Ramanisblog

Tag: Causality

  • God The First Cause, Yet Not Sankara Yoga Sutra 1.25

    Every thing has a Cause,

    Yoga Sutra 1.25. Patanjali.
    Yoga Sutra 1.25.
    Here Patanjali is reinforcing the notion of a unique original and unsurpassable soul. Apparently God is smarter than all of us put together. Still this brings up and interesting paradox around the issue of infinity. If all souls are purusha, and purusha is pure consciousness, i.e. sat-chit-ananda (eternal-knowing-blissfull), then how can God the Soul be more of anything?

    Events, Actions follow each other.

    An action or event is the reason for another action, event.

    Therefore, Cause may be the result of a Cause and be a Result of another.

    Again a Cause may lead to many results,

    A Result may be due to many Causes.

    If this were to be true, then the First Cause becomes a Logical fallacy.

    It is interesting to the Theory of Causation in Indian Philosophy, Hinduism.

    There are three Vadas or doctrines viz., Parinama Vada of Sankhya Philosophers, e.g., like milk changing into curd, Vivarta Vada of Sri Sankaracharya, e.g., snake in the rope, and Ajati Vada, the theory of non-evolution of the universe of Sri Gaudapada. The first Vada is the lowest. Vivarta is in the middle. Ajati Vada is the highest.

    To understand this we may like this.

    The Effect is different from the Cause as in Parinama Vada,

    This is fallacious as this theory assigns an Object without a Cause, which defeats the Theory of causation which is being defined.

    And an Object comes into being without a cause means we allude to Multitudes of realities.

    This is Philosophically incorrect as the presence of more than One Reality would limit the other or at least interact with the other.

    It it interacts with the other, it would again lead to other Reality.

    If it exists in parallel, it should have an origin either with that of the other Reality that has caused the other Reality.

    In both cases it is fallacious.

    Therefore the Theory that the Effects are different from Causes is untenable.

    The other one is the Effect is contained in the Cause.

    This is The Ajati Vada, the theory of non-evolution of the universe of Sri Gaudapada.

    Though logically correct, this does not explain our experience of the external world of Things.

    Shankaracharya explains this contradiction of both the Theories in his Vivarta Vada.

    The world is Real, yet Illusory.

    He cites the example of a Rope being mistaken for a Snake in poor light.

    Once we flash a light, we know that it was not a Snake but a Rope.

    So the fact that we saw a Snake was real for that limited point of Time when we did not have correct Knowledge.

    That it is a Rope is Real in the Absolute sense.

    Therefore both are Real but differentiated because of our Knowledge/inadequate Knowledge.

    This is Sankara’s Vivarta Vada.

    What does Yoga say on this?

    Definitions 
    Tatra – He (referring to Ishvara)
    Niratishayam – unsurpassable (beyond being bound)
    Sarva – all
    Gya – knowing
    Bijam – seed, primary cause

     

    God Is unsurpassable , this indicates he is The First Cause.

    He is the Root , Seed for Beings.

    Krishna says in The Bhagavad Gita ‘The Prakriti is the Mother and I am the Father, I am The Seed’

    Patanjali though seems to adhere to Parinama vada doctrine of Sankhya, he actually follows Vivarta vada of Shankaracharya, when he declared that the concept of God is necessary,though need not be Real in the Absolute sense of Samadhi

    Related Articles

  • ‘No Heaven..Some thing Out of Nothing’-Hawking Non-sense.

    True.

    But there are people who made the Computer.

    Reality is the Ultimate Cause.

    A Scientist should know that there has to be cause for Every thing.

    ( Indian Philosophy has a different approach on this point)

    Inability to distinguish between Religion and Metaphysics is a failing of Hawking,

    What the Ultimate Cause is, in the Realms of Philosophy.

    The very fact he is harping on Fear of death is an indication of his fear.

    By denying the unknown he is trying o overcome his fear.

    Let him have the luxury.

    For more details on the subject read the blog at the end of this story.

    Story:

    “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”

    “I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I’m not afraid of death, but I’m in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first,” he told the newspaper.

    http://current.com/1bocmkc

    Stephen hawking , in his forthcoming book the Grand Design makes interesting observations.While he , in his earlier book,Brief history of Time seemed to take  a philosophical position, which is unwarranted, as scientists normally  concern themselves to their discipline instead of trying to explain things from their discipline,in his latest book he has taken the position that God is not necessary for the creation of Universe.

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-09-03-hawking02_ST_N.htm?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29

    The absurdity of this argument lies in the fact that he has taken or rather seems to take the concept of God according to Christianity.

    Creation , according to  The Bible, is to have begun at a fixed point of Time.

    This is not logically tenable.

    Can he define ‘Some thing’ and ‘Nothing’?

    Every effect has a cause, every Effect has more than one Cause ;a Cause may be a result of another Cause and an Effect may be a  Cause for another Effect.

    In the first case, we credit an Event/Effect with a specific Cause relatively for this case for this cause  may be a result of another cause.

    In the second case the reverse is true.Causes are classified into Immediate Cause, Concomitant Cause.Material Cause,Efficient Cause etc.No single entity is responsible for any Effect .Similar is the case with Effects.

    Law of causality in nothing but a tool of mind to find a pattern for our convenience of understanding and classification.Things happenirrrespective of the fact whether we recognise them , classify them or not.

    Things/Events happen-Period.

    Unified Theory is as good as Chaos Theory.Both are equally true , depending on our perception.

    As Immanuel Kant has observed Space and Time are the two spectacles through which we perceive.Take away the these twin concepts(in fact they are one), you can perceive or conceptualize nothing.

    Therefore the causality is a myth.

    Again Law of causality depends on two factors,Law of uniformity of nature and Law of Causation.

    We know, or rather we think we know that the the law of of Uniformity of Nature will be there tomorrow as in Sun appearing to morrow.At best we may say it has happened till date and MAY be so to morrow.That is all.

    We have already seen that law of Causality is a myth and only a convenient tool as science is .

    Therefore the argument for First cause is not tenable(God).

    Then how do we explain the Universe and Mind?

    As said earlier things happen, happened ,and shall happen.

    We are in the flow ,as Henri Bergson called it,elan vital-Stream of Consciousness.

    We can not pin point a point of Time when this originated

    Please refer my Blog on Time-a non linear theory for details.

    Hence Hawking is right in so far as the concept of God as Christianity sees it.

    Not philosophically correct.

    Spinoza explains the Reality( God) thus.

    “Substance is that which exists independently of any thing else and which does not need the conception  of any thing in order to be conceived”

    Hinduism states that reality is without Cause,it is the First cause.It has no attribute.It is immanent.beyond human intellect.It is indescribable,It can not be known.it can only be experienced.It can not be defined but can be described by negating-not this, not this.

    Hinduism states that things were, are and shall be.(The Bhagavad Gita).

    Universe evolved both matter and Mind by the Sparsa( loosely trnslated means touching,grazing) of inanimate matter Prakriti or nature( not Nature) or qualities and dynamic or Flowing Energy Purusha.

    They graze due to lila or playfully(loose translation) with out any specific purpose or purposeless may be a purpose.

    Out these are formed the seeming first cause, mahat and 24 principles are evolved for the Creation.It does not Time reference.

    “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing,” the excerpt says. “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to … set the Universe going.”-Hawking in his latest Book.

    Exactly.This what Hinduism is about.

    The dichotomy between western and oriental thought is due to the basic difference in the basic concept of Knowledge.

    In the west knowledge is to be gained.A positive concept.-philosophically speaking.

    In the east it is the removal of ignorance.

    West follows the dictum Nihilo nihil Fit'( out of nothing comes).

    East”This is full,That is Full; having taken Full out of Full, Full remains Full”

    Hawking is right on the denial of God as conceptualized by Christianity ;wrong from the Indian and philosophical standpoint.

  • Something out of Nothing?God is not required?

    Stephen hawking , in his forthcoming book the Grand Design makes interesting observations.While he , in his earlier book,Brief history of Time seemed to take  a philosophical position, which is unwarranted, as scientists normally  concern themselves to their discipline instead of trying to explain things from their discipline,in his latest book he has taken the position that God is not necessary for the creation of Universe.

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-09-03-hawking02_ST_N.htm?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29

    The absurdity of this argument lies in the fact that he has taken or rather seems to take the concept of God according to Christianity.

    Creation , according to  The Bible, is to have begun at a fixed point of Time.

    This is not logically tenable.

    Can he define ‘Some thing’ and ‘Nothing’?

    Every effect has a cause, every Effect has more than one Cause ;a Cause may be a result of another Cause and an Effect may be a  Cause for another Effect.

    In the first case, we credit an Event/Effect with a specific Cause relatively for this case for this cause  may be a result of another cause.

    In the second case the reverse is true.Causes are classified into Immediate Cause, Concomitant Cause.Material Cause,Efficient Cause etc.No single entity is responsible for any Effect .Similar is the case with Effects.

    law of causality in nothing but a tool of mind to find a pattern for our convenience of understanding and classification.Things happenirrrespective of the fact whether we recognise them , classify them or not.

    Things/Events happen-Period.

    Unified Theory is as good as Chaos Theory.Both are equally true , depending on our perception.

    As Immanuel Kant has observed Space and Time are the two spectacles through which we perceive.Take away the these twin concepts(in fact they are one), you can perceive or conceptualize nothing.

    Therefore the causality is a myth.

    Again Law of causality depends on two factors,Law of uniformity of nature and Law of Causation.

    We know, or rather we think we know that the the law of of Uniformity of Nature will be there tomorrow as in Sun appearing to morrow.At best we may say it has happened till date and MAY be so to morrow.That is all.

    We have already seen that law of Causality is a myth and only a convenient tool as science is .

    Therefore the argument for First cause is not tenable(God).

    Then how do we explain the Universe and Mind?

    As said earlier things happen, happened ,and shall happen.

    We are in the flow ,as Henri Bergson called it,elan vital-Stream of Consciousness.

    We can not pin point a point of Time when this originated

    Please refer my Blog on Time-a non linear theory for details.

    Hence hawking is right in so far as the concept of God as Christianity sees it.

    Not philosophically correct.

    Spinoza explains the Reality( God) thus.

    “Substance is that which exists independently of any thing else and which does not need the concept  of any thing in order to be conceived”

    Hinduism states that reality is without Cause,it is the First cause.It has no attribute.It is immanent.beyond human intellect.It is indescribable,It can not be known.it can only be experienced.It can not be defined but can be described by negating-not this, not this.

    Hinduism states that things were, are and shall be.(The Bhagavad Gita).

    Universe evolved both matter and Mind by the Sparsa( loosely trnslated means touching,grazing) of inanimate matter Prakriti or nature( not Nature) or qualities and dynamic or Flowing Energy Purusha.

    They graze due to lila or playfully(loose translation) with out any specific purpose or purposeless may be a purpose.

    Out these are formed the seeming first cause, mahat and 24 principles are evolved for the Creation.It does not Time reference.

    “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing,” the excerpt says. “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to … set the Universe going.”-Hawking in his latest Book.

    Exactly.This what Hinduism is about.

    The dichotomy between western and oriental thought is due to the basic difference in the basic concept of Knowledge.

    In the west knowledge is to be gained.A positive concept.-philosophically speaking.

    In the east it is the removal of ignorance.

    West follows the dictum’Ex Nihilo nihil Fit'( out of nothing comes).

    East”This is full,That is Full; having taken Full out of Full, Full remains Full”

    Hawking is right on the denial of God as conceptualized by Christianity ;wrong from the indian and philosophical standpoint.