Since the beginning of history mankind has been searching for the ultimate truth about our existence and the nature of the universe; theologians in the spiritual world and scientists in the physical world. However, because of the separation of time and space, different religions and scientific theories evolved. As with everything else in this world, they are never static through the passage of time. The author of this article attempts to overcome this barrier by using a universal language that transcends time and space to explain human nature and the path of enlightenment. Thus I conceived a simple mathematical formula from which a graphical picture followed.
Scientific theories like quantum physics and Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (E = mc2) govern respectively the physical world on a micro and macro scale. Similarly, a formula can be postulated to express human nature on a spiritual level. Since human nature cannot be quantified, the formula discussed in detail below only tries to correlate the relationship of three of the many different aspects of human qualities. Its purpose is to show where we are on our path to enlightenment.
Let us assume the following:
Let
W = Wisdom
I = Intelligence or IQ
E = Ego
Here Wisdom is taken to mean the degree of enlightenment. Intelligence represents the ability to learn and understand. Ego is the self of an individual person, the conscious subject. Egotism means conceitedness, self-importance and vanity.
The relationship among the three can be expressed in a simple formula:
W = I / E
We can derive from the equation that Wisdom is directly proportional to Intelligence but inversely proportional to Ego. We have to make a further assumption that both W and E can be either positive or negative but Intelligence (I) can only be positive because we all know the lowest IQ achievable is zero. When we plot this equation into a graph with I / E along the x-axis and W along the y-axis, we get the following graph (Diagram 1):
When we increase I or reduce E, the value of W increases proportionally as expected. Now the value of I is arguably finite because of the limited intelligence of human race. We may also observe that wisdom W may lie above or below the horizontal axis depending on whether the value E is positive or negative. Positive wisdom leads to enlightenment and negative wisdom to decadence. It is obvious that selflessness (E decreasing) leads to the positive, and selfishness (E increasing) the negative, areas of the graph respectively.
Now an interesting phenomena occurs when E = 0. In arithmetic when a number is divided by zero, its quotient becomes infinity. This implies that our wisdom approaches infinity as we forsake our ego. Whether we may or may not reach infinite wisdom is subject to argument. Christians claim only God has infinite wisdom and in Buddhism it is the state of Nirvana achieved by Buddha. On the other hand we become possessed by the devil if we are totally engulfed by our ego. Our positions on the line depend on the state of our mind at that particular moment. The degree of enlightenment is the horizontal projection of that point on the vertical axis, lying somewhere between the two extremes. A corollary of this theorem is that a person need not be well educated to become enlightened provided that he is completely selfless.
Good and evil, as can be seen from the above graph, are essentially two sides of the same coin. Human beings are born with both qualities existing side by side. The coexistence of the two may be illustrated by a physical analogy. Assuming our individual soul as represented by a sealed glass bottle containing water and suspended impurities, it is logical to believe that as we are equally endowed by our creator there are no differences in both the quantity or quality of the contents for each individual. Water symbolises purity and the suspended particles evil. Let us further suppose the particles are pure carbon powder. When the bottle is agitated, the contents of the bottle become murky. This is analogous to a muddle-minded person who fails to see things clearly. As the bottle lies motionless for a longer period, the process of sedimentation starts to take place. Eventually the suspended carbon powder will settle down at the bottom and the clarity of the water is resumed. Should the fine particles of carbon be compressed to form larger lumps, it would take less time to settle down. This is analogous to elevating our souls to a higher level of awareness. Suppose the carbon particles were subject to sufficiently high temperate and pressure, a transformation of the molecular structure begins to take place. The result is a crystalline substance known as diamond. The basic elements in the sealed bottle have not been changed. It does not matter how vigorously the bottle is being shaken, the water always remains clear. Instead of the amorphous black carbon particles that cloud the water, the sparkle of the diamond adds beauty to it. This represents the ultimate goal of our achievement. Thus, by dissociating our minds from external disturbances and achieving inner peace, we develop wisdom that will take us one level higher in the long journey to enlightenment. Have we not all noticed that inspiration only comes when our minds are still?
The above formula is the simplest form giving rise to a straight line graph which in mathematics is called a linear equation. To express the complicated relationship of the three variables as they are known, a more general equation can be derived as follows:
W = Function (I / E)
where this function could take any form that makes sense. Without delving into the detailed mathematical discussion of this equation, we will explore its implication which is the subject of this article. Depending on the formula, a series of curves could be drawn as shown in Diagram 2; each path could be represented by a particular religious belief. The ultimate goal of each is the same but the paths they take may vary. But not necessarily all religious beliefs lead to enlightenment. Line 3 in the diagram obviously does not. This formula makes no attempt to point out which path one must take to achieve spiritual enlightenment. In actual fact there is no fixed path as truth is never a static object that can be pursued methodically or represented as a point on the graph where one can draw a line through it. In other words, there is no formula to enlightenment. Truth manifests itself without any effort on our part only when our ego disappears entirely. The harder we consciously try, the further away we are from it, because a striving mind can never be quiet and only a quiet mind can see the truth. This formula nevertheless provides a fresh approach to the understanding of human nature and points to a correct mental attitude that we should all adopt no matter what our religious belief. The crucial point to remember is that it is not what we believe but how we behave.
To explore this formula further, we realise that letting E to represent human 'self' is oversimplified. The entity 'self' has two inseparable components, viz. a positive part and a negative part like two sides of the same coin. Even the most dangerous criminals have moments of kindness. Let us represent the former by E(+) and the latter by E(-). We may call them True or Higher Self and Egotism or Lesser Self respectively. Then E can be expressed by the equation: E= E(-)/E(+).
We may test the validity of this equation by letting E(-)= 0. E therefore equals to zero and from the first formula wisdom becomes infinity. Similarly if E(+) becomes infinity, we arrive at the same answer. We may conclude that there are two ways to reach enlightenment, viz. either we reduce our egotism to zero or allow our higher self to expand to infinity which is equivalent to letting our love encompass the whole universe. The former is a form of total surrender to infinite intelligence and the latter equals the compassion of Jesus or Buddha. In Buddhism these are represented by the two schools, Hinayana (or Theravada) and Mahayana, respectively.
Now, what is the consequence of letting E(+) equal zero? It is not difficult to find out that this is the central point in the above graph where there is no differentiation between the positive or the negative, the good or the evil, Heaven or Hell. These concepts are relative and exist only in the world of duality; but in the world of absolute they have no place because it embodies everything and nothing. Some scientists may call this the Unified Field or in Buddhism, a unity that is simultaneously full and empty. Does this not imply that when our higher self surrenders itself completely, we become one with the universe?
It will be interesting at this point to explore Christianity and Buddhism in greater depth. The view expressed here may be controversial but if we keep an open mind and perceive it merely as an insight of another mortal being, we will not fall into the trap of passing a judgement (at which point the self takes over) because there is no right or wrong answer. Having set the ground for our discussion, we may postulate that a Super Intelligence occupies the central point of the graph where we define it as All That Is and All That is Not. In Christianity we call it God and in Buddhism Nirvana. Separately, individual souls are fractions of God (or His children as some may prefer to call them), when merged into one we become indistinguishable from God. The sum total of our individual intelligence is the infinite intelligence of God. Scientifically this is also true as the universe is nothing but energy and information (or intelligence).
Although Buddhism never discusses a creator because any such being would be beyond our comprehension, this idea of a Super Intelligence with no identity does not go against Buddhist teaching. According to Buddhism, the Lord Buddha is only our teacher and all sentient beings are capable of arriving at the same achievement as the Buddha because they are born with the same virtues as he. Enlightenment is nothing more than the rediscovery of ourselves. Irrespective of the our different religious beliefs, when all the enlightened souls surrender their identities, we arrive at the same point. Jesus and Buddha are simply two of the outstanding messengers of this Super Intelligence and the best teachers that we ever had.
The above leads to an interesting observation. There is a parallel between the spiritual and material world as mentioned in the second paragraph of this article. The equivalent of Karma is the Law of Action & Reaction in physics. This is not surprising because they are all forms of energy vibrating at different frequencies. Astronomers have discovered that the universe (the visible material world) is expanding since the Big Bang and may eventually contract to its original state after the expanding energy is dissipated. This is the grand Cosmic Cycle and according to Buddhism, the cycle of creation and destruction has no beginning and end. Strictly speaking, matter and energy are never created or destroyed. They only change from one form to another. Impermanence is what the Buddha taught. The same could be said about the spiritual world - a Spiritual Big Bang. All souls (including extra-terrestrial) originate from the same source and will return to the same source. In other words, we are all one, i.e. all in one and one in all. If we harm another, we inevitably harm ourselves.
The underlying message of this equation is that in material pursuit and physical survival, we have to rely on our brain, but in spiritual enlightenment we must let our heart lead. We can never expect to reach infinite intelligence consciously by learning but it is within our capacity to reduce our ego. In this inward journey, we can only be guided by our own light and take the actual steps ourselves rather than indulging in intellectual discussion. Spiritual evolution is simply our conscious self taking a step closer to that super consciousness and for this we need constant awareness. With this in mind, the reader should discard this equation once it has served its purpose, for knowledge can be a hindrance and we must not let it become our crutch. It is like seeing a finger pointing to the moon. We should look in the direction it is pointing and not focus our attention on the finger itself. In walking along this path to enlightenment there is neither beginning nor final destination but only direction. The formula merely serves as a spiritual compass for our guidance.
Knowing the direction but without taking any action leads us nowhere. It is said that we reap what we sow and the first thought that enters our mind, whether consciously or unconsciously, results in what we experience. In our life on this planet the process from conception to experience may be instantaneous or take an entire lifetime (or several lifetimes if one believes in reincarnation). What then should we be aware of when the first seed is planted? We learned that it is our ego that prevents us from enlightenment. So an understanding of the self should be the first step.
We are nothing but a life-time collection of experiences stored in our memory. Both experience and memory are time-related. We must therefore understand what time is. In this world of ours we define time as the revolution of the earth on its own axis and around the sun, i.e. for a body to move from one position in space to another. This is physical time applicable to us on earth and is meaningless to someone from outer space. A second way to define time is that which links our previous thought to our next thought. This is our psychological time. Our memory is a collection of thoughts which is psychological time itself. It follows that the self is a product of time defined as such. The present is simply psychological time standing still; the here and now.
A person living in his past memory or in the illusion of the future is confined by his own ego. Truth as we know is independent of time and when there is ego, the person cannot see the truth. Any action motivated by ego bears no desired fruit. This is why the first thought that arises in our mind is so important. The first seed could be planted consciously in our mind by ourselves and we will be solely responsible for the fruit that we reap. Unfortunately our consciousnesses are interwoven in a complex matrix and the seed that is planted could be affected by our collective consciousness. In which case we will be wondering what we received may not be what we deserve.
An enlightened person is aware of raising his own consciousness above that of the collective. This awareness is what enlightenment is all about. Aware but without choice and conscious effort to achieve, pointed out by J. Krishnamurti. Otherwise, it implies a division between the self and what is to be chosen and achieved. Division inevitably leads to separation and conflict. The return to Oneness, as illustrated by the graph, is the elimination of the self. To arrive at this point, our mind must be in a constant state of meditation. This should not be misinterpreted as taking a sitting pose and thinking about nothing. When psychological time stands still as in meditation, ego disappears. Therefore living in the here and now is the simplest way to face reality without looking through coloured glasses tinted by our pride or prejudice and be on the way to a higher level of spiritual evolution.
