Sankhya and Science: Applications of Vedic Philosophy to Modern Science by Ashish Dalela

Author:Ashish Dalela
Format: epub

From Phenomena to Reality

Since Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether objectify the sensations of smell taste, sight, touch and sound, matter is described in Vedic philosophy in terms of its perceptual properties. A macroscopic object is comprised of many sensations—e.g. an apple consists of the sensations of red, round and sweet. In that respect, a macroscopic object is built up of many atoms. At the grossest level, atoms are symbols of sensations; i.e. they are objects that encode information corresponding to the sensation of those objects. When an object changes state it produces different sensations. Ideally, we like to think that behind this change is some immutable, unchanging reality, that causes changes to sensations and by understanding this reality we can predict changes to sensations. According to Vedic philosophy, however, there are not one but several realities underlying sensations. Of these, the ultimate reality is God. The next order reality which applies to a subset of sensations is the soul. But there are also other layers of temporary phenomena similar to sensations. These include concepts, judgments, intents and morals. As successively deeper kinds of phenomena, they can be seen as causes of the previous level of phenomena. For instance, concepts are causes of sensations, judgments are causes of concepts, intentions are causes of judgments, and morals are causes of intentions. Sensations, concepts, judgments, intentions and morals are all phenomena, but the fact that they are successively deeper makes it possible to say that the deeper phenomena cause the grosser phenomena.

God and the soul are the ultimate cause of all phenomena in Vedic philosophy. This ultimate conclusion is generally considered adequate for someone who wishes to transcend all phenomena. But this conclusion is insufficient for a scientific understanding of the phenomena themselves. Although the soul is a transcendent reality, it interacts with matter not directly but through several layers of semantic phenomena.

Behind the phenomenon of changing objects, properties, sensations, concepts, intents and morals there is an eternal soul that causes these changes. But, if this conclusion appears like a big leap, then it is also possible to say that behind the phenomenon of changing physical states, there are changing properties. Behind the changing properties are the changing senses. Behind the senses is a changing mind, behind the changing mind is a changing intelligence, behind the changing intelligence is a changing ego and behind the changing ego is a changing morality. Which of these two alternatives is more interesting? The answer depends on whether you are a mystic or a scientist. To the mystic, the ultimate conclusion is more interesting because it helps his search of a reality beyond changing phenomena. To the scientist, the study of the phenomena is more interesting, because he can sense, know, judge, desire and moralize about the world. Current science is opposed to mysticism because reality in science is material. Vedic science is consistent with mysticism because reality here is spiritual. But the Vedic science is also scientifically richer because there is a greater variety in types of possible phenomena.

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