Spiritual perspectives of nanotechnology

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Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Spiritual perspectives of Nanotechnology
Abstract
The bigger is not always powerful. The subtler forms of the matter and energy that
form the material science are much more powerful than their gross particles. The hidden
forces that exist and operate in these subliminal particles can be recognized and
augmented through spirituality which is also a comprehensive science. Starting from the
law of conservation of energy where conversion of matter and energy are discussed, to
realizing the omnipotent powers of ‘Brahman’ the “Supreme consciousness” and its
manifestations in physical body through material perspective –all can be well established
through linking the material science of Nanotechnology with Spiritual perspective of it.
The Brahman has existed before the origin and end of every form of creation and it is
“Anaadyantha” – that which has ‘no beginning and end’. In between comes
Nanotechnology with its limitless powers through subliminal and minute particles storing
abundant energies in them. Nanotechnology as a material science talks about very small
particles of 10-9 cm size and the rare properties that they can display when small, can be
compared to the very life ie the soul which helps in inducing the correct consciousness
to identify oneself with the Ultimate.
This universe has a perfect “Rthm” and because of this perfect order in arrangement
and structure of these micro particles that there is less confusion. Once there is a disorder
or lack of “Rthm”, the entire cosmos goes for a wreck. In all these changing times what
remains constant is the knowledge of the Athman –The Brahman.
“Jnanam Theham Savignanamidam vakshyamyaseshadaha
yajnathwa neha bhooyognathavyamavashishyathe”

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Chapter 7-The BhagavadGita
“I shall teach you knowledge (Jnana) together with realization (Vignana) in their
entirety, knowing which, thereafter nothing remains to be known”
The gross components of the physical body are visible and tangible as they are made
up of the basic elements of the earth (Material Science). The union between this gross
physical manifestation ie “Prakriti” and that of the Subtle Truth ie “Purusha” can be very
well equated to the knowledge in its entirety(Savignanam) . A complete identification
between the two types of knowledge can reveal to the world the supreme bliss that is
available with every single creation.
Unraveling the mysteries that shroud the blending of the physical manifestations of
Nature ie “Prakriti” with that of Absolute Consciousness ie “Purusha” can be the science
of the 21st
century-probably the real knowledge in its entirety.
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Introduction
At the outset, I accept my limitations about what I am going to speak, after hearing
the people, during the last few sessions; I do not think that I am even a speck of dust in
front of them in comparison!
A couple of days back, during some discussions, some of my colleagues were asking
me about my proficiency in Indian philosophy and understanding of Nanotechnology. For
the first part I said I know a little bit, and for the second part I said I know very little. I
also remembered a statement made by my professor who taught me few things in Indian
philosophy “The moment you say you know Brahman, It no more exists”. Perhaps a

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similar statement is made by one of the great scientists in Quantum Mechanics “You can
calculate and use Quantum Mechanics, but you cannot understand it”
Yet I took courage to venture into these deliberations based on one aspect of my
career. As a principal of a school that caters to more than 4200 students, I am concerned
not only with the day today working and academic attainment of students but also about
the attitudes, the personal growth and the vision of each individual.
In this world there have always been two extremes. On one hand the material
progress and explosion of knowledge that is taking place all around and on the other hand,
pursuit for the ineffable and unique spark that resides in every one of us. How do I, as a
principal correlate these two extremes and make them a part of the school ethos?
At one end of the pendulum is spirituality and at the other end is gross matter. At the
subtlest form of this matter are discoveries that are taking place at nano levels. The other
extreme is the “Angushta matra purusha “(Thumb like entity) residing in each one of us.
The power of the subtle
Nanotechnology is the manufacturing technology of the 21st
century encompassing
precision engineering as well as mainstream biomedical applications in areas as diverse
as gene therapy, drug delivery and novel drug discovery techniques. It basically is a tool
that is used for the betterment of human kind. The most common concepts in Nano
technology are positional assembly of atoms and self replication.
Matter is made up of millions of minute atoms. At the existential level this subtle
form of matter has great potency stored within. All activities of the universe are regulated
by the behavior and inter particle relationships of these small particles. The chemical and
physical features are due to the structure. These particles can not be seen by naked eye,
but they do exist.

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Sand contains silicon as its main atom. A specific arrangement of silicon with some
other particles produces the micro chip, the most powerful tool in the hands of man today.
What is the size of this add on impurities? Beyond the computing sense of human sense
and mind? Yet we accept them!
RBC‘s size is about twelve millionth of an inch. A tiny particle of blood sample
consists of 0.3million of such particles. Can one, then think about the % of the iron
content an RBC, which is a major actor in Mammalian blood, has with it?
The zygote is a millionth of a cubic millimeter in size. This smallest particle of life
manifests physically in human form. Human brain which is a vehicle of human mind is a
tiny part of this zygote
If we can agree to acknowledge the existence of such minute invisible particles and
can talk about harnessing the energies stored in , what is the problem in accepting the
construct of the subtle energy ie the “Angushta matra purusha” in each one of us which
can only be felt and not seen?
If “Seeing is believing” has been the only criterion, then these micro chips,
haemoglobin, zygote and thousand other wonders of Science would have to be treated as
“magic, or Maya or miracle’! But human mind has gone beyond the criteria of ‘seeing is
believing’ and mastered the capacity of dealing with subtle matter., Just as
Nanotechnology needs highly specialized training and investment in terms of time and
money to become capable of dealing with matter at this micro level, so also to know and
deal with the Angushta matra Purusha” , the Spark , we need investment of time , training
in different dimensions!
At the root of every creation, there is atom. A small loss of mass results in an atom
bomb and a minute fusion between the smallest hydrogen atoms produces the powerful

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hydrogen bomb. Fission and Fusion, thus creates and destroys energy. The scientific law
says, that energy cannot be created or destroyed, and that it can be only transformed.
Then, where does this energy come from?
Nature has answers for every query. Ideas of nano particles are, hence bound to come
from Nature i.e. biology, chemistry and quantum physics. To quote Neil’s Bohr,”The
opposite of an idea is another great idea”.
Science, Technology, Spirituality and Religion
There are 4 words that I would like to focus upon:
Science and technology
Spirituality and religion
Science and technology
Science and technology have a very strange relation with each other. ‘One is totally
an aesthetic experience’ to quote Einstein and the other is totally ‘pragmatic’. This means
that one is leading to a pure experience of joy and is an outcome of thirst for truth and
beauty. Both Truth and Beauty are direct attributes of the ‘Divine’- the “Sat Chit
Ananda”
The other i.e. Technology tries to encash and convert the thirst into practical benefit,
bringing extreme material comforts and well being in day today life. Nanotechnology is
exactly trying to do that. If Science is the mother , technology is the child!
But we must remember that in the economy of the universe, there is nothing that
comes free of cost. Technology promises Atlantis & Utopia but sometimes it also creates
hydrogen bomb and atom bombs.

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From another point of view, if we look at the trends in science, especially in the last
century, one can see that it has been from gross to subtle!. If I use, perhaps at the risk of
misquoting David Bohm, the great quantum physicist, who is highly influenced by J
Krishna murthi, ‘the whole process of this is like the gradual pealing of layer and layer of
an onion’which at the present has led to the nano level’. I really do not know where the
further pealing will lead to?
Perhaps to that entity which is described as “Yatra vacho nivarthanthe aprapiyo
manasasaha”?
As an aside once when the holy Mother of the sri Aurobindo ashram was asked “Who
would first realize the divine?” the Mother answered “The scientist”. When asked,” Who
would realize the divine last?” she replied “The politician”!
Is the Nanotechnology consciously or unconsciously leading us to that ultimate truth
of universe which existed before Time and the Big Bang? Any search thus leads to
ultimate truth and beauty. How do we avoid the disastrous end of Atlantics?
This leads to the other two words namely spirituality and religion
Spirituality and Religion
Surprisingly, I do feel, right or wrong, spirituality has the same relationship with
religion as science has with technology. For both science and spirituality, the driving
force is the thirst for the truth and beauty and both of them talk about the inherent
universal law of (Rhtm)
.
“Ishavasyamidam Sarvam Yatkincha Jagatyam Jagat
Thena Thyakthena Bunjeetha Ma Kasya Swiddhanam”

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“Everything animate or inanimate that is within the Universe is controlled and owned by
the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are
set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they
belong.” (Isopanishad)
Swami Prabhu pada , when he describes this verse from Isopanishad , talks about
spiritual Communism. The sole proprietorship of this Universe is that of The Lord.
Human activities, today indulge only in sense gratification, in other words material
comforts. Swami Prabhupada calls it as a path of “Avidya” or advancement of material
knowledge. He goes on to say that the culture of “Vidya” or transcendental knowledge, as
essential for human beings.
The Vishnupurana talks of two energies “Para”( superior ) and “Apara”( inferior).
We human beings are placed in this material and inferior energy phase and only inferior
creation or material creation is possible. Yet the human beings can aspire for the
acquisition of the superior form of energy by raising his realm of activity through the
transcendental knowledge. According to the Vishnupurana, there is believed to be a
spiritual atmosphere beyond the cosmos where the superior knowledge of Brahman is
available.
Mandukya Upanishad almost confirms this view. It says “Brahman is all and Atman
is Brahman”.
Science and spirituality is in a way searching to reach this Spirit and experience the
supreme bliss!
Spirituality is inherently subjective and purely experiential in nature. Therefore it
cannot be objectively proved through the processes and instruments that are available in
Science.
One cannot use a butcher’s knife for performing a delicate surgery. You need a
different tool to experience spirituality and realize Athman ! A well groomed Mind,
probably!

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Technology and religion are perhaps utilitarian and cash counters that are used by
mankind either for their immediate comforts or incase of religion for solace and
comfortable afterlife. Let us see some quotes,
.
Renee Weber in “Search for unity” deliberates like this.” The major difference
between Science and Spirituality is that the first turns to the world outside and the latter
turns within. Science wants to master gross matter and spirituality, the Subtle! Science is
quantitative and spirituality is qualitative”
Max Planck says” Science can not solve the ultimate mystery of Nature. And that is
because we ourselves are part of Nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are
trying to resolve”. (As quoted by Renee Weber)
Ilya Prigogine, in a dialogue with Weber says “To do science, is to be open to the
world around us, including the human world”
The fundamental element of this cosmos is the space. Space is the all embracing
principle of higher unity as per Renee Weber
Unfortunately we make no distinction between the two on one hand Science and
Technology and on the other Spirituality and Science. We think all technology is science
and all religious stuff is spiritualistic. It must be noted that I am particularly referring to
those forms of religion which are dogmatic, ritualistic and fear oriented. This has led to
all the confusion. As a result of that, the search for the truth and the beautiful and the
everlastings gets converted into “How useful it is to me and my world” and the
enchantment and the vision of both science and spirituality get ‘merged’ into technology
and religion.

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How do we come out of this confusion?
Balancing the extremes
If we look at the story of human civilization, we know that spirituality had its origin
on the day on which the Homo sapiens started looking at the starry sky and wondering
what lay beyond it? Shall we say the story of spirituality is as old as the story of human
civilization?
On the other hand what we call as modern science is of very recent origin. Western
science started when Aristotelian approach was left behind and Galileo started talking
about motion and gravity. Was James Watt’s steam engine the starting point of
technology in its modern version? Compared to that how recent is Nano technology?
Then what can one say about Nano technology? It is yet a child! Walking on all its
four, crawling, going in every direction and again going back to its mother science.
Yet this child is like BalKrishna who was able to kill “Poothana” and hold the
“Govardhan” on his small finger!
And I am very certain and as nanotechnology grows in strength and stature and starts
covering multidimensional world outer as well as inner, it will really prove its worth!
I feel it has already crossed the border, shall we say artificial border, that has been
created between matter and mind?
It will have to cross the border, the artificial border that we have created between
matter and mind. Processing at nanotechnology level depends upon imparting a meaning
for the information received and taking action based on that meaning. This involves a
receptive mind. The inner powers or the hidden consciousness of the human mind
originate from that Supreme consciousness, according to the Aitereya Upanishad. Where

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there is something heard, felt, or known, seen, it becomes finite. It is mortal. Spirit or this
Consciousness is infinite and immortal and hence can not be touched, seen or felt.
As soon as we start talking in terms of information, we have unconsciously crossed
the border of material and as soon as we start we talk in terms of ‘meaning’ we have
already entered the field of “Consciousness”. This is the narrow bridge or “Isthmus” that
connects the island of nanotechnology to the continent of consciousness.
And when we enter the field of consciousness, we have already left far behind not
only matter but also mind. We have already reached ‘chith’. With “Chith” comes the
“Chith shakti” the executive power- perhaps the power that is behind the whirling
galaxies and also the power that created the soft rose petal. When ‘chit’ comes in the
picture it already brings with it the other two factors of the triune of sat chit ananda.
This is spirituality into purest senses.
Education:
I think, one of the major reasons for the perversions that took place in use of
technology and also in religion, fundamentally lie in the ego of either an individual or a
group or of a nation! One of the most important characteristics of the ego is ‘Alpam’
(Trivial). If when one can go beyond the narrow self and start thinking in terms of wider
‘Self’, the ill effects that get generated by the ego starts diminishing.
Nanotechnology is perhaps, the key of ‘Alice in wonderland’, that will open to the
garden of understanding of the universe.
In my introductory remarks, I had mentioned about our concern about the vision of our
youth. How to create an ethos that will prepare our students for this journey?
We have failed miserably in our education systems, on three counts:
In order to create the so called secular education, we have totally neglected the
eternal font of spirituality by creating white-washes of so-called moral science or

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value education. Spirituality is not simply a code of conduct; it is much much
more than that. It is a search for truth and beauty!
Secondly, in science teaching we have failed to teach in an open-ended inquiry
method, in search of patterns and hidden orders. We have converted science
teaching into closed book learning of all laws and commandments.
Thirdly, we have failed to create a link between schools and colleges with
institutions and organizations at the most enchanting frontiers of science. I have
had a personal experience of fruitfulness of such linkage during the last year,
when one of my students received two Intel awards for a research project in
biochemistry. Unfortunately, such an experience is rare commodity here.
We can make a beginning at least in the last two areas, and there you people and
your organizations can play a major role. Fascination of science as an enchanting activity
could be created if this link could be established between schools, colleges and research
institutes.
At our level, our resources in terms of knowledge are limited and our horizons are
narrow. You can help us in increasing our knowledge base and widen our horizons
through this linkage.
I have a feeling that, the barriers with the outer world and the world within, is also a
barrier that nanotechnology may wish to breakdown and re-interpret in the Upanishad
language eg- “Aham Brahmosmi (I am the universe)”
It may appear that it is an anthropomorphic approach, but as soon as we bring in
terms like creation, information, moon etc in our vocabulary, we are becoming
anthropomorphic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to quote from the Kaushidaki Upanishad
Upanishad says, “When a man is speaking, he can not be breathing. This is the sacrifice
of breath to speech. When a man is breathing he can not be speaking. This is the sacrifice
of speech to breath. (As quoted by’Juan Mascaro’)

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“When consciousness rules speech, with speech we can speak all words,
When consciousness rules breath, with in breath, we can smell all perfumes,
When consciousness rules the eyes, with the eyes we can see all forms
When consciousness rules the ear, with ear we can hear all sounds
When consciousness rules the tongue, with the tongue we can savor all tastes
When consciousness rules the mind, with the mind, we can think all thoughts”
In our students or learners, what has to be awakened is this consciousness that rules
the speech, breath, eyes, ears, tongue and mind. This knowledge of Consciousness is
the ultimate knowledge!
When man has faith, he thinks. When he thinks, he knows and when he knows he creates.
The Chandokya Upanishad says, “Where there is joy, there is creation. Where there is
creation, there is progress”.
Let the Science that talks about known, lead us to the Unknown!
Whatever level the teaching takes place, whether at school level, secondary level,
tertiary level or post tertiary level or in labs or research institutes, if joy of creation is
kept as the bottom line, then the original purpose of science i.e. search for truth and
beauty would find a proper blend with spirituality
To end, let us be anthropomorphic in real sense and pray at the same time that in not
too distant future, nanotechnology through some super strings theory of modern physics
is able to transcend our limitation and say, ““Ishavasyamidam Sarvam Yatkincha
Jagatyam Jagat Thena Thyakthena Bunjeetha Ma Kasya Swiddhanam”!
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References
Rene Weber (1986), in ‘Dialogues with Scientists and Sages’, published by
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and Newyork
Carl Sagan (1980), in ‘Cosmos’, published by Ballantine Books
Pandit Shriram Acharya (2001), in ‘Extra Sensory Potentials of the Mind’,
Published byShri Vedmata Gayathri Trust
Swami Rama (1996), in ‘Perrenial Psychology Of The Bagavad Gita’ , Published
by The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy
Swami Prabhupada (1972), in ‘Discovering the Original Person’, by Bakthi
Vedanta Trust
Juan Mascaro (1965), in ‘Upanishads’ by Penguin Books
Dr Brian Weiss (1996), in’ Only Love is Real’ by Warner Books