A Prose-Poetry: Complimenting Each Other Science And Spirituality Potentiate Our Mind-Body-Bioenergetics That We Embody Poem by Tushar Ray

“Manifestation and not creation is the word of science today - All science is bound to come to this conclusion in the long run” - Swami Vivekananda (First Parliament of Religions in Chicago, September 11,1893)

Abstract:
Background: Unlike modern science the holistic science of ancient Ayurveda integrated science with spirituality. The limitation of modern science seems to be due to some mistaken ideas on subjective and objective sciences among the scientists. As a result the progress of science has suffered having delayed impact on the masses.
Objective: This Prose-Poetry attempts to clear this misunderstanding by defining what the subjective and objective investigations are all about, revealing that great scientific minds of our time are in fact both subjective (spiritual) as well as objective scientists.
Settings: The story is based on my experience in bioscience as a lifelong researcher in biomembranes and transport while practicing daily yoga and meditation for subjective (spiritual) growth along with my intellectual interactions with numerous bioscientists in my field as well as some humanists outside my field.
Ayurveda health science primarily rooted on scientific (curative) diet and spiritual (like yoga and meditation) practices have turned into a popular alternative medicine in the West. Science is nothing but shrewd observation. The ancient Ayurveda was based on shrewd observation and verification by generations of highly dedicated observers on the essential principles of natural foods, vegetables and herbs, nature and flow of body fluids, curative nature of certain rare elements and other critical factors sustaining our health. The quest for truth is thus an integral part of human nature, and Ayurveda is a product of ancient scientific wisdom. Problems occur when we start doing things ignorantly or believing in things without asking right questions and gradually building a subconscious memory pattern (inhibited habit mind) that dictates our later judgments, making us dogmatic. Such ingrained attitudes coupled with wrong food habits creates mind-body imbalance that is reflected in bodily discomforts (or dis-eases) .
Spirituality is the quest for inner truth like, who am I or what is the purpose of my life etc. – While modern science has so far been dealing with our day to day existential issues. With the tremendous advancements in various branches of science during the last century and in recent years in computer technology, modern science is now merging more and more with spirituality all across our globe. A healthy union between science and spirituality is taking place opening up new vistas by breaking the barriers of old dogmas. This is a welcome change to the new generations of scientists to come and bridge the remaining gap between science and spirituality.
(Key Words: Modern science, Spirituality, Sat-Chit-Ananda or Truth-Consciousness-Bliss, Holistic, Mind-body-bioenergetics)

Introduction:
The humanity is now at the crossroad of science and spirituality. Spirituality is the quest for the ultimate Truth (Sat-Chit-Ananda or Truth-Consciousness-Bliss) which is the underlying principle of all world religions. Based on spirituality the humanity is one connected entity only having different religious identities in the social context. In search of that innate spirituality we need to search deep within ourselves using the well-treaded path of traditional yoga and meditation prescribed by Ayurveda and Vedanta and enjoy the freedom reaching the ultimate Truth (with a pure mind and intellect) designated as “Sachhidananda” with the pronunciation and meaning (in parenthesis) as follows, Sat (Truth) -Chit (Consciousness) -Ananda (Bliss) . So, spirituality is a “subjective science” where one uses own mind-body-intellect as the sole tool. This is in sharp contrast to the “objective science” searching for relative truth in the external world using various techniques in the laboratories. Clearly, both are search for truth and hence complimentary to one another. As the story goes, Science and Spirituality are the names of two handicapped persons who were lost in a deep forest. Science was being totally blind and Spirituality being legs-amputee planned their way out when they bumped to each other. Finally, muscular (blind) Science gave Spirituality a comfortable ride on his shoulder while Spirituality acted as his “eyes” giving Science the vigilant direction and soon they were out of the forest in safe neighborhood. The moral of the story is, we need both science and spirituality to gain freedom from our mind-body imbalance for better life. Subjective spiritual practices empower us with a cleaner mind to get an unbiased vision of the objective truth that we deal with day to day. The world community is willingly accepting this combined wisdom. This article presents the recent developments in the field.
Modern science versus traditional spirituality:
In ancient Ayurveda health science, the traditional heritage of India, which combined science and spirituality for treating the whole person, is currently used in most countries as an alternative medicine. We are witnessing that our modern health science has been hovering at the border of spirituality in recent years (1,2) . The current trend of modern science approaching more and more closer to the traditional spiritual science took ground in the 1930’s, which is called Systems Thinking (4) based on the underlying concept that living systems are integrated wholes whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller parts. This was articulated poetically by Richard Feynman (3) , “Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry”. According to Richard Feynman (1965- Nobel Prize winner) there is a state of matter or energy (in zero vibration) which is a totally restful condition holding immense potential, which he termed “Quantum Vacuum”. This is the ubiquitous transcendental state of spontaneous creation and dissolution of subatomic particles behind our visible universe (3) . So, the tapestry made up of the same material energy source is being utilized for diverse patterns with given names and forms throughout the universe.
The idea of Linus Pauling who concluded over 40 years ago that vitamins and other micronutrients (like trace minerals) play a significant role in enhancing human health by preventing chronic diseases has held firm ground (7) . This is consistent with the yogic principle of health as a manifestation of the material (mind-body) dynamics and has been popularized in America by two practicing MD scientists, namely Deepak Chopra (8) and Andrew Weil (9) and more recently by a practicing surgeon and popular TV host, Dr. OZ. Thus a healthy union between science and spirituality is taking place opening up new vistas after breaking up the prejudiced barriers of old dogmas. This is a welcome change to the new generations of scientists to come.
Science and spirituality are based on acute observations, good logic and dedicated efforts that are verifiable by other observers. The former (traditional science) is verifiable in any appropriate laboratory by any trained scientist and hence is called “objective science” while the latter (spirituality) has been practiced from antiquity by the ancient yogis and Rishis, as well as by the recent armchair scientists like Albert Einstein, Satyen Bose, Meghnad Saha of our times, and more recently by Richard Feynman, which is called “subjective science”. The subjective science normally deals with ultimate problems with a larger scope and more universal appeal. The great Indian Mathematician, S Ramanujan, who did not have any formal training in mathematics, effortlessly solved complex unsolved-problems saying that he could visualize the answers from higher inspiration before giving the mathematical expression (5) . Another illustrious mathematician, Galileo expressed the Universe as a grand poetic book for us to enjoy, and cautioned that those poor souls who do not understand that language wonder about a dark labyrinth (10) .
The ancient yogi thinkers as the seers of the Truth with direct experiences expressed their feelings in numerous poetic versions because they could not find any analogy in the visible world that they could relate to and compare with. So, the best way they could communicate their unique experience was to use the freedom of poetic expression (like Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman, below) without having any boundary in their imagination.
Ways to share the subjective (spiritual) truth with others:
So far, the armchair scientists belonging to the fields of Physics and Mathematics mentioned above presented their transcendental insights using mathematical expressions. The validity of their mathematical model was subsequently verified by experimental evidence. Being a trained biochemist, I conducted biochemical research in modern laboratories for many years. I have been regularly practicing yoga and meditation as subjective science for over 35 years now. Hence, I began to perceive the radical viewpoints of modern scientists that are in perfect harmony with the wisdom of ancient yogis. Consequently, I wanted to combine my own experience in modern bioscience and insights from traditional spiritual science and express their underlying connections using the poetic approach used by my predecessors. To my satisfaction I could say that I am able to express the deeper aspects of the unity between science and spirituality more clearly than I could have done otherwise. To that effect I published a book of poems in 2004 (11) . My latest composition (of November 16 last) , dealing with the popular contemporary (12) topic of “Mind-body Bioenergetics” is provided below for the kind perusal of the readers.

THE MIND-BODY BIOENERGETICS THAT WE EMBODY

This mind-body-brain bioenergetics that we embody
Has been the most exciting phenomenon for me to study
Since our happiness and health depend on this embodiment
Based on how well we can steer the mind-body machine

Conceived as a tiny vortex-energy in the mother’s womb
We create our own body by the automatic gene-expression
While borrowing mother’s nutrients via the umbilical chord
Till breathing oxygen at birth by the muscular diaphragm

The mitochondrial ATP is only fuel to endure ion-gradient
Across cell’s outer-membrane - a must for cell to function
Holding ion-gradient steady by built-in sodium-pumps (12)
The cells are forever busy sustaining a good housekeeping

There is one of a kind story on our mitochondrial origin
The subcellular factory making bulk ATP for our cells
That, we get mitochondrial-gene solely from our mother
And fathers too inherit the same from their own mother

So, mother is our energy source from beginning to death
After sharing her mitochondrial genes by her singular gift
While assuring her loving touch any time we have needs
This is how we can explain our mind-body bioenergetics

This brings us to the mystical Consciousness built-in us
As the ultimate support of this universe of vortex structures
Must be studied in meditation based in quantum zone
When brain is shown to a person as the final energy center

Staying conscious of this collective Energy in and around us
We live in the ultimate reality in our connected universe
Knowing “I Am” the center of this Being-and-Becoming game
Where energy vortices are being transformed all the time
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In the field of subjective science (following the Vedanta-tradition of India) , the most popular topic for self-inquiry during meditation is, “Who am I? ” During this inward quest an armchair scientist can see and joyfully feel the truth as he progresses with an open and dedicated mind. As soon as the observer arrives at the end Truth, “Sachhidananda”, his mind becomes perfectly still as he feels that “I am Pure Consciousness becoming the Center of his Universe around”. From this grand Albert Einstein (6) expressed his deep feeling in a very unique way, “The universe is pure geometry, and pure geometry is pure mathematics, and pure mathematics is pure thought. Therefore the universe is a giant thought, and we are created in God’s image because we think.” From the same standpoint Richard Feynman (3) saw that the “Pure Consciousness” is the ultimate provider of energy and information behind our manifold universe, and coined the term “Quantum Vacuum” for this unique state of energy (at rest) having highest potential. While searching for a cause-effect relation in the diminutive succession of a thing, an investigator reaches a state where the thing cannot be further differentiated, reaching a steadfast state (subjective experience) having vast potential (Quantum-Vacuum) . Regarding the conventional concept of God Richard Feynman had the following to say.
“God was invented to explain mystery. God is always invented to explain those things that you do not understand. Now, when you finally discover how something works, you get some laws which you're taking away from God; you don't need him anymore. But you need him for the other mysteries. So therefore you leave him to create the universe because we haven't figured that out yet; you need him for understanding those things which you don't believe the laws will explain, such as consciousness, or why you only live to a certain length of time - life and death - stuff like that. God is always associated with those things that you do not understand.” - - - - - -Richard Feynman (3)
Conclusion:
This harmony amongst science, spirituality and world-religions was introduced to the West by a 28-year old western educated Swami Vivekananda in the most articulated fashion on September 11,1893 in the first Parliament of Religions in Chicago (13) . The Harvard Professor John Henry Wright who recommended the Swami for world-religions delegation in the Chicago Parliament (12) told Swami Vivekananda: 'To ask you, Swami, for your credentials is like asking the sun about its right to shine.' During his speech the great Swami said, “Science of religion becomes perfect when it would discover Him who is the one life in a universe of death, Him who is the basis of an ever-changing world” and “Manifestation and not creation is the word of science today - - All science is bound to come to this conclusion in the long run”. We see now the accuracy of his master vision being manifested globally and honoring his spiritual teachings as the “Vivekananda Vedanta” today.
Acknowledgements:
I remain ever thankful to my spiritual teacher, Late Swami Adiswaranandaji Maharaj of Ramakrishna Vedanta Center of New York for introducing me to the path of Vivekananda Vedanta in 1982.
References:
1. Scientific-American, Our-Unconscious-Mind, 2014, January-1st-issue http: //www.scientificamerican.com/magazine/sa/2014/01-01/
2. Chopra, D. and Tanzi, R. Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-Being,2013, www.amazon.com/books
3. Feynman, R. http: //www.notablequotes.com/f/feynman_richard.html#vhtY8JCcwLddZBv4.99
4. Capra, F. The Web of Life, Anchor Books Doubleday, New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Paperback Edition,1997
5. Ramanujan, S. http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinivasa_Ramanujan
6. Albert Einstein Quotes. www.notable_quotes.com/e/Einstein_albert.html
7. Linus Pauling Institute; Biography, http: //lpi.oregonstate.edu/
8. Chopra, D. The Chopra Center, http: //www.chopra.com/about-us/deepak-chopra-md
9. Weil, A. http: //integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/index.html
10. Owen, S. Mathematics in Poetry; PNAS 2014111(4) 1225; doi: 10.1073/pnas 1322640111
11. Ray, T. OM Poems, PublishAmerica, Baltimore, Maryland, published 2004 http: //www.amazon.com/OM-Poems-Self-Meditation-Science-Spirituality/dp/1413728715
12. Ray, T. Tissue-specific regulation of the Na, K-ATPase by the cytosolic NaAF: some thoughts on brain function [v1; ref status: awaiting peer review, http: //f1000r.es/23v] F1000Research 2013,2: 241 (doi: 10.12688/f1000research.2-241.v1)
13. Vivekananda Biography: Parliament Addresses, http: //www.ramakrishna.org/sv.htm
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