Page 277 - Kolaj Sharodiya Review Edition

Prana

Dr. Arun Kumar Laha

Monism

According to Indian tradition, Param Brahman or Pure Consciousness is he only entity in the universe that has real existence; this ever-immutable entity
is without attributes or qualities; Param Brahman is free from all attributes of the things of created tangible universe; Param Brahman is beyond all three
attributes (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) of tangible bodies made up of four ingredients—Energies, Matters, Space and Time. Space and Time are conjoined;
Energies and matters are interconvertible. Four types of Energies of the Universe (Strong force, Weak force, Electromagnetic energy and Gravitational force)
and all Matters of the Universe are interconvertible. Matters are mere condensation of all four above Energies. Pure Consciousness is not a by-product of
interactive processes among those four— Energies, Matters, Space and Time. There is a serious misconception among many scholars that consciousness
emanates out of above four. Neuro-scientists erroneously think that consciousness originates from electrical-and-electrochemical reactions in the neurons of
highly evolved creatures; on the contrary, viruses and many primitive unicellular animate bodies, devoid of neurons, lead their lives with utmost awareness.
Consciousness is the primordial entity of the universe. Consciousness with the help of three attributes (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) expresses itself as above four
ingredients (Matter-Energy, Space-Time) to create all bodies of the tangible universe—from galaxies to subatomic particles, from viruses to human bodies.
This is the concept of 'Monism', the main theosophical basis of Sanätana Dharma, popularly known as Hinduism. Creator, Consciousness and bodies of the
created tangible universe are inseparable—a spider and the cobwebs fabricated by it are inseparable—this is Monism. the greatest intellectual idea
offered by ancient Indian scientists to the vast knowledge pool of the human race. Monism is different from the concept of Monotheism of Abrahamic
religions that say, creator and created could never be inseparable—potter and the earthen pots and vessels manufactured by him are always two
different entities.

Gunas

Pure consciousness or Param Brahman or Pre-Big-Bang state of the universe was tired of His lonely existence. He dreamed a wishful dream to create many a
finite thing to allay His loneliness and to experience His own infinitude. This act of dreaming is called—Mäya or Mahamayä or Mä Yogamaya or Ma Kali or
Mä Durgä or Ma Chandi or Ma Katyayani or Ma Tarä or Prakriti or Nature or Trigunamayee or Consciousness with attributes or Brahman with Gunas or Präna.
Mäyä or Präna expresses Herself as Energies-MattersSpace-Time of tangible universe with the help of Her inherent three Gunas or Qualities—Sattva, Rajas
and Tamas. Consciousness with attributes or Präna remains inherent as body-bound-consciousness or soul in all the inanimate and animate objects, those
created with Energies-Matters-Space-Time. is a convention to call electric charge of Electrons 'Negative' and electric charge of Protons 'Positive'; likewise, it
is ancient Indian custom to worship Brahman without attribute as a human figure with male features and Brahman with attributes or Gunas as a human
figure with female features. However, this masculinity or femininity of Brahman and Prana has nothing to do with genders of Homo sapiens. The dreamer
(Param Brahman, the ever-immutable blissful observer), the act of dreaming (ever creative Prana) and scenes in the dream (ever changing, ever flitting
Physical Universe with all inanimate and animate bodies) are seamlessly continuous. This is Monism.

All things of this physical universe are with attributes. Fluidity is the attribute of water. Firmness is the attribute of a piece of wood. Hardness is the attribute of
iron. The gross physical universe is filled with an enormous number of substances having thousands of types of attributes. Ancient Indian scientists observed
that the attributes of all different things of this world of matters are nothing but various permutations and combinations of the three basic attributes of Prana.
The first attribute (Sattva) of Mahämäyä is characterized by spotless purity, blissful calmness, unfathomable depth of wisdom, ceaseless serenity, ever-lasting
silence etc. The second attribute (Rajas) is characterized by ardent activities, undying passion for enjoyments, never-ending fighting spirit, enthusiastic
creativity etc. Ever-blind ignorance, never-ending idleness, and ceaseless inertia characterize the third attribute (Tamas). All animate and inanimate objects
have these attributes. The Buddha, Jesus Christ, Sri Ramakrishna had the maximum amount of the first attribute with very little of the other two. In Alexander
the Great, in Napoleon and in other great warriors we find a presence of proportionately greater amount of the second attribute. The third attribute is
detectable in a relatively greater amount in persons with criminal propensity, in idle persons who live their lives with begging bowls in hands.