33. Vivekananda's Involution Theory

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More than a year ago, we were given an assignment in my M.Sc. class to prepare a presentation on Vivekananda’s Jnana Yoga. The presentation never happened. So I am putting it into some use here J

Modern Science – Statements

States laws of conservation – energy, momentum etc

For e.g. energy is dormant in A and B as potential energy, all of which is manifested as Kinetic energy when it comes to M. So, energy only transforms from one form to another – even a high-school kid knows this. So, changes occur from one form to another. Nothing can either be created or destroyed. Something cannot come out of nothing. (I was surprised to hear Stephen Hawking say “Universe created itself out of nothing”!)

The same modern science also declares that human beings have evolved from single cell organisms.

Objection

How can a highly developed intellect evolve from nothing?

How can a man like Buddha be a result of evolution from a snail?

Where has the law of conservation gone now? Is modern science contradicting itself? It may say that ego and intellect are not quantifiable entities, but it only means that we don’t know how to quantify them. Also, what is the need to quantify? What is sensible? Quantifying it or accepting our own common experience?

Answer – An Alternate Theory

The motion is in cycles. Every evolution presupposes an involution. The perfect man was involved in the snail.

- As per Hindu mythology and Spiritual texts

I could be Intellect in specific or Ego in general

Objection 1

How can both the extremes have I = 0? Then what is the point of growth and evolution?

Answer

Extremes have the same characteristics but they are NOT the same.

E.g. Light spectrum, Sound intensity

In point A, Ego and Intellect are absent (almost). In point C, Ego and Intellect are transcended. In the intermediate point B, ego and intellect manifest with full speed and is visible.

Objection 2

After reaching the final stage of Buddha (Nirvana) do we have to again start a fresh journey? What is the point of Moksha (Nirvana) then?

Answer

No, it is not a fresh journey. In one cycle that particular ‘I’ is dissolved. ‘You’ no more have an existence. What comes up again is a new bubble in the ocean of consciousness. Once a bubble has escaped, its journey is over, it feels one with the whole ocean. Another bubble, even if formed from the same molecules, is not the same bubble anymore. Following analogy of boiling-cooling water depicts this.

Water is constantly heated and cooled – a continuous process. So can we say that the bubbles formed are the same when the same water gets cooled and comes back to the jar? Water is same, jar is same, same heating, but the bubble is different. This is only an analogy – it cannot explain the whole universe! It is only to get an idea.

Objection 3

Does this mean that the cycle repeats in exactly the same way? For e.g. do we have the same Buddha in every cycle?

Answer

Consecutive cycles need not be identical. However, every type of cycle must repeat itself at some point or the other.

Thus, a particular combination must repeat itself at some point or the other. Similarly, the universe is a scatter of particles. Each possible arrangement of particles must repeat at some point or the other. So,

Infinite combinations – Infinite chances (cycles) – Infinite repetitions.

As Vivekananda puts it in his lecture "We must have had this same lecture before, in an earlier cycle"! Remember that it was 1893 and not sure how many in the hall understood what he was saying!