Consciousness Is The Ether Of Existence For Everything
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
12 October 2024
While I fully agree with Dr Ghulam Mohiyuddin that the Nobel laureate in Physics, Roger Penrose posits consciousness as a fundamentally quantum-mechanical phenomenon, some basic or rudimentary type of consciousness even in inanimate objects cannot be ruled out.
That Chetna (consciousness) may be quite different from the consciousness of animate things and even the nature of consciousness may differ as per the level of intelligence of an animate object. While religio-scriptural understanding of consciousness as a manifestation of obedience shown by the inanimate things to the laws of Physics and singing the praises of Allah on the Day of Judgement is a conceit, an all-pervasive spirit may bind all of us; living or non-living. The following piece of mine on universal consciousness appeared in TOI a few years ago which I'm sharing with the readers of NAI with a few more additions here and there:
'Every object on earth has a certain degree of consciousness and when we realize that, our existence gets filled with empathy,' wrote the great Persian mystic and the putative master of Rumi, Fariduddin Attar.
'Consciousness and empathy go hand in hand,' observed German Nobel laureate Gunter Grass and C G Jung. When Persian mystic Mansoor Al-Hallaj was being excoriated in 922 AD for proclaiming 'An-al-Haq' (I'm the Truth/Aham Brahmasmi in Upanishad), he thanked his executioner and then kissed the blade of the sword and said, ' You both are to be thanked for this act.' Look at the level of consciousness of that mystic, who empathised even with the executioner about to peel his skin off and the non-living sword being employed for this purpose!
This is pure consciousness that doesn't differentiate between a living and non-living thing and empathises with everything. This uber-consciousness goes beyond mere thankfulness or a higher sense of gratitude. This is what we call 'cosmic equipoise' or 'universal equanimity' (Nizaarat or Filghaaz in Persian Tasawwuf or mysticism).
Buddha told his disciples never to show even a semblance of disrespect even to a stone, for that too had a level of consciousness and by respecting that, they (disciples) could evince their empathy for not only a stone but whatever they came across on the path of life's journey: Prastham Unjhiyon Virjit Darpam is the Pali sutra in Dhammapitak (3rd volume) of Buddhism which states and urges one to connect even to a stone at its conscious level!
Humans erroneously think that only fellow humans have consciousness but we forget the Brahma Sutra that there are 19 levels of consciousness and human consciousness could be the highest because of the relative higher gradations of evolutionary process. Every being, even an amoeba or a virus or a fly, has a level of consciousness which most of us can't fathom because of the lack of empathy that we're all fraught with.
'Even a so-called dead wood has a level of consciousness,' wrote St. Augustine. The evolution process of human beings is never-ending. We're still standing on the lowest rung of human evolution, therefore, we can't empathise with the subtlest consciousness every object is imbued with.
To evolve is to become conscious and to have consciousness is to acquire empathy. The continuous awareness of one's evolution, paves the way for super-consciousness and that blooms into universal empathy. After that comes the eternally blissful state of Bekhudi (state of being self-immersed). And in that state and stage, there remains no discrimination and no distinction. The self merges into the cosmic consciousness and all seems a part of one's existence.
To quote Allama Iqbal, 'Haqeeqat Ek Hai Har Shai Ki, Khaki Ho Ya Noori / Lahoo Khursheed Ka Tapke Agar Zarre Ka Dil Cheerein' (The truth of all beings is one whether earthly or heavenly / The blood of the sun will ooze out if we cut open the heart of the minutest particle).
That said, consciousness is an attribute or spirit that's bestowed upon all and sundry. Akbar Allahabadi wrote, 'Har Zarra Chamkta Hai Anwaar-E-Ilahi Se/ Har Saans Ye Kahti Hai Hum Hain Toh Khuda Bhi Hai ' (Every particle glitters with the magnificence and effulgence of the supreme creator/ Every breath states that because of us, does the creator exist). Like an imaginary object like Ether in the Universe, consciousness is the Ether of Existence for everything in the Universe. The process and the true nature of understanding and deciphering consciousness shall continue till the end of human existence. Evolution and consciousness are forever juxtaposed.
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Some contents of this article have been taken from the writer's article on consciousness in TOI that appeared a few years ago.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/consciousness-ether-existence/d/133419
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