Intelligence cannot be understood
Yatra hi dvaitam iva bhavati…tad itara itaram vijaanaati…Yenedam sarvam vijaanaati, tam kena vijaaniyat?
“When there is a duality, one can understand the other. But by what process can we know that by which everything is known? How can we know the knower?”
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - 2-4-14
Yaavaan vaa ayam aakaasah, taavaan eso’ antarhrdaya akaasah
“As far as the Universe extends, thus far extends the space within the heart.”
– Chandogya Upanishad 8-1-3
The paradox of life is that on the surface level everything seems to be clear and simple, while on the deeper level, it’s full of mystery and completely beyond our grasp. The Intelligence that powers our lives seems to have deliberately created two levels of existence — one for us and another for itself. Take any event and you will immediately see what I am talking about. For example, how are babies born? Simple — from a union of man and woman, right?
Well, yes. But the actual process of how two cells unite and create trillions of cells of different kinds with different functions — that’s a complete mystery even to science.
Biologists observe the process yes, they study the cells, the genetics, the molecules, the events — but ask any scientist to explain how and with what unbelievable precision, hundreds of trillions of molecular processes happen simultaneously each second — how they are planned, managed and orchestrated — and he will have no alternative but to shake his head with wonder.
It’s only amateurs who believe that once the human genome is properly decoded , all secrets of life will spill out and there will be no more mystery. The true scientist simply knows that even the DNA molecule is just a visible expression of the Intelligence — and not the Intelligence itself.
He knows that a mysterious power assembles the molecule from dead parts, guides its movement, and defines its roles. He knows that you may unravel the molecule, tamper and fool around with it, but you will still not be God — you will still have no clue as to the nature of the power that created the DNA in the first place.
As students at college, as budding scientists and engineers, we would often wonder why Science could not unravel the nature of the Intelligence itself. If you could understand the human cell, if you could understand the universe, if you could understand sub atomic domain, it wasn’t going to be long before you understood the force that created all this. I mean, we were heading there, and it was only a matter of time, right?
Nobody knows the answer. Yet. Perhaps nobody ever will. We can see its working, but we are nowhere near unraveling the personality of Intelligence. Its works are visible, but by itself it is completely invisible. We can guess its reach, its grasp, but it always remains beyond our grasp. Science has left it strictly alone, as an insoluble problem, and wisely remained content to unravel its processes. Philosophers struggled to deal with it. They applied the focused power of their meditation to intuit the answer. It was like holding a candle to the Sun. They returned humbled and awed.
But they took away a return gift for their efforts. Their hearts opened as never before, filled them with a joy they had never experienced. In brilliant flashes of ‘heart insight’ they discovered that all Intelligence is One. The force that created the Sun and Planets is the same as that which created Life, the same that which powers Mind.
But they also understood that we would never understand the Intelligence — for it was the knower, and we were its creation. “How could we know that by which everything is known?” Our minds were yet not smart enough to untangle its nature. We might never ‘know’ but we could ‘feel’ its power. Our hearts had an endless reservoir of energy, and once its gates opened, it would flood us with its grace and beauty and fulfil our lives in a thousand subtle ways.
That was the start of Vedanta’s enquiry into the Absolute, and has been going on — generation after generation — for thirty five centuries. It has travelled a long way to finally come to you. Try it for yourself. Focus the power of your meditation on the nature of pure Intelligence. Ask in silence — what created the Universe? What powers our lives? Keep at it every day — a few minutes at a time. It will be bewildering-like holding a candle to the Sun, yes. But it will also suddenly, magically open the gates to the heart. It will fill you with a serenity and thrill as never before, and fulfil your life in a thousand subtle ways.
The author is a filmmaker. Email him at mani2shankar@gmail.com
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Latest Comments
This is an amazing article, truly exceptional. I'm a little late with my comments but this article just like all your other ones reveal the most simple and fundamental truth about life through Vedanta. I do feel bad for some of the negative & immature comments made by other readers but that it is truly driven by ignorance and they'll get over it some day (hopefully).
Mani - Keep up the good work, hope to see more of these articles every week.
" Biologists observe the process yes, they study the cells, the genetics, the molecules, the events — but ask any scientist to explain how and with what unbelievable precision, hundreds of trillions of molecular processes happen simultaneously each second — how they are planned, managed and orchestrated — and he will have no alternative but to shake his head with wonder".
Such BS will only hurt science.
see the comments from all. some happy with article and others not so. whether its Vedanta or Science, intelligence or dumbness - just be happy and smile always. just be good and do good should be the philosophy. Vedanta or Science shouldn't really matter. whatever works!!
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." - Col 1: 15-20
It is so wonderful and marvelous to think about God, yet God is so close to our human hearts as friend who can see all our motives.
The message of Jesus appears to be foolish because it appears to be very simple to wise people. But did you anytime wonder what if after you die you find out, the message of Jesus is true! You may say a person who believed in Jesus may have done atrocities or may have hurt you in the past or done evil things in the name of Jesus. But just ponder for a moment, what if the messenger who followed Jesus could have been false follower but not the message of Jesus? Sometimes we easily become prejudiced about certain things, when that happens you got to re-work it.
Please read as it says:
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. " - 1 Cor 1:18-25
Thank you for your time!! Please do not think Jesus is optional and may be he is not for me. He is for everybody and he came to love us, redeem us and reconcile us before God forever!
I have a question to everyone? Does any philosophy offer this hope I am about to ask? I want to be with my family, wife, children forever with no problems either physical. mental, or spiritual problems such as ego, greed etc. I want everyone to be united with love even after death, is it possible? Yes, it is and there is only one way for it, it is by following Jesus. Read the bible you will learn more about this hope for life after death. No matter what, every person deep down wants to connect to other relationally. Even saints who leave to forests want to connect with God relationally. This deep down relationship can only be found in the God of the bible because he promises that: ("In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." - John 14:2-7
dude u are an ignorant blaze !
go deep with in yourself and u would know why
There is not one chance in a trillion that life on Earth is an accident. Just look at the sun, the moon and everything within our universe. How can something so complex be a coincidence? It can't be that easy. It must mean that everything was planned, designed, shaped, created. Then, there must be a Creator. Who is this Creator? Why has he created us. Surely, this Creator is all high and all mighty... worthy of praise, appreciation, remembrance.
The ultimate form of praise, appreciation and remembrance for such a being would manifest itself as worship. Which is exactly why He has created us.
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