God in Man...ha...ha...you must be kidding. How real is the infinite occupying a finite position ? I would question, is it not as real as the idea of infinite contained in the finite letters i,n,f,i,n,i,t,e ? Is it not as real as the world of letters contained in the world of words? Is it not as real as the world of words occupying the world of reasons ? Or is it not as real as the world of reasons seated on the realm of thoughts ? Let's see an analogy.
Consider the infinite to be an endless straight line. Also, consider a semi-circle in some place on the line. Now, I draw tangents from the semi-circle to meet on the line, so that, each point on the semi-circle correspond to a point on the line as in the below figure.
Thus, each point on the semi-circle is just a representation of a point on the straight line. Okay, what does the point 'P' represent ? Doesn't it represent the infinity ? Lo ! We have captured the infinity. Just as how 'P' is the representation of the infinity in the straight line, God is just a representation of the highest ideal in Man. Some of you, who have studied some higher math, may identify this with the idea of streographic projection/one-point compactification. The one-point compactification (or as in the above figure, just as how we captured infinity by identifying the endless straight line with a compact semi-circle) leads us to an interesting parallel that if we make all our thoughts into a single point (thought) we can know what the infinite God is all about.
17 comments:
Wow! Stereographic projection can be used to say that the infinite universe is just the representation of the single point 'I'. Aham Brahmasmi.
Simple example used for stereographic projection, is the drawing of earth. Considering if the earth is a transparent ball placed on a paper with southpole on the paper and a light is placed at northpole. Thus the sizes of the objects on the paper keeps increasing as their distance from the Spole increases. The northpole is nowhere to be mapped and it has spread over to infinity.
The single point 'I', spreads across the vast universe. Aham Brahmasmi.
The usual stereographic projection is quite different : draw a line from point P to any other point Q on the semi-circle; extend this line to meet the straight line at point Q'. So, Q <-> Q' is a correpondence. As before P is the point at infinity.
Anyways, nice analogy.
Nice explanation Srini. Been sometime since I did real maths - so threw me off for sometime!!.
Good to see you back in the blog-world.
dear Kasthuri,
that analogy was indeed interesting, however let's look at the great paradox( an ostensible one if you see through the paradox), of the VishnuSahasranama referring to the Parabrahaman or Narayana( depending on your conviction) as Purnam and shunyam as well.
strange indeed that that which is infinite is also termed as nothingness
however when we divide any number by nothingness, i.e zero don't we get something which cannot be defined- anirvachaniyam?!
Hats off to your use of Mathematics in the service of Vedantha!
Dei.. Matter'nu title poattutttu Ipdi orey divine discussions ellaam panriye..
Pesamey Blog pera.. "Divine Discussions" nu maaathidu
Kasthuri: Great analogy !! Wow!
Anand: Again, kudos! Just love visting your blogs to learn more.
Kasthuri,
Do you believe in God? (Give me explanations outside of the convenience theory that you explained sometime back in your blog).
Swami : What do you mean ?
Do you mean to ask whether I believe in my existence ?
Sure I do...
@tj : Cool. Stereographic projection is a good example as mentioned.
@tt_giant : Thanks. Its long since I too did some serious math. But, its good stuff.
@Anand : Good analogy. Need to think more on this - that how can something be zero and infinity at the same time?
@ioiio : Yeh, I too realize its more of mind-stuff than matter. Will try to work on matter as well.
@ranj : Thank you.
@satya : Sondha kavidhe ellam ille...something which I learnt from my friends from school.
KASTHURI,
why don't you post on the implications of mathematics to any realistic philosophy?
tht i commented on this post..hmm..may be i forgot to publish it..
neways..cool math 2 prove the existence of the Supreme.
exemplifies ur IIT background..:)
@ viji : Thanks for visiting. I guess I should have been more clear.
@ Anand : I am thinking about it. I feel math is closer to art than science. Should study more on the philosophy of mathematics.
@ krishna : Thanks. I donno whether I did justice to IIT studies, but I definitely learnt something. :-)
than it is 'impossible' by human math that God could ever be in a finite being.
but since when is God contained in anything that humans have created.
several, if not all, religions happen to contain something miraculous. hence: budha's enlightenment, christ's virgin birth, etc.
if there was nothing super human or beyond human it would not be religion, it would be mundane.
Kasthuri,
I asked "Do you believe in God?". You have answered some other question. Good. But that wasn't mine. So I dont know why you addressed the answer at me.
One more time, do you believe in God?
Vedanta says "God" can be defined only negatively as "Neti-Neti" or "Not This-Not This". There is no positive way one can define God. But "God" for practical purposes can be referred as existance-knowledge-bliss or Sachitananda. "God" has no gender so we cannot say He/She exists, He/She is knowledge etc. But, again we can practically say "It exists, it is knowledge and it is bliss". So where does it exist ? To this they say "It exists everywhere" and I belive in this. That's why I said I belive in my existence which is same as believing in God. Hope this answers your question.
You say God can be defined as "existence-knowledge-bliss". These three words look so unrelated to me.
And you say the existence of you is the same as the existence of God. Can you expound why that is so?
My question to you was because you claimed we can realize the "infinite God" if we make all our thoughts into a single point????
So I asked, do you believe in a God who is infinite, all powerful. Like the God that is commonly known to be the creator of the universe. The external power or force that controls everything that happens in the universe.
For that, you have given a new definition for God which I dont understand at all. Do you agree with my description of God?
If you do, then tell me why that God exists. If you dont agree, tell me why you dont agree and give me the new description for God.
Sure Swami, I understand the gravity of your questions. The meanings of the words existence-knowledge-bliss can be found in deep meditation. Meditation starts with concentration where we try to focus on a single object. Initially there are several thoughts that will run amok and meditation is a process of focussing on a particular object. Whatever we are doing there is always a thought that "I am doing" running parallely. This thought will accompany us for a long time and there will be a stage at which even this thought vanishes but just the object alone remains. This state is called "samadhi". It is such a blissful state and this is where one will come to know what God is all about. More than experiencing bliss, he becomes enlightned and complete transformation takes place. He sees the object of meditataion in everything. It is infinite, yet it is finite. There can be no adjectives that can be given to this cause it is complete ceasation of thought and words emerge only when there are thoughts. This is called realization. There were few realized people in recent times like Ramana Maharishi, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Aurobindo etc. and it is from their experience that we have to rely on. These highly advanced souls tell us that God is everywhere-its just a question of realizing him. He is in our own existence and it is a matter of meditating and knowing him. So, atleast in our philosophy there is no question of existence of a God sitting somewhere on throne commanding the universe and the people. If you ask me whether I believe in such a God-then no, I don't believe such a being exists. I don't belive God is just an external force. But if you ask me if there is a God who is everywhere, within the heart or hearts who can be known in deep meditation then yes I believe in such a God. I think it is quite difficult to make someone understand these things unless one meditates and finds the peace of mind it offers.
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