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Writer's pictureDevesh Gupta

Harmony of Being: Bridging Science, Spirituality, and Public Policy for a Unified World

Updated: May 27

By Devesh Gupta

 

To even begin writing, it is important to understand who the writer is, who the reader is and what the nature of thought is. Is the writer or reader separate from thought, or does thought create the thinker, as the reader or writer? The self, the thinker, the thought are all a result of memory stored in the human brain. When there is perception, this perception by the senses is soon translated by memory, which is the past. So, it is the past that meets the present and interprets it according to its own conditioning, its own code, forming the self. So, either the writer and reader are conditioned by the past, or they are in the present, in awareness. True communication and communion can only happen when there is presence.  


When you call a colour green, there is perception, but soon the knowledge of the word "green," as past, translates the present perception into the past. Therefore, all knowledge that comes from the registration of experience in memory is essentially past.


This knowledge has helped humanity in technological advancements and our survival as a species. We have reached the moon, developed vaccinations, built bridges, airplanes, MRI and CT scans, and more. This accumulation of collective knowledge has helped us understand aspects of the universe, such as the stars, planets, rivers, oceans, gravity, circadian rhythm and our nervous system. Observation and awareness of “what is,” and its registration as experience, has led to the development of all scientific and technological knowledge. Science is a systematic and evidence-based approach to understanding the natural world, encompassing physical, biological, and social phenomena. It aims to develop explanations and predictions about how the universe operates through observation, experimentation, and logical reasoning.


However, this registration does not only pertain to experiences of the natural world but also to our psychological relationships and interactions. Many people live with images and thoughts of who they think they are, creating an illusion of separateness. Psychological knowledge often creates division with the present. When one identifies with a name, belief, idea, God, savior, tradition, or value, that becomes the self, and that self, rooted in the past, translates the present into the past.


For instance, when one identifies as Israeli, American, Indian, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, etc., it naturally creates division. The past becomes more important than the present, shaping one's worldview. The viewer, observer, perceiver are knowledge, and that is already fragmented and divided. This identification leads to division. Also, when there is an experience which is pleasurable or aversive to the human being, they create a memory out of it. Now, this movement of memory from past to present creates desire and fear. This desire is the want for the past pleasure to be repeated, and this fear is the thought and expectation of the past to not repeat. This fear and desire, rooted in the past, create conflict with the present. Psychological hurt, revenge, violence, and fear all stem from the past and are actions of memory.


While knowledge is necessary in the technological field, psychological knowledge often creates division. This psyche uses technological knowledge for destruction and chaos. We have created cluster munitions, chemical weapons, and divided the earth into nations and religions. Knowledge, as the psychological actor, divides and creates conflict. Despite having knowledge and values of non-violence and equality, there is often no transformation. Therefore, while there is advancement and evolution in the technological world, is there any evolution in the psyche? Or does the psyche, the self, and any expansion or modification in self remain within the realm of self, ego and ''psychological time''?


Only when the self, as psychological past, is not present, is there awareness and presence. Actual compassion is a part of this presence and awareness, leading to the right use of knowledge and science. If a scientist observes with a confirmation bias or hypothesis, they are not looking at what is, but rather at what should be. Similarly, when individuals live in the past, they live with “what was” or “what should be,” not with “what is.” Living in the present, without creating psychological knowledge, is true spirituality. This way of living, free from past ideas, fear, desires, and motivations that condition perception and way of living, is where science and spirituality meet. 


In truth, science and spirituality are not different. They are part of one right way of living in which individuals live with truth, not with ideas, confusion, or conflict. In this right way of living, with truth, compassion, and togetherness, we can wholly address the problems of the world and use knowledge as science to solve all its problems. When there is no love, knowledge and science are used to create atom bombs. However, when there is love and compassion, all actions of science will yield positive results. With this love, all problems of the world can be solved in a matter of days. Science has the means to address many climate, natural, and human problems, but humans are currently lost in self-interest, divisions, and illusionary conflicts. Hence, science has not been optimally used for goodness, which is an undivided way of living. When there is love and compassion, then most actions of science will result in good.


In this state of presence and love, one can indeed live in harmony with nature, free from the illusion of separateness. In this profound connection with the impermanent world, one recognises their integral role as part of nature and acts with the innate intelligence inherent in the natural order. When the ego or self of the human being dissolves, there arises an openness for natural intelligence to enter and manifest through the individual. In this state of being, the individual becomes a vessel for the expression of the wisdom and harmony inherent in nature itself. By relinquishing the confines of the ego and embracing a state of unity with nature, individuals can tap into a deeper reservoir of wisdom and intuition. This allows for actions to be guided by the innate intelligence of the natural world, leading to a more aligned and harmonious way of living. Nature has the capacity to heal itself, provided we, as human beings, do not intervene in its processes for our greed and illusions. In essence, by transcending the limitations of the self and attuning to the intelligence of nature, individuals can embody a state of being where their actions are in harmony with the natural ecosystem of life. Then, there will be a society in which we don’t kill humans, animals and spoil nature for our greed and ideas.


These transformed individuals, through their compassion and right understanding of the world, can create a world with appropriate policy frameworks. In this world, policies will not be guided by power, self-interest, or control, but by right action and goodness. People will adhere to these policies not out of self-interest, fear of punishment, or expectation of reward, but because they recognise the necessity of these policies. Simultaneously, their intelligence, which no longer arises from desires, fears, and identification with the self, will align with the policies. This alignment occurs because the creator of the policy and the governed share a unified intelligence and are no longer separate entities. These compassionate, loving human beings, who shall carry the intelligence of love, will always act rightfully according to the need of the moment,  in harmony with goodness.

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