Here we try to put together the major points in the earlier blogs related to Evolution Of Mind.
To know more about “us” we need to know our 'minds' and the journey of our mind starting from the advent of evolution. Swami Vijnananand (S. V.) has elaborated in details the vital role of 'Mind'. Mind had the desire to come to existence and evolve from single cell to many cells creatures and finally to the current stage of human being. Evolution, in biology, is a complex process by which the characteristics of living organisms change over many generations as traits are passed from one generation to the next. Though lot of thinkers have put forward different theories on the process of evolution, there are many unanswered questions still waiting for answers. Charles Darwin evolution theory has played a big role for our society, humanity, education and world. Yet, many scientist tend to doubt it or try to revise it
Why evolution?
Stephen Hawking on Learning and Evolution says:
If the human race manages to redesign itself, to reduce or eliminate the risk of self-destruction, we will probably reach out to the stars and colonize other planets.
Please note that Hawking is emphasizing on the 'motive' of human behavior. And motive emerges from nothing else than “mind”.
Darwin's model of evolution complements a subtle message in the ancient religious texts. Do science and spirituality both point to the same trend using different examples? Does spirituality go a step beyond and predict the future?
Darwin and Dashavataras in Hinduism
Interestingly, Darwin's theory not only enjoys a strong scientific support but also finds a symbolic resemblance in several religious texts of Hinduism. Though there are delicate differences in the names, the chassis of supernatural forms is generally accepted and recognized as Dashavataras or the ten forms of Lord Vishnu (das: ten, avatar: incarnation).
According to ancient Hindu scriptures, it is the fundamental desire of knowing the life-giving substance that drives evolution. This grand desire is deeply embedded in our life operating system resulting in the evolution of bodily forms followed by the evolution of mind. The evolution of mind ultimately results in the identification of oneself with highest intelligence. To support this phase of evolution two things were needed - the evolution of brain and the evolution of a neural network.
Interestingly, the evolution of intelligence seems to match the evolution of brain. Available scientific evidence indicates that human intelligence was an outcome of more cortical neurons and synapses emerging in human brain leading to greater information processing speed.
As humans evolved and survival was assured, the focus moved towards the evolution of intelligence. With the evolution of intelligence, the capability to think and concentrate received a tremendous boost. This led to the emergence of philosophy and religion. Ironically, brain evolution accompanied with mind evolution led to more complex behavioral outcomes than expected.
Unfortunately, instead of intensifying the search for highest intelligence, the need itself got blurred and mind got more survival-oriented, also pleasure oriented, pleasures in terms of body senses and ego. Since desire is the function of mind the mind must have evolved with new desires which would have brought about changes in the brain and behavioral outcome. The present evolution state is believed to be closest to the highest form when physical, emotional and mental capabilities have reached peak misuse. Spiritually speaking, due to tremendous increase in human empowerment, the world has witnessed a rapid increase in environmental abuse, natural
disasters, life threatening diseases and hatred.
Humanity desperately needs a major reboot.
Since each of us is a product in the process of evolution, the knowledge of the process is important for us. Conventional science is still holding a materialistic view and as such many phenomina in the nature turn into riddles. The role of psyche in the form of energy has not been acknowledged by the scientists. The materialistic view that Mind is the expression of brain seems still to be prevailing with majority. We have also seen that many present scientists are echoing the views Swami Vijnananand (S. V.) propounded in his books on Newway Philosophy written before 50 years
Since Darwin’s thesis is stated exclusively in terms of physiological evolution forcibly divided or disconnected from psychical evolution by his own discretion, sounds in-compatible or unsuitable. The evidence provides latter (psychical evolution) as the cause of the former(physiological evolution). The theory of continuity of mind throughout the evolution renders the matter more easy and understandable.
The present theory of evolution (Darwin Theory) pathetically fails to unriddle the gap between the two species. Mind alone can be considered to be accountable for the acquired characters during these various intervals. Psych and not material brain (in the head cover) is personality or individuality.
Pleasure is the motive, jealous inequality is the mode, cyclic defeats and revenge is the terminating end of each cycle in the process. With the progress of living (resulting evolution) the revenge cycle is also progressing in its complexities. S.V. has given the description of this revenge cycle at each stage from the origin of life i.e. from coaservate to virus to cell to multi-cell lives up to human being.
Darwin has also unearthed the revenge cycle behind the apparent symbiosis.
The revenge cycle includes not only open enemies but also so called friends and relations ultimately turn into ghost of revenge, often in the pretext of affection. The feelings of envy, jeolousy prevailing in the human mind is the expressed as well as dormant instinct of the desire of possible revenge.
Symbiosis means living together in cooperation. But if observed in Nature, such examples are few. Greek history, Bible history, Arabian records, Persian records, Indian mythology and whole world history down to this age breathe destruction and revenge. The author (S. V.) says that we are at pain to point out this picture.
Some people profess that world is full of peace. They speak either partial truth, convenient truth, or truth with reference to certain context. Such people paint the picture of world as it should be and not as it is. We (New way philosophy) are underlining the reality and since correct diagnosis will cure corroding melodies. As it stands therefore, the revenge complex is the real menace (dangerous harm).
‘Inequalities of mind’ started the first mystery, and equality is the relieving solution. To fight the ghostly cycle of revenge, the arms of knowledge are the pacifying tools.
The porocess of epigenetics says that the behavior at any moment in the life is the cummulative effect of nature and nurture. The process starts at the stage of conception but even the period of preconception can't be ruled out. S. V. states that the process started from the moment life started on the earth when mind got associated with matter. The desire to associate ofcourse is the property of mind.
All of the living beings are created from the lifeless matter. Evolution simple theorem is that living being is created from the matter in the inanimate stage. If you consider this, then you can put forth a very simple equation, thereafter.
Evolutionists are of the opinion that the living beings were created by the adjustments and modifications. It is correct that the development happened slowly, one step after another.
But whose basic desire was it to develop?
The believers in Energy (Life) are of the opinion that, it is energy which is important. That got stuck to the body, stuck to the matter, stuck to the inanimate objects; this world is created from both of them together. Some people who say that living being was created from the lifeless objects. Well, that’s OK, but how did this happen?’ They are not able to explain it.
The doctrine of organic evolution has now been universally accepted. There is, however, no consensus of opinion amongst biologists as regards its modus operandi.
Talking only in terms of ‘New Way philosophy’, we have told earlier that you define the matter. After you have defined matter, we have demonstrated to you that there is something beyond the matter. That which transcends the velocity of light is called as non-matter.
Tracing the history backwards in the sequence of evolution, while counting back from 100 we arrived at one (1). We agree to it. But why don’t you tell us as to how did one(1) originate? You cannot tell us, about that? Did it come from zero? You are not able to give an answer as to where one (1) originated from. And that is why we are going to the roots and saying that we are proving (the existence of) energy. We have to accept a simple theorem that the Chetana (energy) has constructed the nature while taking the help of jada (matter). You will say, what will happen if we don’t accept it? – You will be caught in a trap.
Who had the need at that time to suddenly transform the non – living matter into living beings? What kind of need arose for which the nature has done all this? What was its motive? The present theories are unable to explain this by any means. And that is where the evolution or evolutionism falls short, becomes weak.
Generally even I (S. V.) accept the evolutionism to that extent. I accept evolution steps(11 to 100). Not only this, I am ready to accept it from (1) to (10). It is logically correct. We do accept that evolution has taken shape very slowly.
But basically why life was created in the first place? Hence we put forth the theorem of velocity of light there; and we oppose the evolutionists of materialistic orientation. We politely tell them ‘Give us an answer; we are ready to go back’. But none has given any answer to our questions.
While we try to link human behavior to its origin, we have to study the childhood. Where is the root of a child’s existence? What is the root of human behavior? If you take this link into
consideration, you would realize that the stream of evolution that is flowing over thousands of millions of years,is responsible for our behavior and also for child's existence. It won’t be sufficient to study merely Neurology and Physiology. As we are of the opinion that we should study psychology too! While understanding the evolution process
As per Darwin, first the human being has a desire, then he makes efforts for fulfilling the same. After this efforts, if the nature accepts it and if that effect is stable, then it enters into the descendants, in the children. It means human beings have achieved permanent progress. If it is so, then why the children of great people aren’t great? Our conclusion should be that Darwin’s theorem is not sufficiently pervasive.
Why did Dinosaurs die? They died because of comfort; they died due to eating too much. The situation came when no competition was left. Hence, if you restrict the meaning of ‘might is right’ as relating only to physical power, then it won’t be correct. The species which came afterward haven’t grown by merely killing each other; they have grown by helping each other as well.
We ought to be thankful to Darwin. It doesn’t mean that ‘whatever Darwin says is correct’. Natural selection functioned in combination with qualitatively new social-economic factors but its importance grew less as the role of the latter increased. It means that the principle of natural selection, meaning ‘might is right’ was there at the beginning of the world, but it changed later.
Who changed it? Darwin has given an answer for the same . He said, it was changed by human beings who came later. A community was created by humans. He has stated that many a times it is apparent that humans changed the nature. Columbus discovered America. Then the natural selection ceased to remain a natural selection. Then what happened? Mixed breeds of humans were created, hybrid races were produced. A few new sprouts were added to the human race. Darwin has made an interesting statement. “When discussing the expression of emotions, of spiritual experiences by means of the face muscles, Darwin came to the conclusion that there is an amazing similarity in this respect among representatives of different races.” Remember this. Now could an atheist have a spiritual experience? And again the word ‘mental faculties’ is used. So ‘mind’ has to come.
See how that interesting word has appeared here. Whose wish is it? Nature has chosen the mighty. Who is mighty? The one who won the fight. He had a wish ‘I want to be powerful’ isn’t it? It is right. The wishes originate from mind, don’t they? It is correct. Now the question arises that if this wish is of mind, then whether he became ‘mighty’ for being capable of the desire or because was chosen by the nature? Tell me who gets the credit?
The human being accumulated power with efforts, did he get the status of ‘mighty’ because of the consistency of efforts or because of being chosen by the nature? And if because of power, meaning if he had earned this status of ‘mighty’ because of the unwavering efforts, then the choice of nature has no consequence. Who is nature to choose that? Tell me in certain terms what it is. Are you getting what I am trying to say?
Well, you have to draw only one conclusion: the mind is beyond this brain and body. It is the one which has desires. As long as it keeps doing justice to its task, it will keep on winning until that point. Real Evolution is here
The balance between power and peace, even the feeling of helping each other, has helped to gain victory in the nature So the word ‘might’ doesn’t mean only the physical power but the sturdiness of mind, steadfastness of intellect, ability to surrender, each of these factors or their appropriate mix. Evolution has taken place as a result of these attributes. It is not sufficient to describe evolution merely as ‘might is right’.
ENTROPY
The law of heat & speed tells you that both of them will reach an even state in the end. What will happen in the whole of this universe? One day the movement of the whole universe is going to come to a standstill. That itself is called as the ‘state of entropy.’ The second law of Thermodynamics tells the same thing. (Energy flows from higher to lower level till it attains entropy)…Finally everything in this universe is going to enter the state of equilibrium. Everything is going to have one temperature. The stage and the speed of everything, the intermixing and internal stirring, is going to stop and everything in the world is going to enter one phase. This is the natural attribute of matter. You should take this into consideration.
‘All that got created was from matter.’ Every matter has action. Every action has a re-action. From this battle between action and reaction, the state of ‘Entropy’ is going to arrive eventually. The state of ‘Entropy’ is the very Dharma (characteristic) of the matter.If you accept that the matter is going to finally enter the state of Sarva Shanti (total peace) and Sarva samata (total equality), then how can Darwin’s theorem of ‘might is right’ be true? If the basic law of ‘might is right’ is prevalent in the world, it cannot ever establish equality.
If the matter says that I am always going to fight and the one who wins in the fight will become mighty, how did progress of evolution go up to the stage of humans? What was your definition of progress? You have defined progress in a wrong way. This is the real issue. And if the evolutionism is unable to give a satisfactory answer to this, then the situation will arise when we will have to put materialistic evolutionism aside. But don’t we see ‘might is right’? We do see it like that. But I don’t think of that state as a permanent stage. Fundamental law of matter is the state of entropy only; it is not ‘might is right’
The true law instead of that is of peace, adjustment, adaptation. We call it as ‘Symbiosis’. (we) term that as the state of peace, state of adjustment. And if that is the state, then you have to take that state into consideration.It won’t be right to go by ‘might is right’. You have to believe that the one who adjusts has the ability to change the world. The one who adjusts can reach the real next stage in evolution. The evolutionists say that if you learn to make adjustment and if that adjustment is accepted by nature, then you can reach the next stage in evolution.
So remember, to progress in the process of evolution, what should a person do? We have to make adjustments. What does the nature do? It suddenly gives him a prize. It is termed as mutation. While describing evolution it is said that a person makes an adjustment. Then what does the power of nature do? It selects the one who has the maximum ability of adjustment, out of all of them.
But again our question is, what if the one who does adjustment, is a sweet talker and a cunning person?
Hence we have to arrive at his motive. His motive should be that of peace. And hence, it is not sufficient for the person to make an adjustment; the nature also has to approve your adjustment.
The question is, what is the basic principle for natural selection?
If equality (entropy) is the final word of the nature, then to whom will the nature choose? Who would it elect? Who would it select? It will select the one who has the intent of equality; we have to draw such a simple conclusion. Then who will have that motive? Would it be with the inanimate object? And if it is not with an inanimate, who will have it? Motive is the characteristic of Mind. One who is struggling in the evolution, the one making adjustments, possesses life. It is the intellect or the inspiration behind the motive. ‘When environment changes, the organism makes conscious efforts to adapt to the surroundings’.
This is what Lamarck says. It is right. But conscious efforts? OK. So he tries wholeheartedly. Yet has Darwin denied it at all?
I am making no change in the main theme of Darwinism.Living being has knowledge which says: ‘I want pleasure’. The living being has a motion. According to our principle of evolutionism, the root cause of this motion is pleasure. The animate longs for the state of happiness and that’s the reason he gets sorrow along with it. Here he is bound to get misery as the reaction. When he will get to know this (equation of happiness) – whoever this creature is, - he has acquired some basic knowledge. That is why he is making the ‘so called’ progress. Hence he is getting the pleasure of motion. Ultimately he is going to get pleasure and pain as action-reaction.
As that creature will go on increasing in size, more complex & dynamic, he, that is, humanity is going to get more grief. We are experiencing it today. And even science has stated the same. We are getting those experiences in modern times. Where is the peace today? Miseries of the dynamic life have been created in the form of reaction.
If science has to follow its mission of reaching to the reality, it must get rid of the following misconceptions and revise its base.
1. Only matter matters.
2. Survival of the fittest.
3. Genetic control of life. And
4. Notion of random evolution.
These are the four wrong notions on which entire structure of science is based. Science can not reach to its aim if it dose not revise its base in view of the latest research. In short the existence of the reality beyond matter has to be accepted and incorporated in science by the scientists.
So now we have to acquire that ‘knowledge’ (to know) why we were born? Why has this Universe come into existence? And how this nature is going to move towards the end? What will happen if he (the animate) connects this knowledge to his life, instead of clinging to the ignorance? Well, then definitely the state of equilibrium will come about.
The theory which we are presenting is valid from the perspectives of science, religion and communism.We demonstrated to you that if people interpret Darwinism in a wrong sense merely as evolution of the lifeless, of the inanimate, that will result only in creating proofs which are opposed to each other.From one way the evolution theory says that there is a motive to the state of matter that makes efforts as well as to the state of being animate which struggles. Further it says nature selects him. his implies that even the live individual has a motive and the nature too has a motive – merely for making a selection. If it is so, what is the motive? If you have accepted it as an even state (entropy) itself, then even the religion states the same, science states the same.
However, from one angle you say that the matter has no motive. As You say that nothing will be moved unless moved . While laying down the law of motion you have said that matter itself as such has no motion of its own, it also means it has no motive as well.
After all this, the definition we are making of the living creatures, the other proofs and the adjustment what we are telling - should be accepted. You need to state that Darwinism leads to the self-destruction because of the lack of logic.
The research by Darwin is very good. Still however, the theorems which he has proposed are bouncing back on him. He has to swallow his own words. That shouldn’t happen. So all of us need to think of it from a different perspective.
‘Might is right’ is the true situations, but it is transient. Since matter has no motive you have to accept the state of non-material (existence of mind). Hence you need to have a well- meaning motive. That motive should be full of knowledge.The one who couldn’t acquire knowledge on his own, should submit himself wholeheartedly to the one who has acquired the knowledge. This is what we get to see in nature, or should be seen..
Here we need to carry out research on the above points. We need to acquire proofs for this hypothesis.If you want to build the life afresh, if you want to give new meaning to life, then you should be studying scientifically while applying logic and appropriate tools. Only then you would be able to do something different. Remember, it is not sufficient to know how the world is. You should also understand how to change the world for better.
"Critical self-introspection, acceptance of own faults and be ready to willingly suffer the unpleasant consequence of own karma is the essence to make a progress in the life of an individual . Our noble desires only can fetch us noble reward. That is the right way of progress in the direction of higher evolution"
Here we conclude the series of Blogs on "EVOLUTION OF MIND"..
Vijay R. Joshi
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