He was twenty three, a medical doctor, conflicted between being an active socialist or a retiring spiritualist.
Last week the choice was made for my nephew. He was killed in a numbing incident of random urban violence.
The way the mind copes with the death of a life in full flight is to retreat into the most ancient of meta-questions: What is the meaning of it all?
Does life in essence have meaning or is it in the ultimate analysis meaningless?
Man's search for meaning underpins the three great human projects: Philosophy, Religion and Science. Perhaps even the great socio-economic construct that is everyday life is a result of the search for
meaning for those who don't find enough meaning in the life of the mind alone.
But what is Meaning?
To my mind, Meaning is a self-referential frame that morphs at different levels of being.
To a top-order mathematician or a musician, Meaning is perhaps in the cascading harmony of concepts and notes while to the unrepentant hedonist Meaning might reside in the fight between the fading euphoria of last night's party and an emergent hangover.
When it comes to Death however almost all the frames of reference that supply meaning to everyday life fall away.
To my experience, Vedanta and the doctrine of essential, indestructible oneness of sentience gives us the rare frame that can withstand the assault of the apparent meaninglessness of death.
Strangely death and mourning serve to re-acquaint us to the liberating wisdom of the Vedanta.
No wonder a Vedantist sect (the Aghoris?) locate their spiritual practice in cremation grounds.
Showing posts with label Vedanta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vedanta. Show all posts
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Link Between Good and Beautiful
There is little denying that with most of us the classification of that which is good maps substantially with the classification of that which is beautiful.
One simple explanation is that there is an ipso facto relationship built between the two classifications. In that the way we define the classification "good" maps on to our definition of what is "beautiful". In that case the seeking of the relationship between the two is an exercise in etymology.
However could this link be in the arena of how the universe is organized instead of being through how human language has panned out?
An examination of the above possibility must begin with the question whether good and evil is a fundamental dichotomy or just an arbitrary line drawn compelled by "local conditions" (as those priests of the universal- the physicists- would call it).
If we stick to physics, at the frontiers of that science, the question is just beginning to be asked.
Much of classical and modern physics left out "consciousness" is a factor to be built into the equation. Even with the Heisenberg Principle of Uncertainty where observation and its effect is at the heart of the assertion.
The collective of the highest class of human genius that built modern physics did not leave out consciousness out of oversight. Instead it was a conscious decision.
Born out of the direction of this pinnacle of Western thought. Physics is, at its heart, is the trek, powered by rational thought and empirical validation, from the material to whatever exists as the organizing principle of the universe.
And is this upward journey the need to put consciousness in the equation came later. Because the best practitioners realized that consciousness was a contender for the job of being the organizing principle of everything.
The frontiers of physics today have now reached the stage where a rational and empirical consideration of consciousness is the next step.
Now consider the progression of thought in the body of philosophical contemplation called the Vedanta (that pinnacle of Indian and Eastern thought).
It begins with consciousness and treks towards an explanation of the "world" using the power of intuition that inseparable adjunct of consciousness.
Another difference between Vedanta and Physics is that the journey of thought that Vedanta undertook is complete while that of physics has still some way to go ( you would expect that given that Vedanta has at the least a 7000 year lead).
Coming back to finding the link between what is good and what is beautiful. The way forward on this trek is also to begin with consciousness and go forward using the power of intuition.
Good is the state that state that is harmony with the "truth". The truth in its essence being fidelity to the way the world is organized through Consciousness.
Evil is the state that denies the assertion that the universe is at all "organized". It denies the Faith that underpins Truth.
Vedanta uses Faith to arrive at the Truth.
Physics use rational thought in its journey to the Truth.
Beauty is the state that is in harmony with Rational Thought.
That's why as we pursue Beauty we glimpse the peak we are heading towards- the Truth.
The worst of marketing communication denies any organization principle and is rooted only in the instinct to consume.
Brands on the other hand are constructs of beauty that are in harmony with not just with our U&A (usage & attitude towards consumption in general and a category of products/ services in particular) but at some level with human truth.
Brands today start with Beauty and work towards the Truth because they are in essence Western constructs.
Might there be brands waiting to happen that begin with the Truth and lead to effulgent Beauty? Is this the way Indian business will build global brands?
If yes, will India's best-paid who are also the most well-resourced and maybe even the most expert, brand-builders ever begin to explore that possibility while being obsessed with things like the Cannes Awards?
One simple explanation is that there is an ipso facto relationship built between the two classifications. In that the way we define the classification "good" maps on to our definition of what is "beautiful". In that case the seeking of the relationship between the two is an exercise in etymology.
However could this link be in the arena of how the universe is organized instead of being through how human language has panned out?
An examination of the above possibility must begin with the question whether good and evil is a fundamental dichotomy or just an arbitrary line drawn compelled by "local conditions" (as those priests of the universal- the physicists- would call it).
If we stick to physics, at the frontiers of that science, the question is just beginning to be asked.
Much of classical and modern physics left out "consciousness" is a factor to be built into the equation. Even with the Heisenberg Principle of Uncertainty where observation and its effect is at the heart of the assertion.
The collective of the highest class of human genius that built modern physics did not leave out consciousness out of oversight. Instead it was a conscious decision.
Born out of the direction of this pinnacle of Western thought. Physics is, at its heart, is the trek, powered by rational thought and empirical validation, from the material to whatever exists as the organizing principle of the universe.
And is this upward journey the need to put consciousness in the equation came later. Because the best practitioners realized that consciousness was a contender for the job of being the organizing principle of everything.
The frontiers of physics today have now reached the stage where a rational and empirical consideration of consciousness is the next step.
Now consider the progression of thought in the body of philosophical contemplation called the Vedanta (that pinnacle of Indian and Eastern thought).
It begins with consciousness and treks towards an explanation of the "world" using the power of intuition that inseparable adjunct of consciousness.
Another difference between Vedanta and Physics is that the journey of thought that Vedanta undertook is complete while that of physics has still some way to go ( you would expect that given that Vedanta has at the least a 7000 year lead).
Coming back to finding the link between what is good and what is beautiful. The way forward on this trek is also to begin with consciousness and go forward using the power of intuition.
Good is the state that state that is harmony with the "truth". The truth in its essence being fidelity to the way the world is organized through Consciousness.
Evil is the state that denies the assertion that the universe is at all "organized". It denies the Faith that underpins Truth.
Vedanta uses Faith to arrive at the Truth.
Physics use rational thought in its journey to the Truth.
Beauty is the state that is in harmony with Rational Thought.
That's why as we pursue Beauty we glimpse the peak we are heading towards- the Truth.
The worst of marketing communication denies any organization principle and is rooted only in the instinct to consume.
Brands on the other hand are constructs of beauty that are in harmony with not just with our U&A (usage & attitude towards consumption in general and a category of products/ services in particular) but at some level with human truth.
Brands today start with Beauty and work towards the Truth because they are in essence Western constructs.
Might there be brands waiting to happen that begin with the Truth and lead to effulgent Beauty? Is this the way Indian business will build global brands?
If yes, will India's best-paid who are also the most well-resourced and maybe even the most expert, brand-builders ever begin to explore that possibility while being obsessed with things like the Cannes Awards?
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