Unit 4

Understanding Harmony in the Nature and Existence

4.1.          Understanding the Harmony in Nature.

Nature may be describes as the aggregate of all the mutually interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together. These units are infinite in number and we could easily observe that there exists an equilibrium and self-regulation among all these units. This self-regulation is known as harmony or balance in nature. The law of nature incorporates a unique cause and effect system which must be understood so as to be in harmony with the natural law of things.

If one is to enjoy the advantage of life to the fullest, it's necessary to develop and maintain harmony. Natural harmony is necessary for the following reasons:

1. To find a solution to the issues related to global warming and to avoid depletion of non-renewable natural resources.

2. With deforestation, there is a need for trees to balance out the natural order for - reduction of wind velocity, energy savings, doing companion planting, development of an eco-subsystem in terms of building a forest garden, reduction of building heat.

3. One can understand the depths of harmony and alignment in natural by contemplating and reflecting upon the natural order and the cosmic order of existence itself. It may be possible to unravel the mystery of the natural synthesis within the midst of ongoing chaos at the material plane.

4. It is possible to attain natural harmony within the establishment, maintenance and management of institution like schools, colleges and universities.

First of all, we have to understand the importance of nature for our existence then we have to understand our responsibility towards nature. When we take from nature, we must always also commit to return to it. This is possible. Renewable energy sources, like solar energy and wind, are perhaps the most effective methods to start moving in this direction. There can be harmony only if each subsystem of the entire creation can strike a mutually satisfying relationship with every subsystem without disturbing the other's peaceful existence and without hindering its own growth.

4.2.          Interconnectedness and Mutual Fulfilment Among the Four Orders of Nature, Recyclability and Self-regulation in Nature

Four Orders of Nature

All the physical objects that are in solid, liquid or gas state either living or non-living, collectively termed as nature. Everything in nature can be placed under the following 4 orders:

1. Material Order: It includes the soil, metals, compounds, liquids, gases etc (on earth) and the stars, planets, moon etc (beyond earth). The big land mass of the continents, gigantic water bodies like ocean and seas, mountains and rivers, the atmosphere above, the tons of metals and mineral below, the dense gases and fossil fuels deep below the surface of the planet – all fall under the material order or “PadarthaAvastha”. In fact, if we glance around beyond the earth, the material order is visible even in the variety of stars, planets, moons and a number of other astronomical bodies.

2.     Plant/Bio Order: Our land mass is heavily occupied by grass, moss and little shrubs and they form the surface on the entire soil. Shrubs, plants and trees form huge forest together with the flora in the ocean are all part of the plant/bio order or “Prana Avastha” and it is subsequent biggest order on our planet after the material order (The material order is way greater in quantity compared to the plant/bio order). It includes all flora like grass, trees, seeds, fruits, flowers, parasitic plants, carnivorous plants on the surface and sea level.

3.     Animal Order: Animals and birds form the third largest order in nature ant it is known as the animal order or “JivaAvastha”. Here again, it can be observed that the plant/bio order is much greater in quantity than the animal order. The animal order encompasses all animals, birds and insects (from unicellular to complex animals).

4.     Human Order: Human beings formulate the smallest order which is referred to as the human order or “GyanaAvastha”. Animals are far greater in quantity as compared to the human order. It includes all human beings (Body + I).

The activities and natural characteristics of the four orders of nature can be understood from the following table:

The above table explains the following salient aspects in each of the four orders:

1. Things (Vastu):

• Material order – Padartha / Vastuavastha
• Plant/ Bio order – Prana avastha
• Animal order – Jiva order
• Human Order - Gyanaavastha

2.     Activity (Kriya):

The Material order consists of lifeless things. Hence, the activities involved in the Material order are only Composition and Decomposition while in the Plant order and the other two orders, another activity called Respiration is also involved in the body. In Animal order, Selection occurs in “I”, while in Human order, Selection, Thought and Desire occur in “I” along with the need for Realization and Understanding.

3.     Innateness (Dharana):

While Innateness consists of mere ‘Existence’ in the Material order and ‘Existence+Growth’ in the Plant order, it consists of ‘Existence+Growth’ in the Body and ‘Will to live’ in the “I” in Animals and ‘Will to live with happiness’ in the “I” in Humans.

4.     Natural Characteristic (Svabhava):

The Natural Characteristics of the Material order are Composition and Decomposition and of the Plant order is Composition/Decomposition and Nurture/Worsen in the Body. The Animal order also has the same natural characteristics in the body along with non-cruelty or cruelty in the “I”. In the Human order, the cruelty/non-cruelty of animals is replaced by Perseverance, Bravery and Generosity.

5.     Basic Activity (Kriya):

The Basic activities in the Material as well as Plant order include Recognising and fulfilment. The same activities occur in the body in Animal and Human orders. Assuming, Recognising and Fulfilment occur in the “I” of both Animal order and Plant order along with Knowing in the Human order.

6.     Conformance (Anu-sangita):

The Conformance in the Material order is essentially Constitution Conformance and in the Plant order it is Seed Conformance. In Animals it is Breed Conformance and, in the Humans, it is Right Values Conformance.

Mutual Fulfilment Among the Four Orders of Nature

In nature, each unit is connected to every other unit in a way which is mutually beneficial to both. The material order is related to the plant order, the plant order is related to the animal order and in the same way the animal order is related to the human order. Therefore, there is a mutual fulfilment among all of the four orders of nature. This mutual fulfilment can be studied as follows:

Material Order and Plant/Bio-Order: The material order provides essential nutrients to the plant/bio order in the form of soil, minerals, etc. while the plant/ bio order decomposes and forms more nutrients, enriching the same soil in the process. The plant/bio order also decays into usable material such as coal and crude oil, which are stored deep within the earth as protection against the excessive heat from the molten core inside the earth and also from the heat of the sun (this is the material we extract and using as fuel). Plants, with the help of their roots, assist in moving the nutrients through the various layers of the soil. The roots of the plants also hold the soil together and assist in preventing soil erosion from natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Plants produce oxygen and carbon dioxide to balance the level of these gases in the atmosphere and thus help in the movement of the material order. Therefore, it can be observed that there is a mutual interdependency and co-existence.

Material Order, Plant/Bio Order and Animal Order: The movement of all animals, birds and fishes is provided by the material order. Water, oxygen and other gases are necessities for both plants and animals for their survival. The plant order helps with the sustenance of herbivores animals who in turn help with the sustenance of carnivorous/omnivorous animals. The animal order, in return, assists in the enrichment of the soil with its excreta and these excreta help the plants with nutrients. The plant/bio order and material order also provide food and shelter for all animals, birds and fishes. The animal order helps in pollination of the flowers of the Pranic order.

Material Order, Plant/Bio Order, Animal Order and Human Order: Human beings also possess a natural acceptance to be mutually fulfilling to these three orders. However, in today's day and age this mutual fulfilment is not assured. Civilization is largely dependent on the material order for soil and minerals and metals, but as it has been observed time and time again, we are polluting the soil and depleting the fossil fuels. Human beings are also dependent on plants for sustenance and holding together the larger ecosystem, but in the process, we have destroyed several forests and destroyed multiple species of plants and herbs.

We are dependent on animals for food and to carry out our production and transportation activities, but man in his ambition for being rich (for ex, through rhinoceros’ horns and elephant ivory) and environmental pollution (dumping plastic in the ocean), has made several species of animals and birds extinct from the planet. Issues such as animal cruelty are also a cause for concern as it disturbs the natural order and is essentially inhumane.

Thus, except for the human order, all things in nature are in perfect harmony and this is why the human order, albeit in mutual fulfilment with the other orders of nature, must be worked upon to establish complete harmony within all orders of nature.

Recyclability and Self-regulation in Nature

Cyclical/Recyclability and Self-regulation are two of the most important characteristics of Nature. There are several cyclical processes that can be observed see in nature, for instance, the water cycle: evaporating, condensing and precipitating back to water giving the weather phenomena. The cycles keep these materials self-regulated on the planet. The numerous breeds of flora and fauna are similarly self-regulated in their environment. In a forest, the growth of trees takes place in a way so that the quantity of soil, plants and animals remains conserved. It does not seem to be an occurrence where the amount of trees shoots up and there's a scarcity of soil for the trees. The population proportions of plants and animals are naturally maintained in nature by appropriateness of the conditions for growth of both plants and animals which are self-regulated in nature. This phenomenon is termed as self-regulation.

In a single breed of animals, the quantity of males and females generated through procreation is so specific that the continuity of species is ensured by itself. This happens with humans too, but inhuman practices have led to disproportionate numbers of men and women in recent decades. Clues towards the harmony in nature are provided by these two characteristics namely, recyclability and self-regulation.

Cycles like the food chain, Water cycle, Nitrogen and Carbon cycles help in regulating –

• Pollution (via decomposition of dead organisms in forests etc.)
• Changes in seasons to market birth and death and regulate overgrowth of plants etc.
• Food chain controls over population of plants also as animals
• The natural balance in male and female species disturbed by the Human Order
• Compensating for the loss of nutrients from soil through decomposed matter.

4.3.          Understanding Existence as Co-existence (Sah-astitva) of Mutually Interacting Units in All-pervasive Space

UNIT (ikai): A unit describes all individual parts of nature. All units in nature, however big or small, are defined and limited.

For instance, a small blade of grass to the largest of galaxies, each unit occupies limited amount of space, it is tangible and has a boundary and is countable.

SPACE(Sunya/Shoonya) = empty space found everywhere

For example: When reading, what is there between the reader and the book? Nothing. This “Nothing” or empty space is called Shoonya or Space.

Space is not a unit. It can’t be touched, smelled or seen. We can just see through it. Space exists everywhere.

EXISTENCE

All the units of all orders in nature, along with the empty space constitute

The Existence. Hence,

Existence = Space + Units (in space)

It can also be said that all units of all the orders ‘exist in space’, ‘are in space’ and ‘submerged in space’.

Therefore, we can define existence as nature submerged in space

Nature = Four Orders

Being in space, all the units in nature, lead to the Complete Existential Order (SamagraVyavastha)

Existence = Co-existence = Units submerged in space

All units can be subdivided into two types: Material and Conscious(I). Material units are those units that are recognising and fulfilling while the Conscious units are those units that also include the activities of knowing and assuming together with recognising and fulfilling.

Realization and understanding ensure harmony in desires, thoughts, expectations.

The figure below depicts how all units of nature or orders of nature co-exist in all pervasivespace:

Understanding the Self(I), the activities within the I and their interrelation, understanding the truth of ‘I’ as distinct from the body is known as KNOWLEDGE OF SELF (JIVANA GYANA)

Understanding the harmony at all the levels of Existence is known as KNOWLEDGE OF EXISTENCE (ASTITVA DARSHANA GYANA)

Understanding our relationship with every unit in Existence and fulfilling the requirement of each unit is called KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN(E) CONDUCT (MANAVIYATA PURNA ACHARANA GYANA)

The knowledge of all the above three is known as right understanding.

Right Understanding =Understanding of Existence + Understanding of Self + Understanding of Human(e) conduct = Harmony at 4 levels

This right understanding leads to the development of realization and understanding, and we call this as ACTIVITY COMPLETENESS or KRIYA PURNATA.

When there's completeness within the ability of ‘I’ to live with right understanding at the four levels, resulting in mutual fulfilment, it is called, CONDUCT COMPLETENESS or ACHARANA PURNATA.

Therefore, the role of human beings in this existence is to understand the co-existence to reach the state of KRIYA PURNATA and live accordingly to attain ACHARANA PURNATA.

4.4.          Holistic Perception of Harmony at all Levels of Existence

The existence is defined as all units of nature submerged in space. Space refers to the empty area all around. The units are classified into two types: material (insentient) and conscious (the sentient ‘I’). The compositions of the material units keeps on changing and they are also transformable, hence these are “Gathansheel”. However, the other type of units, the sentient ‘I’, are already complete in composition and hence do not transform or change, hence “Gathanpurna”. It can therefore be said that the material units are changeful (with activities of recognizing and fulfilment only) while the conscious units are continuous (with activities of knowing, assuming, recognizing and fulfilment).

The material units typically categorized into two orders – material order and plant/ bio or Pranic order. An atom combines with another atom to form a molecule in the material order; a combination of these molecules forms a molecular structure. Molecular structures in nature can be found into two types: lumps and fluids. These fluids give nutrition to the plant or Pranic order. The smallest units are plant cells in the pranic order which combine with other cells to form plants, animal bodies and human bodies.

In the process of evolution, the co-existence of ‘I’ with the animal body becomes the animal order, and similarly the co-existence of ‘I’ with the human body becomes the human order. Completion of right understanding in human being is called “kriyapurnata” and ability to live with complete understanding is called Acharanpurnata”.

In the chart given above, the left side shows that the transformation keeps taking place and the transformation is cyclic in nature. However, the transitions are acyclic in nature. This implies that what we have learned and understood continues to stay with us. It is impossible to regress to a previous state of being. Hence, the transition is unidirectional. This unidirectional transformation in the process of evolution is development or "Vikas"

Therefore, existence is in the form of co-existence and thus it is in harmony as all units of existence are in harmony with each other. This harmony is holistic in nature and already exists that is why it does not need to be created by man. Human beings only have to understand it to be in it. This implies that having the knowledge of self (‘I’) gives one the knowledge of humane conduct (how to live with existence, with the four orders). With this knowledge, one can live with humane conduct. This is an objective to be achieved by human beings in order to be in complete harmony with existence.