Dr.Grigori Perelman has solved this problem and CMI has awarded him with ‘the Millenium Prize’, that is conferred by the institute to rare scholars who manage to amaze the world with their brilliance by solving age-old problems,of which 6 are still outstanding. We are all proud to see a Mathematician of such a high calibre but what moved me deeply was Dr.Perelman’s simplicity and honesty.

Dr. Perelman has declined to accept the Millenium prize worth one million dollars mainly because he thinks CMI committee should have shared this prize with Richard Hamilton whose work helped him solve this problem.

Can you imagine his greatness? We are in a world where people don’t mind being unscrupulous crooks to be famous.The New paper also mentioned that he lives almost an ascetic life. Not to mention that he lives on his mother’s small pension and yet has courage to turn down the prize of a million dollars,for honesty.His stand shows a great strength of character. He is quite unhappy about ethical standards of mathematicians which I believe is not a surprise for any of us because we are all working hard for success/money without being able to quantify “how much is too much”. There have been several occasions when he has turned similar prizes/offers down.

Such occasions are very rare and such a personality with the character intact even under tremendous pressure/temptation is always laudable. I Thank him for his contribution and wish him luck and success for his next venture.

“खं भाजितो खं खहर: स्यात|”

यहाँ पर इसका अर्थ शून्य से है, शून्य से शून्य का  विभाजन अकल्पनीय या अज्ञेय है| वेदों की भाषा ऐसे शब्दों एवं अर्थों से परिपूर्ण है|

 भारतीय सामाजिक व्यवस्था में ऐसे ग्रंथों को लोकसुलभ बनाने और  आचरण में उतरने हेतु वेदों के सरल अनुवाद किये गए| ४ वेदों से अनेकानेक उपनिषदों की रचना हुई| संभवतः १०८ या इससे अधिक उपनिषद उपलब्ध हैं| उपनिषदों से ऊप-उपनिषद, ब्राह्मण ग्रन्थ, अरण्यक इत्यादि ग्रन्थ रचे गए| वेदों को मूलभूत २ भागो में बांटा गया है-श्रुति एवं स्मृति| श्रुति खंड मूलतः अनुभव पर आधारित है, ऋषियों ने इनको ध्यान या योग करते समय अनुभव किया अतः यह स्मृति भाग से उत्तम एवं परिस्कृत हैं| 

    ३ सप्ताह पहले जब मैं ग्लासगो में था तो मुझे मेरे एक अभ्यासी भाई के घर पर एक पुस्तक मिली – Eight Upnishads with commentary of sankaracharya | मैंने उसने पुस्तक ले जाने का अनुरोध किया जिसे उन्होंने सहर्ष स्वीकार कर लिया| यह पुस्तक दो भागो में है और दूसरा ही भाग मुझे मिल सका| ऐतरेय उपनिषद इसका पहला अध्याय है और पहला श्लोक सृष्टि की उत्त्पति के बारे में था| पता नहीं कितने लोग यह जानते हैं की वेदों में सृष्टि की उत्त्पति कैसे हुई इस पर भी कई श्लोक लिखे गए हैं, नासदीय सूक्त( ऋग्वेद के दशम मंडल में वर्णित है) सबसे सारगर्भित है

 नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् ।

किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥१॥

न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या अह्न आसीत्प्रकेतः ।

आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किं चनास ॥२॥ 

 ऐतरेय उपनिषद के प्रथम श्लोक में भी यही दर्शन गुंजित होता है

 ”ॐ आत्मा वा इदमेकं एवाग्र आसीत| नान्यत किंचिन मिषत | स ईक्षत लोकान्नु सृजा इति |”

 प्रारंभ में केवल पूर्णतया आत्मा या ब्रह्म ही विद्यमान था, अन्य कुछ भी अस्तित्व में नहीं था| इस पूर्ण ब्रह्मा ने सृष्टि रचना की इच्छा की|

            अर्थात ब्रह्म ही सृष्टि के पहले विद्यमान था और फिर सृष्टि की इच्छा ने सृष्टि उत्पन्न की| यह तर्कसंगत भी है और राजयोग के अनुरूप भी| राजयोग मन के नियमन को प्रमुख आधार बनाकर आत्म-साक्षात्कार पर बल देता है अतः इसे यूँ भी कहा जा सकता है की ईश्वरीय मन के एक विचार ने ही सृष्टि की रचना की| संभवतः अंत में इसी मन की इच्छा से सृष्टि समाप्त भी होगी| ब्रह्माण्ड का शाब्दिक अर्थ एक विशाल अंड(गोला) ही है, महाभारत के प्रथम अध्याय में इसके बारे वृहत विवेचना की गयी है और कहा है की इसी अंड से सब कुछ उत्पन्न हुआ है-मूर्त अथवा अमूर्त|

           यह विचार वैज्ञानिक अवधारणा से भी मेल खाता है जिसके अनुसार सारा द्रव्य एक बिंदु पे संकेंद्रित था| इस बिंदु पर प्रथमतया, संभवतः कुछ निमिषों(पलक झपकने में लगे समय के १०० वें हिस्से को निमिष कहा जाता है) के लिए, सब कुछ साम्यावस्था में था| संभवतः किसी क्षोभ ने अव्यवस्था उत्पन्न की और केंद्र से गैसों का उत्सर्जन होने लगा| गैसों के संघनन और विरलन ने आकाश और अवकाश उत्पन्न किये| इनसे निहारिकायें, तारे और ग्रह बने|

 मेरे कहने का तात्पर्य केवल इतना ही है कि पुरानी सभी सभ्यताओं और उनके पवित्र  ग्रंथों  में एक मूलभूत समानता है, सभी ब्रह्माण्ड की उत्पत्ति के बारे में बताते हैं| संभवतः कुछ दशकों में विज्ञान के द्वारा हम इन अवधारानाओं के मूल अर्थ एवं उनकी सत्यता की जांच कर सकेंगे|

I remember reading in newspaper about one of the incidents where India played against Pakistan at Centurion( it was world cup 2003), Wasim Akaram and other bowlers were trying hard to agitate him so that he would lose his temper. He approached to the bowler with a serene smile and said “what will you get after doing all this?”How can a man who has 1 billion expectations that too in a really exciting match against Pakistan be so cool and composed??? Well,can you understand?? I think thats his beauty. He is so modest that he accepts numerous wrong decisions against his game that too with grace.
The second occasion that moved me deeply was when he was in an interview and the interviewer asked him that, how he manages to have such a wonderful frame of mind under so much of pressure? He replied “I live in present. I think only about the game when I am on the ground. I don’t think of game when I am with family. My most successful innings are at the time when I have been successful in thinking about present”. Frankly speaking, this is  what makes “a great man a great man” because they think differently. This is a very profound answer that is full of wisdom.This is his mastery, simplicity and dedication.
Salutes to Sachin. May you play till you want, retirement is afterall natural and its your exclusive right too.

Doctor Chris Nielson meets a girl Annie in switzerland and they get married. They had two children who die in a road accident. Dr. Chris also dies in road accident and his soul is still very much attached to his wife. He is not ready to leave her alone until he was convinced by Albert, an angel, that it is impossible for him to get her back. Film shows connection between paintings of Annie and views seen by Chris. They were soul mates hence were able to communicate even after death. Albert also tells him that every soul has his/her own universe and its based on memories he likes. He then meets a girl who turns out to be his daughter of past life.  Albert informs him that Annie has committed a suicide and is in hell now. Chris can’t meet her because she won’t remember herself. Souls in hell can’t realise that they have died so its impossible to get them back. Albert tries to persuade Chris but in vain, Chris wants to go after her soul. After arguments, Albert promises to help Chris to get Annie back. When Chris is at the gates of hell, he remembers to have told his son that if he is ever happened to walk into hell he would want only one man by his side, his son. Chris then recognises that Albert was his son. He finally finds Annie who is in depths of negative thoughts as she has created a world of despair, miseries. Chris was told that if his mind accepts Annie’s negative thoughts then he might lose his own soul as well. Despite of dire consequences, he meets Annie and tries to reinstate positive/good thoughts into her. First attempt was a failure but he could manage it finally. The whole family unites again. 

A wonderful story and it has been  filmed beautifully. Leaving the idea of heaven or hell or whatever you call it for your understanding, it’s really nice movie to watch. I quite liked the concept that mind is responsible for all the joy and miseries or misdirected mind is the cause of all worries. I also liked ”Sometimes you win when you lose”. More importantly, only love can make impossible possible.

जो दिसे सो तो है नहीं, जो है कहा ना जाय||

It is not what it looks. We can’t express what it is.

Spirituality has always been mesmerising becuase of its flavour of mysticism unlike science that does not have any secrets. We can also say secrets are secrets as long as science does not prove them. I think this is the reason why saints like mysticism. In spiritual life, Truth is known to worthy but its reverse in public life where what is known to public becomes truth or regarded as truth. People never want to search truth in fact they want to leave it to priests or clergymen.

Sometime ago I had heard a fable. Once upon a time there was a very religious fellow. He had spent his entire life in worship. When he died and reached to heaven. He wanted to see GOD and approached to him. He was asked to wait at the gate. He waited there for hours patiently until he saw a criminal had reached there to meet GOD. As soon as this criminal fellow approached the door. GOD ordered the door-keeper to allow him to enter. Criminal met GOD and returned happily. Saintly fellow was given time and he asked GOD about wierd decorum being practiced there. He though that being a saint, he must be given first chance against a criminal. GOD smiled and said “My son you are my fellow. You love and you wont leave me anytime but this criminal will rarely give me a chance to guide him.” Its a powerful story to emphaise on nature of things. Spirituality is full of these invertendo and we should not dishearten ourselves, we should accept them happily instead.

These invertendos become more clearer and evident as we progress spiritually. However, in word of matter there are no invertendos there are simple rules.

The basic foundation of spirituality says GOD is supreme truth and he is the creator of the universe. HE is present in everything or everything belongs to HIM, whichever way you want to accept. Now I will try to emphasise on scientific explanation of spiritual creation. As per science the universe was present in heavily condensed form that exploded and gases started dispersing out of the center, this explosion is called as ‘Big bang’. Before big bang everything was one hence its nature was singular. Science calls the early time of universe as Planck epoch or Planck era, the time before Big bang, that would have lasted for 10⁻⁴³ seconds. We assume that this point was origin of universe. After Big bang, elements dispersed and this expansion is still under way. Big bang ushered the era of duality i.e. existence of twin opposites symbiotically vital to each other, wave and particle nature. Wave form is for more subtle than particle form. Expansion also lead to birth of time. On any point mid way, it has a past and a future. How is past actually defined, its end of something and beginning of something else i.e. inevitability of change. Birth of stars, planets and the universe. Birth means elements condensed to a grosser form, this closeness between constituents can also be depicted as attachment. This is natural in case of non-living elements of universe because elements have non-attached attachment, this is like water flowing in the river touching the banks of the river still it flows ahead and does not bind itself with bank. Attachment has a different meaning for human beings- it becomes longing, yearn and possession; that this is me and that is mine. Attachment related to self is termed as ego on subtle level where it means identity but its gross form makes it egotism i.e. I am superior. So if I am superior someone else is inferior, duality again.

So we see everything is the magic of singularity and duality. Singularity is symbolic of GOD and duality is the universe. He is the origin. He is the creator and everything else is creation, duality again because without creator there is no creation and without creation there is no creator. He is powerless yet power of all powers. He has no form/attribute but all forms are nothing but his manifestation. Here both science and spirituality coincide because it reaches unity and all other paraphernalia is his manifestation.

So what is the real difference between singularity and duality? its definitely the balance because duality did not invent anything, all properties or attributes were in place at singularity also but they were in perfect balance. Singularity represents a perfect balance- transcending dualities, come to a state where compound ideas fall out and core ONE reveals itself. Spirituality believes or deals with all these dualities and aims to create a balance that one should dispense all activities with this balanced state i.e. non-attached attachment. Treat joy and sorrow, sickness and health, victory and defeat, foolishness and intelligence as same. Transcend the dualities of life.

Science has so many things to prove and its improving everyday. Quantum physics and Metaphysics are working hard to unveil unsolved mysteries that are inexplicable through conventional science. I firmly believe that one day science and spirituality will meet because they seek the same truth though science is in unintentional pursuit of GOD as it does not believe in.

I would like to quote Swami Vivekanand

“Science is nothing but the finding of unity. As soon as science would reach perfect unity, it would stop from further progress, because it would reach the goal. Thus Chemistry could not progress farther when it would discover one element out of which all other could be made. Physics would stop when it would be able to fulfill its services in discovering one energy of which all others are but manifestations …

All science is bound to come to this conclusion in the long run. Manifestation, and not creation, is the word of science today.”

We all arrived there well in time. There were air-crafts from different institutions including University of Edinburgh( Its one of the best universities in world having rare repute of association to icons notably James Watt, Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Darwin etc.). The major attraction of the event was “Red Arrows”, the programme was expected to start at 11:00 am but it was delayed by 30 minutes due to windy weather and typical Scottish rain.

We heard an announcement that the “Red Arrows” will be here in next 45 seconds. We turned our back and it was amazing view of fighte plane approaching towards us. Below attached is some of hillarious videos of the show. Its really amazing of its kind and please do see them if you get an opportunity it’s worth a  million times. Following is a link to video from youtube( I have not shot it though )