THE UNBROKEN WHOLENESS

Physics starts with parts and shows how everything works together as a whole. Hinduism (our scriptures) says everything emanates from Lord Narayana (God) and everything ultimately merges into Him. He is the starting point. In fact Bell’s theorem implies that apparently ‘separate parts’ of the Universe could be intimately connected at a deep and fundamental level. This is similar to the fact that though every member of the family acts independently, yet, the family is single unit at another level, stringed together by a particular commonality among its members – or – a nation is one single entity yet it is made up of different states – or – the nine planets are individuals at one level and yet it is our solar system - a single unit at the level of the Milky Way galaxy, - and - so on and so forth. Thus inspite of the multifaceted diversity of the various components of the Universe and yet it acts as a single organism! Probably it is this idea that David Bohm, Professor of Physics tries to describe when he asserts in one of his lectures “that the most fundamental level is an unbroken wholeness”, - meaning “that-which-is”, the truth that our rishis had declared ages ago – “TAT TVAM ASI”!!!! – A CONSCIOUSNESS THAT IS FOUND IN EVERYTHING THAT CONSTITUTES THIS UNIVERSE! It is finally this “unbroken wholeness” which at a deep and fundamental level connects Science and Spirituality – Science says that everything is ultimately made up of THAT smallest particle – whereas Spirituality says, THAT is contained in everything and everything is contained in THAT. Science and spirituality are only using different words to define the same idea – both are searching for the same – only – the paths taken to complete their journey are different – rather if both went hand-in-hand, the journey would be more easier, more pleasant and more fruitful for both!!!!!!

Dr. Poonam Mehra