Science and
religion both attempt to answer similar questions innate to the human
experience, and both claim to have the correct answer. However, they both have
their limitations. Science can only go so far based on what it considers as
proof cannot always be measurable or observable. Religion is also limited in
the fact that those who chose to subscribe to religious beliefs close off their
minds to new and alternative concepts of the world. Since the beginning of
time, mankind has always been in search of knowledge and the truth.
Nevertheless, there have been those who are so indoctrinated into their belief
system that their minds do not possess the capability to grasp new
possibilities. On one hand we have
science, which enables us to explain and comprehend new concepts of the
universe, and on the other hand, we have religion, which uses faith as an
external source for information about the truth, without the chance for change
and adaptation.
It is my personal
belief that all of the great spiritual leaders of the past would not endorse
religion. I feel they would have no clue as to what it is. Our concept of
religion is a man made concept used to control the masses, conceal knowledge,
and generate massive profits. The spiritual leaders written about in our holy
books preached about love, compassion, and spirituality; not centralized
religion and going to church every Sunday.
For ages,
religious prophets, philosophical thinkers, ancient writings, and psychedelic
drugs have been saying that the entire universe is “One” (One as in one single
consciousness) and that our entire concept of “reality” is just an illusion. In
The End of Faith by Sam Harris, the
author argues that science will one day be able to answer spiritual questions
and explain mystical experiences. On page 43 of his book, Sam Harris states
that:
“Science
will not remain mute on spiritual and ethical questions for long. Even now, we
can see the first stirrings among psychologists and neuroscientists of what may
one day become a genuinely rational approach to these matters—one that will
bring even the most rarefied mystical experience within the purview of open,
scientific inquiry. It is time we realized that we need not be unreasonable to
suffuse our lives with love, compassion, ecstasy, and awe; nor must we renounce
all forms of spirituality or mysticism to be on good terms with reason” (Harris, 2005) .
Recent
developments in quantum physics are doing just that. These discoveries are
opening the door that connects science and spirituality that once remained
closed and guarded by religious leaders and scientists alike.
Quantum Physics
Quantum physics is
a particular domain of science that, unlike regular Newtonian physics, studies
and attempts to understand how everything in the physical, perceivable world
comes into existence (Malin, 2012) .
It is basically the study of reality starting with the subatomic level of the
world. Quantum physics is profoundly complex and take time to comprehend and
wrap one’s mind around. The famous Danish physicist and philosopher, Niels
Bohr, who made some of the foundational discoveries to understanding quantum
physics and atomic structure and later received the Nobel Prize in Physics in
1922 for these discoveries, once said, "If quantum [physics] hasn't
profoundly shocked you, you haven't understood it yet” (Pais, 1991) .
Scientists haven’t been able to completely explain everything that’s going on
in the subatomic world of particles, but they have figured out where all
physical things in the entire universe stem from. Quantum physics attempts to break down
physical things into their simplest and untainted for in order to discover the
source from which they are made (Anonymous, 2012) .
If one takes just
a quick look at intellectual nature of what quantum physics is and what quantum
physicists do, it seems to be extremely complex and monotonous. However, when
the fundamental conclusions of quantum physics are combined with what the
ancient sages, mystics, philosophers, and religious prophets have been saying
for millennia, not only is it profoundly shocking like Niels Bohr’s stated, but
it can become at catalyst to change human thinking and their view of reality
and the world around them.
We are One
Our culture has
programmed people so that individual differences stand out. When someone looks
at another person, they immediately make judgments about them. One may see the
other person as smarter, dumber, richer, poorer, older, or younger; but the
fact of the matter is that people immediately place others into categories and
treat them accordingly based on the category they’ve been placed in. Humans
innately see others as separate from themselves and focus on the ways in which
they are separate. However, a dramatic part of human experience is being with
another person, and suddenly realizing the ways in which they are similar to
one’s self. After having an experience like this, people begin to realize that
which is inside of one person is the same as that which is inside of another
person. They begin to realize that which is within themselves and that which is
within others is indeed One, and that there truly is no “other”. Quantum physics has done nothing but prove
this fact. If one tries to break down their consciousness (in the way a quantum
physicist would break down a particle) in order to understand what it is that
makes up their consciousness, they will come to the conclusion that it is their
thoughts that make up their consciousness. This leads to the question “Who is
it that is aware that [I] am thinking?” One may think that the simple answer to
that question is that “I am aware that I am thinking,” however, it isn’t that
simple. If it is ourselves that is aware that we are thinking, then that must
mean we are separate from ourselves in order to make that observation, which
obviously isn’t that case. This leaves only one other option, our consciousness
must be a part of something greater than itself, or as famous write and speak
David Icke would say:
“We are droplets in an infinite ocean of
consciousness and when you place a droplet back in the ocean where does the ocean
start and the droplet end? They don't. They are all One. Everything is One and was always One. I am you, you are
me, I am everything and everything is me. We have just forgotten and been
manipulated to forget” (Icke, 2011) .
I believe that Sam
Harris would agree that all human conflict stems from the fact that humans see
themselves as separate from one another. The only things people ever talk about
anymore are our differences. The mainstream media, politicians, and religious
institutions seem to only focus on the things that make us different from on
another instead of focusing on that which brings us together and reveals our
true nature as the loving and compassionate creatures we are. Almost all, if not every great religious or
spiritual prophet knew this and perhaps this is where they drew their
conclusions about The Golden Rule – treat others as you would treat yourself.
What would happen to the arms industry if every human being on Earth realized
that we’re all One? How could anyone justify bombing and killing something that
they see as themselves instead separate from themselves?
Quantum Physics and
Buddhist Philosophy
H.H. The
14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyato, explains in his book The Universe in a Single Atom: The
Convergence of Science and Spirituality, that there is a distinct
connection between science and spirituality, and that they have a distinct
ability to unite the human race. In traditional Buddhist teachings, the Theory
of Emptiness states that all things and events are dependent upon one another
and are in some way interconnected. Both Buddhism and quantum physics demonstrate
that the world we know is not what we perceive it to be with our 5 senses, and
that us and everything that exists is connected in some way, somehow. In the
book, His Holiness cites one of David Bohm’s observations:
“…if we examine
the various ideologies that tend to divide humanity such as racism, extremely
nationalism, and the Marxist class struggle, one of the key factors of their
origin is the tendency to perceive things that inherently divided and
disconnected. From this misconception springs the belief that each of these
divisions is essentially independent and self-existent.”
Bohm’s statement is an extraordinary one. He is
able to understand the relation between quantum physics and science as a whole,
and he is also able to expand his analogy to the entire world. Perhaps if
human’s were not so quick to judge, segregate, and isolate each other, we would
be able to come to gather and have a much greater respect for the human race a
whole, but conquering the ego is no simple task. This comparison of Buddhism
and quantum physics is very interesting because it has the capability to
motivate those who find solidarity in faith, and those who find the truth
through facts. Both schools of thought recognize the extreme importance of
perception.
Conclusion
Most people often get caught up in the hustle
and bustle of their own lives to the point that they fail to realize the fact
that their entire existence transcends both space and time. The horrors and
evil of this world are not independent of ourselves and depend completely upon
misunderstandings tracing from the innate human need to separate itself from
the world around it. Whether you belong to spirituality or science, both
ideologies call for an immediate re-examination of The Self.
The ego is what holds people back from
realizing their Oneness with the universe.
Bibliography
Anonymous. (2012, December 8). Quantum Physics.
Retrieved from Abundance and Happiness: http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/quantum-physics.html
Harris, S. (2005). The End of Faith. New
York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Icke, D. (2011, December 31). It's Time To Wake
Up. Retrieved from DavidIcke.com:
http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/58493-its-time-to-wake-up-we-are-all-one
Malin, S. (2012). Nature Loves to Hide: Quantum
Physics and the Nature of Reality, a Western Perspective. World
Scientific.
Pais, A. (1991). Neils Bohr's Times, In Physics,
Philosophy, and Polity. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
