Ancient Scientific Discoveries Due to Mindfulness
A core component of meditation is mindfulness. Ancient yogis proclaimed they discovered the foundation of all things, the substratum of the universe: universal consciousness. We are all conscious beings connected to this universal consciousness.
To fully experience that connection, one must cultivate seven disciplines, known as Ashtanga Yoga or the “eight limbs of yoga.” When these seven disciplines are successfully cultivated, they lead to Samadhi, the eighth limb, a blissful state of consciousness and omniscience.
However, there are grades in this, too. It’s also important to realize that these eight limbs are not entirely like steps of a ladder. The first seven steps need to be cultivated simultaneously. If one is fortunate through Grace, he or she may even experience the blissful eighth condition earlier. Omniscience, however, is much rarer.
Though we are all conscious, we often overlook the journey within to discover our true selves, the observer of life’s spectacles. Upon making this journey, we find our inner self more dazzling than life’s spectacles combined. Such is our inner splendor, yet we often remain ignorant of ourselves, knowledgeable about the world but unaware of our true nature.
We are like the child of a king or queen who cries for a carrot, not understanding the entire kingdom belongs to them. Spiritual sages highlighted our small-mindedness and naivete, for they understood the immense privilege of being conscious beings, eclipsing the world of non-conscious, insentient material.
Although the seven disciplines described by ancient yogis in India are formalized as Ashtanga Yoga, these disciplines also exist in other spiritual faiths. Here are the seven steps leading to the eighth, the culmination and experience of pure bliss and omniscience:
- Self-Control (Yama)
- Self-Observances (Niyama)
- Comfortable Posture (Asana)
- Controlled Breathing (Pranayama)
- Sense Withdrawal (Pratyahara)
- Concentration (Dharana)
- Meditation (Dhyana)
- Ecstatic Awakening (Samadhi)
Steps five and six cultivate mindfulness, focus, thought-awareness, and self-awareness connected with mind and meditation.
Through these ancient disciplines, whose immense value is increasingly recognized by scientists, yogis and other spiritual teachers discovered the interconnectedness of every atom and living being with a Universal Consciousness—a loving, intelligent, omnipresent Being, perhaps the same universal conscious observer suggested by Quantum Theory.*
Various faiths call this universal conscious observer by many names: God, Goddess, Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, Elohim, El Shaddai, Allah, Om (Aum), Ishwar, Brahman, Bhagavan, Paramatma, The Lord, The Creator, The Almighty, The Divine, The Supreme Being, Higher Power, The Great Spirit, The Universe, The All, The One, Source, Higher Consciousness, Cosmic Mind, Deeper Soul-Self, Spiritual Realm, and many others.
Through this remarkable contemplative connection, ancient teachers gained direct experience and wisdom of the universe—its past, present, and future, and its purpose and creator.
As new scientific discoveries emerge, often overturning old ideas, the descriptions given by these ancient teachers are aligning with new contexts. The incredible power of meditation and mindfulness, as seeds of immense knowledge, springs from within you. Just as a tree’s wisdom and fruits are contained within its seeds, the universe’s wisdom is within your consciousness—a seed of the universe. You are the seed of something immense.
Ancient sages in India claimed the universe was created not by God, but by an awakened soul at God’s command! God is not directly involved in creation; it is handled by His beloved awakened souls.
God’s greatness is inconceivable, surpassing human understanding of God as The Creator. The Creator is what you become when awakened, while God remains transcendent. Whatever you think God is, you become, and God remains beyond. It is truly mind-boggling.
*Niels Bohr’s was the father of Quantum Theory and his “shocking” description of Reality known as the Copenhagen interpretation is a cornerstone of quantum mechanics. He had several high-profile debates in the early 1930s with Albert Einstein due to which Einstein faced an insurmountable defeat. Quantum theory is largely considered the crown jewel of physics and Bohr is widely considered one of the greatest physicists of all time. Quantum Theory as a scientific phenomena implicating a universal consciousness is here to stay.
Sanjay’s Thesis and Scholarly Books
Sanjay’s scholarly work has charted new territory, seamlessly integrating ancient philosophical insights with the empirical rigor of modern science.
It stands as one of the few works of its kind to be embraced by mainstream, peer-reviewed scientific publications, a testament to Sanjay’s profound scholarly acumen and his innovative approach to research.
Such is the impact of his work that he received an invitation to the prestigious International Congress of History of Science, where his findings received high praise from distinguished scholars from the world’s premier universities.
The Congress, which is convened every four years, is sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, underscoring its global academic prestige.
WHO REALLY DISCOVERED DEEP-SEA VOLCANOES?
BY SANJAY C. PATEL
The Marine Scientist, The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMAREST),
London UK, No. 9, 4Q, December 2004, pp. 27-29
