of the jeeva, Awareness
meaning Knowledge of Self.

“Experienced time”, it would be recalled, is the projection of the path AC on
the horizontal axis. The “experienced time” over one unit length of the path AC
is cosine(theta). One unit length of the path AC represents one cosmic unit of
time. If theta were zero, that is if jeeva were totally attached to O-E-T,
cos(theta)=1 and hence its experienced time is same as the cosmic time.
Therefore, for J2 with spiritual detachment theta, cos(theta) is also the ratio
(Experienced time of J2 relative to the experienced time of a jeeva J1 totally
bound to O-E-T). A jeeva totally bound to O-E-T is also one whose Relative
Awareness is zero. For a jeeva with theta=60 degrees,for example, this ratio is
1/2 signifying that its experienced time is only half as much as that of J1. In
general, the ratio signifies the contraction in Experienced Time due to
spiritual detachment.

This sets the stage, as shown in pages 16-17, for deriving a simple but
remarkable equation connecting Relative Awareness to contraction in Experienced
Time. Noting that these two quantities are respectively sin(theta) and
cosine(theta) and noting that cos(theta)= sqrt(1-sin(theta)^2) we have the
following relation for a jeeva J2 with spiritual detachment =theta and J1
totally bound to O-E-T:

(Experienced Time of J2 relative to that of jeeva J1 with zero Knowledge of
Self) = sqrt(1-(J2’s Knowledge of Self relative to that of the Perfect Being
with Maximum Knowledge of Self)^2)

Compare this with the well known result in Special Relativity Theory relating
two observers J1 and J2, J1 being stationary in space with respect to a frame of
reference and J2 moving at some speed with respect to same reference:

(Time experienced by J2 relative to that by an observer J1 with zero speed in
space)= sqrt(1-(J2’s speed in space relative to that of light which has Maximum
Speed in space)^2)

The two results are strikingly similar in form and substance. In fact, by
substituting “Speed in Space” for the advaitic term “Knowledge of Self” the
former result in the spiritual realm (derived using concepts in Advaita) is
transformed into Einstein’s result in the material world. Even more remarkable,
this translation of terms itself is not arbitrary but is in fact consistent with
the advaitic tradition which speaks of Self and Space as though they are one and
the same. Similarly, Mahatmas fully established in Knowledge of Self are often
compared to Light, a point reiterated also by Nair ji in one of his comments on
my paper.

The correspondence between concepts in Advaita and Modern Physics has been
pointed out by many great minds such as Swami Vivekananda over the last one
century and written about by scholarly scientists such as Fritjof Capra. If I
am not mistaken (- and there is ample opportunity for being wrong due to my
woefully limited exposure to the vast amount of writing on this subject-) this
however may be the first time that the correspondence has been established
formally using a mathematical representation of Advaitic concepts.

The reason why there should be such a strong correspondence is far from obvious.
Does it suggest some as yet unknown common unity between the laws governing the
spiritual realm and the physical laws of the material realm?

Despite the strong similarity, I do not think that the Self of Advaita is
exactly the same as the Space of modern Physics, nor Knowledge of Self identical
with physical light. The “time dilation” experienced by a space traveler is
very likely a phenomenon altogether different from the compression in
“experienced time” for a spiritually detached jeeva, as argued in pages 18-19.
For a space traveler, the clock itself (as well as all physical processes
affected by the travel) slows down. Hence the space traveler does not feel any
different nor is it claimed that space traveler experiences more peace and
contentment.

On the other hand the clock does not slow down for a spiritually detached jeeva;
it ticks the same as it does for all other jeevas. The difference is in how
changes in the world affect the jeeva’s perception of itself. Whereas a jeeva
bound to the O-E-T is constantly assailed by the notion “I am changing” as the
world changes, an evolved jeeva feels less so. Ultimately, one fully
“Established in Self” (as the very term implies) has no sense of change in
Itself even as It sees the clocks tick and the world around change.

Identification with all beings at all times is perhaps the single most
definitive criterion distinguishing an evolved jeeva. An imperfect jeeva fails
not only to identify with other jeevas around it, but also incompletely
identifies with what it itself was in the past. The underlying thought that “I
am different now from what I was in the past” is at the root of this
imperfection. We may call it the “temporal component of imperfection”. The
imperfect identification with jeevas around us can be termed as the “spatial
component of imperfection” since it is space that separates one jeeva at any
given time from the other jeevas.

Viewed this way, the relativistic equation of spirituality shows how the
temporal component of imperfection diminishes and the sense of “I AM” solidifies
as the spiritual detachment increases and ego vanishes.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a Happier New Year,

Hari Om!

- Raju Chidambaram