A Physics Perspective Of Free Will

The debate between fate and free will is perhaps as old as human thought. Till the 19th century, this question was mainly of interest to philosophers. But with the advent of modern physics in the 20th century with all its uncertainties in the form of quantum mechanics, this question has now taken a whole new direction and is an active topic of discussion even amongst physicists and neuroscientists. In this webinar, we will discuss what quantum mechanics can say about free will and what it cannot. In particular, we will see that quantum mechanics actually throws up a third possibility which is very different from both fate and free will, and perhaps much closer to the human condition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42AGGGp8mmI

How can we manage our anger and use it for spiritual growth?

Anger is one of the emotions we all experience on a daily basis, much more frequently than many other emotions. Uncontrolled anger is also one of the primary causes of broken relationships, be it personal or professional. As Aristotle once said, "Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy." Though it is certainly very difficult to master the art of anger management, it is necessary to make sincere efforts towards this goal. In this webinar, we will discuss some simple techniques using which we can become good at managing our anger and use it effectively for our spiritual growth:

https://youtu.be/QCnF1OXx4CU

What should we build at Ayodhya?

A temple was demolished and so was a mosque. Rama would have perhaps never imagined in the wildest of his dreams that his legacy would someday become the cause of so much disharmony. A lot has been written about the events and the motives. The violence of words has started giving tough competition to the violence of the body. The land has been divided but a court case still goes on. But in all this, has anyone ever asked this simple question : how would Rama actually like to be remembered? Would the construction of a temple at his birthplace really please him?

How to make spirituality an interesting process?

The spiritual process is often considered to be quite boring by many people in our society. This is primarily due to two misconceptions. Firstly, it is usually believed that one must give up all pleasures of life in order to pursue spirituality. And secondly, the spiritual process is usually believed to mainly consist of sitting with closed eyes for many hours. In this webinar, we will try to clear these misconceptions and also discuss various ways by which we can make the spiritual process a truly exciting and interesting journey:

https://youtu.be/8KiIuBaRLq0

How to balance our spiritual instincts and religious tendencies?

Spirituality and Religion are often considered to be antagonistic to each other. One is considered to be a symbol of individual freedom and the other a symbol of bondage. It is important to realize that too much freedom can also lead to depression and too much bondage can lead to fanaticism. The right approach is to balance these two aspects of human life. Both are equally important : being part of a social order and giving private space to individuals. In this webinar, we will discuss how to achieve this difficult balancing act:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgJO64RUDv4

Is there anything scientific about spirituality?

Science and spirituality have been two pillars of the human race right from the very beginning. The man who invented agriculture and fire was no less a scientist than the Nobel laureates of modern times. And the joy of being able to feed the whole tribe through agriculture must have been no less spiritual an experience. Science and spirituality have a lot in common, but it is also important to respect their differences since both have their own unique features. Science and spirituality are like two sisters who may have very similar genes but have very different personalities. Science may have largely captured the human imagination over the last few decades, but there are aspects of the human condition outside of the purview of science and these aspects are no less important than science itself. Spirituality is one such aspect. Let us try to understand the similarities and differences between science and spirituality.

What is biological evolution trying to do?

'Life' is undoubtedly one of the biggest puzzles facing modern science. From physicists to philosophers, people from almost all walks of life have been trying to make sense of this insanely complex problem. The idea of 'life' is intricately linked with the idea of 'evolution'. If something does not evolve, it is very unlikely to be called living. Some philosophers and scientists have suggested that the distinction between living and non-living is quite artificial (eg. viruses) and this does make sense to some extent. But biological evolution is something that still enables us to draw a distinction between these two worlds. Lot of research has been done on various aspects of evolution and we do understand many details of the process, thought lot still remains to be understood. But what is still very far from being clear is this question: what is evolution really trying to do? 

What were the Pandavas fighting for?

There are four possibilities:

1. To get the kingdom of Hastinapura and become kings.
2. To take revenge for Draupadi's insult.
3. To uproot adharma from society and establish dharma.
4. They had no clue and were doing only what Krishna told them to.

Lets examine each of these one by one.

Is there a peaceful religion?

Violence is as old as the age of the universe and religion is as old as the first human civilisation. Since time immemorial, religion has led to some of the most peaceful people (Buddha, Christ, etc) and also to some of the most violent ones (Hitler, Osama, etc). In modern times, it is usual practice to designate every instance of religious violence to a misinterpretation of scriptures of that particular religion. But is this always true? Is there any religion that is totally against all forms of violence? 

Selected verses from Ayodhya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana

Source: http://valmikiramayan.net

2.1.12 Whenever he finds some time even while practising archery, Rama used to converse with elderly people, elder by way of conduct or wisdom or age or with good- natured people.

Comment: Our ancestors seem to have a much better definition of 'elder' than we do.

2.2.16 Dasaratha says to the group of kings, “This is my desire. Yet, let there be thinking on any other beneficial way. Thinking by impartial neutral people will be distinctive and well developed through grinding of opposing views.”

Comment : A great lesson for all wannabe leaders! But uncle of Bharata (King of Kaikeya) and father of Sita (King Janaka) were not invited for this meeting to decide whether Rama should be coronated as the next king. Also, although Dasaratha thought it fit to consult so many kings, he did not consider consulting his own sons in this matter.

Can there be two infinities?

Vivekananda once said to one of his disciples, "There can be no two infinities.... Still further advance will show you that all things are infinite, but these infinite things are one in essence and not two. They are but different expressions of a single entity, and they must be one." This is perhaps the most clear expression of Vivekananda's opinion about the age old Vedantic debate between Advaita and Dvaita. Vivekananda did not discard Dvaita, but he always held Advaita at a higher pedestal. In simple terms, Advaita (or monism) says that the individual soul (Atman) is essentially same as the cosmic soul (Brahman). And Dvaita (or dualism) says that Atman is distinct from Brahman. Indian scholars have been debating on this for many centuries with no clear resolution in sight. 

Meaning and relevance of Sannyasa

The concept of sannyasa (monk-hood) is prevalent in almost all religions, but there is some uniformity in its practice in other religions. But as with most concepts in Hinduism, there are so many different definitions of sannyasa that it becomes hopelessly confusing! In some Hindu schools of asceticism, a male sannyasi is not allowed to even look at the picture of a woman (and vice-versa) and in some other schools, even ritual sex is considered to be part of the liberation process. There is of course a whole spectrum of beliefs in between these two extremes. In common parlance, the word sannyasi is used to refer to a person who has left his/her family, abandoned all worldly duties and is living alone in search of the ultimate truth. This would have been simple to understand if not for the new breed of sannyasis at modern day spiritual organisations who are involved in so many managerial duties that would put a CEO to shame. There are also so many scriptures and philosophies in Hinduism that its almost impossible to form a coherent understanding if we start referring to all that has been written and said in this context. But thankfully, Krishna did a wonderful job of giving us one reference which every single Hindu considers to be the highest authority in all matters of life, death and beyond.  So, lets try to understand that the Krishna says about sannyasa in the Gita.

Honesty and Diplomacy

Usually, the word 'honest' is associated for people who always speak the truth no matter what consequences it leads to. And the word 'diplomatic' is usually used for people who always try to be saccharine. But both these ideas are an oversimplification. Honesty is a very complicated concept and diplomacy is not about being sweet as sugar. One of the definitions of 'diplomacy' is that it is the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and tactful way. Now whats wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. In fact, in order to have meaningful lives, we must learn to talk to people without hurting them and at the same time, without being dishonest. So, what is required is a seamless combination of honesty (i.e. truth) and diplomacy (i.e. sensitivity+tact).