UNIT 4

Short answer questions

Define the following terms

1. Sanskaar: We are according to our desires, thoughts and selections. Together, we call
these ‘sanskara’.

2. Conformance: Each unit conforms through the principle of conformance or anusangita.

It means how the continuity of the fundamental nature of the unit is preserved.

3. Nature: All the physical objects that are in solid, liquide or gas state eighter living or non
living, collectively termed as nature. In other words, the aggregate of all the mutually
interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together can be called nature. These
units are infinte in number and we could easily observe that there exists a dynamic
balance, self regulation among all these units. There are four orders of nature:
 Material order  Pranic order
 Animal order  Human order

4. Gathansheel: The material units are transformable, and their composition keeps on
changing, hence these are gathansheel. The material units are transformable, and their
composition keeps on changing, hence these are gathansheel.

5. Gathanpurna: The other category of units the sentient ‘I’, do not transform and are
complete in composition, hence gathanpurna. The sentient ‘I’ or consciousness, do not
transform and are complete in composition, hence are gathanpurna.

6. Kriyapurnata: Completion of right understanding in human being is called kriyapurnata.

When we have right understanding (understanding of existence, understanding of self and
understanding of human conduct), the activities of realization and understanding which
are currently dormant in I get exposed, we call this activity completeness (kriyapurnata).

7. Acharanpurnata: Ability to live with complete understanding is called acharanpurnata.

When there is completeness in the ability of I to live with right understanding at all the
four levels leading to mutual fulfilment, it is called conduct completeness
(acharanpurnata).

8. Innateness: Innateness means qualities which are innate to the unit. Each unit in
existence exhibits an innateness, an intrinsic quality that cannot be seperated from it. We
refer this priciple as innateness also called dharna of that unit. This is inrinsic to the unit.
 9. Svabhava (Natural Characteristic): When we look at the different orders in nature, we
find that each order has a certain value. In a fundamental way, this is the ‘usefulness’ or
‘participation’ of the order in existence. This ‘value’ or ‘participation’ is also referred to
as “natural characteristic”. The ‘characteristic’ the order displays in ‘natural to itself’.
This is the same as the value of the entity, or its participation also called ‘svabhava’.

10. Existence: Existence means whatever exist it is in harmony with every other thing. There
are two kind of realities in existence – units (nature) and space. The units are in
coexistence being in space. It means nature submerged in space is existence.

11. Manviyata prun aacharan gyan: having understood I (Jeevan) and the entire existence,
we understood our relationship with every unit in existence and fulfil it, leading to mutual
happiness and prosperity is called knowledge of human conduct (Manviyata prun
aacharan gyan).
Q 12. What does ‘Knowledge of self (I)’ means?
ANS. Understanding the self (I), the activities in ‘I’ and their interrelation, understanding the
reality of ‘I’ as being distinct from the body is called ‘knowledge of self (I)’.

Q 13. What is sanskaar? Explain its effects or the conformance of the human order.
ANS. Sanskaar means the values that a person gets at the time of his upbringing. We can see that
we humans are not according to our lineage or race, as in animals. We may pick up something
from our parents as we grow up, but we are usually very different in many ways from them. We
humans are according to our imagination; according to our desires, thoughts and selection in ‘I’.
the desires, thoughts and selections we have in ‘I’ can come from anywhere. It can come from
past memories, it can come from our parents, the environment, the media, anywhere. In the case
of humans, we can say ‘as the education, so the human’. We are according to our desires,
thoughts and selections. Together, we call these ‘sanskara’. Hence, we say that a human being
comforms to his or her sanskar or has ‘sanskaar conformance’.
Order Things Conformance
Human
Human beings Right values / sanskara conformance
order

Q 14. "As the seed, thus the plant". Explain.

ANS. As the seed, thus the plant, it means in plant order there is a seed conformance. The plant
grown from a seed will have the same qualities that were present in the seed. A neem seed will
always sprout a neem plant. All of us know this. Its fruits, its leaves, the taste of the leaves, the
colour of the leaves, all this information, this basic information of every neem plant is stored in
the seed. Thus, we say the plant is always as the seed, or we can say, ‘as the seed, thus the
plant’. Hence, we say that a plant conforms to the seed, or has ‘seed comformance’. This ‘seed
comformance’ method is the mechanism by means of which the continuity of a plant
species is mentained in nature/existence.

Q 15. Define ‘units’ and ‘space’.

ANS. There are two kinds of realities in existence: units and space. Unit is something that is
limited in size. Like a small blade of human hair to the biggest planets we know of, they are all
limited in size i.e. bounded on six sides. So all the things we have been studying so far: the
 human beings, animals, lumps of matter as well as various atoms and molecules, are all units.
We can recognize them as such, they are countable. Whereas, space is not a unit but it exists, as a
reality. We can’t touch it, smell it. We normally just see through it. It exists everywhere. In other
words the empty area all around the nature is space.

Long answer questions

Q 16. Define harmony in nature. OR Explain the harmony in nature.

ANS. The aggregate of all the mutually interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient
together can be called nature. These units are infinite in number and we could easily observe that
there exists a dynamic balance, self regulation among all these units. This self regulation is
harmony or balance in nature. The law of nature has a unique cause and effect system which
must be understood in order to be in harmony with the natural law of things.
Natural harmony is necessary for the following reasons:
1. Natural harmony is necessary to solve the problem of global warming and depletion of non-
renewable natural resource can be aboided.
2. Natural harmony with trees cure all problems like – reduction of wind velocity, energy savings,
doing companion planting, development of an eco-subsystem in terms of establishing a forest
garden, reduction of building heat.
3. It is possible to achieve natural harmony in the establishment, maintenance and management of
educational institution like schools, colleges and universities.
4. One can understand the depths of harmony and alignment in natural by contemplating and
reflecting upon the natural order. It is possible to unravel the mystery of the natural systhesis in
the midst of ongoing chaos at the material plane.

Q 17. What do you mean by co-existence?

ANS. Co-existence in nature means there is a relationship and complementarity among all the
entities in nature including human beings. Co-existence is a state in which two or more groups
are living together while respecting their differences and resolving their conflicts non-violently.
Co-existence has been defined in numerous ways:
1. To exist together (in time or space) and to exist in mutual tolerance.
2. To learn to recognize and live with difference.
3. To have a relationship between persons or groups in which none of the parties is trying to
destroy the other.
4. To exist together (in time or place) and to exist in mutual tolerance.
The world is full of Diversity – there are different nations, cultures, religions,
communities, languages, and beliefs. The beauty of existence can only be maximized if
everything in this world is in harmony. Peaceful, symbiotic co-existence is the key to harmony in
the world.

Q 18. Define the terms Gathansheel, Gathanpurna, Kriyapurnata and Acharanpurnata.

Explain ‘Existence is Gathansheel and Gathanpurna and also there is Kriyapurnata and
Acharanpurnata in existence’.
ANS.
 Gathansheel: The material units are transformable, and their composition keeps on changing,
hence these are gathansheel.
Gathanpurna: The other category of units the sentient ‘I’, do not transform and are complete in
composition, hence gathanpurna.
Kriyapurnata: Completion of right understanding in human being is called kriyapurnata
Acharanpurnata: Ability to live with complete understanding is called acharanpurnata.
The material units are transformable, and their composition keeps on changing,
hence these are gathansheel. The other category of units, the sentient ‘I’, do not transform
and are complete in composition, hence gathanpurna.
The material units are changeful (with activities of recognizing and fulfillment only)
while the other kind of units are continuous (with activities of knowing, assuming, recognizing
and fulfillment).
The material units are available in two orders – material order and pranic order. In the
material order, an atom combines with another atom to form a molecule, a molecule similarly
forms a molecular structure. Molecular structures are found in two forms: lumps and fluids.
Fluids give nutrition to pranic order. In pranic order, the smallest units are plant cells
which combine with other cells to form plants, animal bodies and human bodies.
The co-existence of ‘I’ with the animal body becomes the animal order, and the co-
existence of ‘I’ with the human body becomes the human order.
Completion of right understanding in human being is called kriyapurnata and ability to
live with complete understanding is called acharanpurnata.

Q 19. What do you mean by ‘innateness’? What is the innateness in the four orders? (MTU
2011 – 12)
What do you understand by the term ‘innateness’ (dhaarna) in nature? Explain the innatenss of
material and animal order in nature. (MTU 2011 – 12 even)
 ANS. Innateness (dharana) : Innateness means qualities which are innate to the unit. Each unit
in existence exhibits an innateness, an intrinsic quality that cannot be seperated from it. We refer
this priciple as innateness also called dharna of that unit. This is inrinsic to the unit.
Material order When we burn coal and it has finished burning and only some ash is
left and smokes have gone out, it is not that the basic material, the fundamental particles in coal,
have ‘cease to exist’ or ‘disappeared’ from existence. They may not be visible to the eye at that
moment, but they continue to exist, they still are in the form of other matter or in the form of
gases, etc. This is there with all material units. We cannot destroy matter, we can only convert it
from one form to the other. Thus, “to exist”, or ‘existence’ is intrinsic to all material, it is innate
to it. We cannot separate the ‘existence’ of a thing from the thing itself.
Plant/bio order Because the pranic order is a development of the material order, it also
has the innateness of ‘existence’. In addition, it also exhibits the ‘growth’. This priciple of
‘growth’ cannot be separated from any units of this order. If it is of pranic order, it will grow. For
example, if you have a plant, you cannot stop it from growing. It will continue to respire and
keep changing in this way. The only way you can stop it from growing is by cutting it, but when
you do that, it ceases to belong to the pranic order, instead decays and then belongs to the
material order. So, as long as you have a plant, it will grow.
Animal order The animal body is a development of the pranic order and therfore this
order inherits the innateness of the previous order namely ‘existence’ and ‘growth’. This is at the
level of the body, which is physico-chemical in nature. In addition, all units in this order have the
‘will to live’ in ‘I’. Indeed no unit in this order can be seperated from this ‘will to live’. It is
intrinsic to every unit in this order.
Human (knowledge) order When we look at the human being, we find that ‘existence’
and ‘growth’ are fundamentally present in the body, just as in the animal body. At the level of ‘I’
however, in addition to the ‘will to live’, a human being’s innateness is the ‘will to live with
happiness’.
Order Things Innate-ness
Soil, water, metals,
Material order Exisetence
etc.
Pranic order Plants and trees Exisetence + growth
Animal order Animals and birds (Exisetence + growth) in body + will to live in ‘I’
(Exisetence + growth) in body + will to live with
Human order Human beings
happiness in ‘I’

Q 20. What is the svabhava (natural characteristic) of a unit? Elaborate on the svabhava of a
human order.
How does the natural characteristics (svabhava) of material order helped man to lead a better
life?
Explain the svabhav of human order and how it helps in living with harmony.
Explain the natural characteristics of the material and pranic orders. Give examples. (UPTU
2011–12)
What is the natural characteristics (swabhava) of human order? Explain. (MTU 2011 – 12)
ANS. When we look at the different orders in nature, we find that each order has a certain value.
In a fundamental way, this is the ‘usefulness’ or ‘participation’ of the order in existence. This
‘value’ or ‘participation’ is also referred to as “natural characteristic”. The ‘characteristic’ the
order displays in ‘natural to itself’. This is the same as the value of the entity, or its participation
 also called ‘svabhava’. The svabhava of material order is ‘composition/decomposition’, of
Plant/bio order is ‘composition/decomposition’ and to nurture or worsen other pranic units. The
svabhav of animal order and human order can be understood in two aspects: body and self. The
svabhav of animal order is Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen in body and non
cruelty, cruelty in ‘I’. The svabhav of human order is Composition / decomposition, nurture /
worsen in body and perseverance, bravery, generosity in ‘I’.
Similar as to the case in animals, the human body also belongs to the plant/ bio order and
hence has the same svabhava or value/natural characteristic as the pranic order. It either
nurtures or worsens other pranic units. As in the example above, when I digest the vegetable,
I absorb the plant and it worsens, while my body is nurtured. The svabhava/ value of the self
(‘I’) in human beings is perseverance (dhirata), bravery (virata) and generosity (udarata).
 Perseverance (dhirata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and
live in harmony at all levels of existence, living with this commitment without any perturbation.
 Bravery (virata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and live in
harmony at all levels and I am ready to help the other to have the right understanding. This is the
commitment to help the other have the right understanding of the harmony and living at all levels
of existence.
 Generosity (udarata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and
live in harmony at all the four levels and I am ready to invest myself, my body and wealth to help
the other have the right understanding.
Human beings are not living as per this natural characteristic; even though we have a
svabhava, we are not living according to this. This is basic reason for the contradiction and
conflict that we see in human being. This is what leads to a state of unhappiness. Only when we
live according to our basic human characteristics as mentioned above, we have definite
character, otherwise, it is not definite, it is uncertain, unlike other three orders as discussed
above.
Order Things Natural Characteristic
Soil, water, metals,
Material order Composition / decomposition
etc.
Pranic order Plants and trees Composition / decomposition + nurture / worsen
(Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen) in
Animal order Animals and birds
body + (non cruelty, cruelty) in ‘I’
(Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen) in
Human order Human beings
body + (perceverance, bravery, generosity) in ‘I’

Q 21. Define harmony in nature and why is it important. Explain with examples.
ANS. If one is to enjoy the benefit of life to the fullest, it is necessary to develop and maintain
harmony. The law of nature has a unique cause and effect system which must be understood in
order to be in harmony with the natural law of things. Natural harmony is necessary for the
following reasons:
1. To solve the problem of global warming and depletion of non-renewable natural resource can be
avoided.
2. With trees cure all problems like – reduction of wind velocity, energy savings, doing companion
planting, development of an eco-subsystem in terms of establishing a forest garden, reduction of
building heat.
3. One can understand the depths of harmony and alignment in natural by contemplating and
reflecting upon the natural order. It is possible to unravel the mystery of the natural synthesis in
the midst of ongoing chaos at the material plane.
First of all we have to understand the importance of nature for our existence then we have
to understand our responsibility towards nature. When we take from nature, we should also plan
to give back to it. This is possible. Renewable energy sources, such as solar power and wind, are
perhaps the best methods to begin moving in this direction. There can be harmony only if each
subsystem of the entire creation can strike a mutually satisfying relationship with every
subsystem without disturbing the other’s peaceful existence and without hindering its own
growth.

Q 22. Define harmony in nature and how will you create it. Explain with examples.
ANS. Combination of all that is in solid, liquid or gas state is called as nature. In other words, the
aggregate of all the mutually interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together can
be called nature. These units are infinite in number and we could easily observe that there exists
a dynamic balance, self regulation among all these units.
The law of nature has a unique cause and effect system which must be understood in
order to be in harmony with the natural law of things. Natural harmony is necessary for the
following reasons:
1. Natural harmony is necessary to solve the problem of global warming and depletion of non-
renewable natural resource can be avoided.
2. Natural harmony with trees cure all problems like – reduction of wind velocity, energy savings,
doing companion planting, development of an eco-subsystem in terms of establishing a forest
garden, reduction of building heat.
3. It is possible to achieve natural harmony in the establishment, maintenance and management of
educational institution like schools, colleges and universities.
4. One can understand the depths of harmony and alignment in natural by contemplating and
reflecting upon the natural order. It is possible to unravel the mystery of the natural synthesis in
the midst of ongoing chaos at the material plane.
5. To create harmony in nature, first of all we have to work in the direction of development of
mankind from animal consciousness to human consciousness. And this entails working for the
right understanding.

Q 23. What are the four orders of nature? Briefly explain them.
ANS. All the physical objects that are in solid, liquide or gas state eighter living or non living,
collectively termed as nature. In other words, the aggregate of all the mutually interacting units –
big or small, sentient or insentient together can be called nature. These units are infinte in
number and we could easily observe that there exists a dynamic balance, self regulation among
all these units. There are four orders of nature:
Material order The big land mass of the continents, gigantic water bodies like ocean
and seas, mountains and rivers, the atmosphere above, the heaps of metals and mineral below,
the dense gases and fossil fuels deep below the surface of the earth – all fall into the material
order or padartha avastha. In fact, if we look around beyond the earth, the material order is
visible even in the form of stars, planets, moons and several astronomical bodies.
Pranic order Our land mass is covered with grass and small shrubs and they form the
lining on the entire soil. Shrubs, plants and trees form huge forest along with the flora in the
 ocean. All of this is the plant/bio order or prana avastha and it is the next big order on our planet.
(The material order is far greater in quantity compared to the plant/bio order)
Animal order Animals and birds form the third largest order and we call them the animal
order or jiva avastha. Here again, we see that the plant/bio order is far greater in quantity than the
animal order.
Human order Human are the smallest order and they are referred to as human order or
gyana avastha. Animals are far greater in quantity as compared to the human order.

Q 24. Explain the differences and similarities between animal order and human order. What is the
relation between the two orders? (UPTU 2009 - 10)
Present the difference and similarity between a human being and an animal. Give examples to
support your answer. (MTU 2010 – 11)
ANS. The two orders can be distinctly recognised in terms of their characteristics, participation
with other units in similar order, activities, pattern of inheritance, etc. We can see this in the
following diagram:

Natural
Orde Thing Innate- Basic
Activity Characteri Conformance
r s ness Activity
stic
(Compositi
(Recognisi
on /
(Exisete ng,
decompositi
nce + fulfillment
Anim (Composition / on,
Anim growth) ) in body +
als decomposition, nurture / Breed
al in body (assuming,
and respiration) in body + worsen) in conformance
order + will to recognisin
birds selection in ‘I’ body + (non
live in g,
cruelty,
‘I’ fulfillment
cruelty) in
) in ‘I’
‘I’
(Compositi
Recognisi
on /
(Exisete ng,
decompositi
nce + fulfillment
(Composition / on,
growth) in body +
Hum Huma decomposition, nurture / Right values /
in body (knowing,
an n respiration) in body + worsen) in sanskara
+ will to assuming,
order beings (selection, thought, body + conformance
live with recognisin
desire) in ‘I’ (perceveran
happines g,
ce, bravery,
s in ‘I’ fulfillment
generosity)
) in ‘I’
in ‘I’

Things (Vastu)
Animal order: The animal order is made of various kinds of animals and birds. These entities
display both a body (physico-chemical activity) as well as a conscious activity (self or ‘I’). The
animal order thus is the coexistence of the animal body (pranic order) and the self (or ‘I’ =
consciousness).
Human (knowledge) order: The human order is constituted of all the human beings. Each human
being is co-existence of the self (‘I’, conscious entity = consciousness) and the body (pranic
order).
Activity (Kriya)
Animal Order: Body In Animals – Physico-Chemical Activities: The body displays respiration, or
breathing, or pulsating also there is composition/ decomposition in the body.
‘I’ In Animals – Conscious Activities: The activities in ‘I’ are fundamentally different from those
in the body. ‘I’ is a unit that has the ability or capacity of assuming. Animals make
assumptions. If we have a dog and some strangers come into the house, the dog may start
barking at him. If this person stays at our house, the dog may stops barking at him, but will
continue to bark at other strangers. What has happened here is that the dog’s ‘assumption’ about
this person has changed, due to which; the way in which it responds to the person has changed.
We call this assuming.
Human Order: The activities in human body are similar to that in the animal body, i.e. composition/
decomposition and respiration. When it comes to consciousness or ‘I’, however, the human
displays more than just an ability to ‘select’ or make choices as animals do. In human beings, ‘I’
has the activities of desiring, thinking, and selecting/tasting, with a possibility or need for
understanding and realization. Only humans have this need to know and that is why it is called
gyana avastha – the knowledge order.
Innateness (dharana)
Animal Order: The animal body is a development of the pranic order and therefore this order
inherits the innateness of ‘existence’ and ‘growth’. This is at the level of the body, which is
physico-chemical in nature. In addition, all units in this order have the ‘will to live’ in
‘I’. Indeed no unit in this order can be separated from this ‘will to live’. It is intrinsic to every
unit in this order.
Human Order: When we look at the human being, we find that ‘existence’ and ‘growth’ are
fundamentally present in the body, just as in the animal body. At the level of ‘I’ however, in
addition to the ‘will to live’, a human being’s innateness is the ‘will to live with happiness’.
Natural Characteristics (Svabhava)
Animal Order: The body of the animal belongs to the plant/bio or pranic order, and hence has the
same ‘usefulness’ or ‘value’ as the pranic order. Thus ‘nurture/worsen’ is the svabhava of the
animal body. The svabhava of the self (‘I’) of the animal order is non-cruelty (akrurata)
and cruelty (krurata). Cruelty (krurata) means the feeling that it can fulfil its needs through
violence and forcefulness. For ex., cows may largely be living with a feeling of non-cruelty
(akrurata); while animals like tigers and lions may exhibit cruelty (krurata).
Human Order: Similar as to the case in animals, the human body also belongs to the plant/ bio order
and hence has the same svabhava or value/natural characteristic as the pranic order. It either
nurtures or worsens other pranic units. As in the example above, when I digest the vegetable,
I absorb the plant and it worsens, while my body is nurtured. The svabhava/ value of the self
(‘I’) in human beings is perseverance (dhirata), bravery (virata) and generosity (udarata).
1. Perseverance (dhirata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and live
in harmony at all levels of existence.
2. Bravery (virata): I am ready to help the other to have the right understanding.
3. Generosity (udarata): I am ready to invest myself, my body and wealth to help the other have the
right understanding.
Basic Activity:
 Animal Order: there is only recognising, and fulfilment in body, and in self (I) there is the basic
activity of assuming, recognising, fulfilment.
Human Order: human displays the same basic activity as that of animal body i.e. Recognising,
fulfilment, but in self (I) human have one more activity i.e. knowing,
Conformance (Anu-Sangita)
Animal order: Animals conform to their lineage. How animals are, their behaviour is according to
their lineage they belong to, the lineage they come from. Hence, we say that an animal
conforms to its breed, or has ‘breed conformance’. This breed conformance method is the
mechanism by means of which the continuity of an animal species is maintained in
nature/existence.
Human (knowledge) order: We humans are not according to our lineage or race, as in animals. We
humans are according to our imagination; according to our desires, thoughts and selection in ‘I’.
The desires, thoughts and selections we have in ‘I’ can come from past memories, our parents,
the environment, and the media, anywhere. In the case of humans, we can say ‘as the education,
so the human’. Together, we call these ‘sanskara’. Hence, we say that a human being conforms
to his or her sanskar or has ‘sanskaar conformance’.

Q 25. Explain the difference and similarities between pranic order and animal order. What is the
relation between the two orders?
ANS.
Natural
Innate- Basic
Order Things Activity Characterist Conformance
ness Activity
ic
Composition Composition
Plants / Exisetenc /
Pranic Recognising Seed
and decompositio e + decompositio
order , fulfillment conformance
trees n + growth n + nurture /
respiration worsen
(Composition (Composition (Recognisin
/ (Exisetenc / g,
decompositio e + decompositio fulfillment)
Anim Animal
n, growth) in n, nurture / in body + Breed
al s and
respiration) body + worsen) in (assuming, conformance
order birds
in body + will to body + (non recognising,
selection in live in ‘I’ cruelty, fulfillment)
‘I’ cruelty) in ‘I’ in ‘I’

Q 26. What are the four orders in nature? Describe their activities and natural
characteristics?
What do you understand by ‘activity’? Write down the activity of the four orders in nature.
(UPTU 2011 – 12)
Distinguish between the activities of different orders of nature giving an example of each.
(MTU 2011 – 12)
ANS. Combination of all that is in solid, liquid or gas state, or the aggregate of all the mutually
interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together can be called nature. We can
categorize all these units into four distinct orders.
  Material order
 Pranic order
 Animal order
 Human order

The four orders can be distinctly recognised in terms of their natural characteristics and
activities.

Order Things Activity Natural Characteristic

Soil,
Material water,
Composition / decomposition Composition / decomposition
order metals,
etc.
Pranic Plants and Composition / decomposition + Composition / decomposition
order trees respiration + nurture / worsen
(Composition /
Animal Animals (Composition / decomposition, decomposition, nurture /
order and birds respiration) in body + selection in ‘I’ worsen) in body + (non
cruelty, cruelty) in ‘I’
(Composition /
(Composition / decomposition, decomposition, nurture /
Human Human
respiration) in body + (selection, worsen) in body +
order beings
thought, desire) in ‘I’ (perceverance, bravery,
generosity) in ‘I’

Q 27. How will you show interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment in four order of nature with
examples.
“Other than human order, the three orders are mutually fulfilling to each other”. Explain with
examples.
Material, pranic and animal order are fulfilling human order but human are not fulfilling
them. There is lack of mutual fulfilment from human order. How and why is it so?
Discuss the human interrelationship with nature.
What are the orders of nature? How are all four orders interconnected?
How are we disturbing the balance in nature?
There are four orders in nature. How does each order participate in the harmony in the
nature? Give few examples. (UPTU 2010 – 11)
What are the four orders in nature? How can the human order be responsible to the other
three orders? (MTU 2010 – 11)
Critically examine the attitude of humans today towards the other three orders of nature. Try
to make a proper evaluation of human efforts. (MTU 2010 – 11)
How is the human order related to the other three orders in nature? How does this
understanding help in choosing the production activity for a human being? (MTU 2011 –
12)
 ANS. In the nature, all the units are connected to each other and fulfilling each other. Human
being is related to all other human beings. On this basis, we have feelings and emotions for
everyone. Human being is connected to all the material units in the existence and gets aware of it
as he starts exploring it. We can see this interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment in the
following diagram:
Material Order and Plant/Bio-Order: The material order provides the nutrients to the plant/bio order
in the form of soil, minerals, etc while the plant/ bio order decays and forms more nutrients, thus
enriching the soil. The plant/bio order also decays to substances like oil and coal, which are
stored deep within the earth as protection against the heat from the molten core inside the earth
as well as the heat from the sun (today, this is the material we are removing and using as fuel).
Plants help move the nutrients through the various layers of the soil. The roots of the plants hold
the soil together and prevent the soil from erosion. Plants produce oxygen/ carbon dioxide and
thus help in the movement of the material order. There is a mutual interdependency and co-
existence we can see here.

Material Order, Plant/Bio- Order and Animal Order: The material order provides the basis
for movement of all animals, birds and fishes. Water, oxygen and other gases are necessities for
both plants and animals. At the same time, the animal order helps enrich the soil with its excreta
and this excreta helps the plants with nutrients. The plant/bio order provides food for animals,
birds and fishes. The animal Order helps in pollination of the flowers of the pranic order.
Material Order, Plant/Bio- Order, Animal Order and Human Order: We humans also have a
natural acceptance to be mutually fulfilling to these three orders. However, we are not able to
ensure this mutual fulfilment. We are dependent on the material order for soil and minerals and
metals, but only end up polluting the soil and depleting the fossil fuels; we are dependent on
plants for our food and holding together the larger ecosystem, but we have destroyed forests and
destroyed multiple species of plants and herbs; we are dependent on animals to carry out our
production and transportation activities, but have made many species of animals extinct, and are
today known for our cruelty towards animals. We can see that there is interconnectedness and
mutual fulfilment in all the orders of nature except human order. We have to work on this.
Q 28. What do you mean by ‘conformance’? Explain the conformance in the four orders.
ANS. Each unit conforms through the principle of conformance or anusangita. It means how the
continuity of the fundamental nature of the unit is preserved.
Order Material order Pranic order Animal order Human order
Things Soil, water, Plants and
Animals and birds Human beings
metals, etc. trees
Right values /
Constitution Seed
Conformance Breed conformance sanskara
conformance conformance
conformance
Material order The continuity of the fundamental nature of the material unit is
preserved through the physical and chemical processes. Take iron for example. Each atom of
iron comforms to the constitutional structure of ‘Iron’. There is no atom of iron that will be
unlike the other atom of iron, if it were, we would not call it iron. We call this ‘constitution
conformance’. The material order exhibits constitution conformance. We can verify this for all
things in the material order. For example, oxygen, nitrogen, other gasses, gold, silver,
aluminium… all of them comform to and are always according to the constitution of their
kind. Hence, we say that any matter conforms to its constitution or has ‘constitution
conformance’.
Plant/bio order A neem seed will always sprout a neem plant. All of us know this. Its
fruits, its leaves, the taste of the leaves, the colour of the leaves, all this information, this basic
information of every neem plant is stored in the seed. Thus, we say the plant is always as the
seed, or we can say, ‘as the seed, thus the plant’. Hence, we say that a plant conforms to the
seed, or has ‘seed comformance’. This ‘seed comformance’ method is the mechanism by
means of which the continuity of a plant species is mentained in nature/existence.
Animal order We see that a cow is always like a cow, and a dog is always like a dog.
Animals conform to their lineage. How animals are, their behaviour, is according to their lineage
they belong to, the lineage they come from. Hence, we say that an animal comforms to its
breed, or has ‘breed conformance’. This breed conformance method is the mechanism by
means of which the continuity of an animal species is mentained in nature/existence.
Human (knowledge) order We can see that we humans are not according to our lineage
or race, as in animals. We may pick up something from our parents as we grow up, but we are
usually very different in many ways from them. We humans are according to our imagination;
according to our desires, thoughts and selection in ‘I’. the desires, thoughts and selections we
have in ‘I’ can come from anywhere. It can come from past memories, it can come from our
parents, the environment, the media, anywhere. In the case of humans, we can say ‘as the
 education, so the human’. We are according to our desires, thoughts and selections. Together, we
call these ‘sanskara’. Hence, we say that a human being comforms to his or her sanskar or has
‘sanskaar conformance’.

Q 29. How is the activity in human order is different with that of animal and plant order?
ANS. An activity means something that ‘has motion’ and /or ‘has a result’. The material order is
active in multiple ways, and the same with the plant order or animal order or human order. We
are sitting in a room. But we are active. We are thinking, desiring, the body has breath running,
heart throbbing. The air in the room is blowing. The wall standing constantly also have activity.
The chair in the room is also active. It may not be very visible to our eyes but the chair is still
active.
We can understand this activity in two ways:
 Things that we see are ‘visibly moving’, through the naked eyes, such as a spinning top, a
moving bus, a running man, are active, and
 All things that are ‘visibly stationery’, are not moving, are also active. Like a stationary chair.
The activity of chair is that the wood of the chair is interacting with the environment and as a
result it decays with time.
All units around us, including oursleves, are actibe, all the time. They are interacting with
the environment. In the activity, there is a state or configuration and motion simultaneously. This
remains all the time.
Order Things Activity
Soil, water, metals,
Material order Composition / decomposition
etc.
Pranic order Plants and trees Composition / decomposition + respiration
(Composition / decomposition, respiration) in body +
Animal order Animals and birds
selection in ‘I’
(Composition / decomposition, respiration) in body +
Human order Human beings
(selection, thought, desire) in ‘I’

Material order All material things (i.e. units in the material order) can be understood
as an acitivity of ‘units’ coming together to form a bigger unit. We call this ‘composition’. For
example, the chair is made of smaller pieces of wood. Bigger units can also separte from each
other to form smaller units and we call this ‘decomposition’. Like a wooden chair can decay after
a few years. Thus any unit in the material order can be understood as an ‘activity of
‘composition/decomposition’.
Plant/bio order When we look at all the units that make up the plant/bio order we will
find that they can be understood in terms of composition/ decomposition and respiration. Not
only do plants compose (following new plants) and decompose (decaying), they are also
breathing, or pulsating, which we call respiration.
Animal order We can understand the activities of animal order in two aspects:
 Body In Animals – Physico-Chemical Activities The body displays the same
activities that we see the plant. The body displays respiration, or breathing, or pulsating, as we
call it. The body is also formed at one point in time and keeps building cells as well, i.e. there is
composition in the body. Hence, the activities in the body are the same as that in the plant/bio
order, which are: composition/ decomposition and respiration. Hence, we say that the body
belongs to plant/bio order.
 ‘I’ In Animals – Conscious Activities The activities in ‘I’ are fundamentally
different from those in the body. ‘I’ is a unit that has the ability or capacity of
assuming. Animals make assumptions. If you have a dog and some strangers comes into the
house, the dog may start barking at him. If this person stays at your house, the dog may stops
barking at him, but will continue to bark at other strangers. What has happened here is that the
dog’s ‘assumption’ about this person has changed, due to which, the way in which it responds to
the person has changed. We call this assuming.
It is important to note that this consciousness or faculty of assuming is not in the
body. The body belongs to the plant/bio order, and is physico-chemical in nature. It just responds
to physico-chemical inputs.
Human (knowledge) order The activities in human body are similar to that in the
animal body, and we have seen this in detail as: composition/ decomposition and respiration.
When it comes to consciousness or ‘I’, however, the human displays more than just an ability to
‘select’ or make choices as animals do.
Thus, in human beings, ‘I’ has the acitvities of desiring, thinking, and selecting/tasting, with a
possibility or need for understanding and realization. Only humans have this need to know and
that is why it is called gyana avastha – the kowledge order.

Q 30. How can we say that ‘nature is Self Organized and in space Self-Organization Is
Available.’
ANS. Every unit is an organization. A unit recognizes other units and combines to form a bigger
organization. Starting from the atom, to the big galaxy, this organization goes on, as a self-
organization. At every level, we get a self-organization. Sub atomic particles recognize each
other and come together to form atoms. Cells recognize each other and form organizations like
organs and a body. Planetary bodies, solar systems, galaxies are still bigger organizations. We
are not organizing it. We are not supplying it organization from outside.
When we look at humans, we see that we are self-organized at the level of the body. We
are not organizing the body. We are not doing anything for the coordination between the heart,
kidneys, lungs, eyes, brain, hands, legs, etc. All these are functioning together. Our input is
needed only to provide the required nutrition, and to assist the body when we fall sick/get
injured. At the level of ‘I’, we are not self-organized, but being in space, self-organization is
available to the self (‘I’). That’s why we are in pursuit of happiness, which is essentially being in
harmony. Whenever we are not in harmony, we are unhappy.
All the units of four orders are self-organized. No one is organizing them from outside.
No one is supplying this organization. This self-organization is available to units being in space.
Hence, for space, we say ‘self organization is available’.

Q 31. Define existence? Show that existence is in a form of co-existence.

Existence is co-existence of mutually interacting units in all-pervasive space. Explain. (UPTU
2010–11)
“Existence = Nature submerged in space” – Elaborate this point.
Short notes on Co-existence of units in space.
Differentiate between units and space. How are units self-organized in space?
What do you mean by co-existence? How are units in co-existence being in space?
How do unit and space co-exist?
What are the various attributes of units and space? Explain each.
Write a short note on ‘nature (units) submerged in space’. Explain the meaning of submerged
here. (UPTU 2011 - 12)
‘Existence is co-existence’. Give your opinion. (UPTU 2011 – 12)
There is no existence without harmony. Explain.
ANS. All the units together constitute nature. All the units of nature exist in space which is an
important reality to understand. Existence is nothing but the nature in space.

Existence = Exist + Essence, whatever exists.

To be harmony
We define unit as something that is limited in size. Like a small blade of human hair to
the biggest planets we know of, they are all limited in size, i.e. bounded on six sides. So, all the
‘things’ we have been studying so far: the human beings, animals, lumps of matter as well as
various atoms and molecules, are all ‘units’. We can recognize them as such, they are
countable.
But there is another ‘reality’ called ‘space’. We normally don’t pay attention to this
‘reality’, because it’s not a ‘unit’. We can’t ‘touch it’, smell it. We normally just ‘see through it’.
But the fact is because we can’t ‘touch it’ or ‘see it’ as we would see a unit like our body, our
friends, or a piece of rock, doesn’t mean it does not exist. Space exists everywhere. Co-
existence is a state in which two or more groups are living together while respecting their
differences and resolving their conflicts non-violently. Co-existence has been defined in
numerous ways:
1. To exist together (in time or space) and to exist in mutual tolerance.
2. To learn to recognize and live with difference.
3. To have a relationship between persons or groups in which none of the parties is trying to
destroy the other.
4. To exist together (in time or place) and to exist in mutual tolerance.
EXISTENCE

Nature submerged in Space

(Collection of units) (Empty)
Limited Unlimited
Active No activity
Energized Equilibrium energy
Recognizes and fulfils the relation All reflecting, transparent
Self organized Self organized is available
Unit All pervasive
Abundance with diversity All pervasive
Consciousness (I) – Nirantar Nitya
Material- Anitya (Ulimited in space and time)
(Niranatar: Limited in space, Unlimited in time, Anitya: Limited in space and time)
When we look at the existence around, the first thing we see is space. And then we
see the units in space. Between every two units there is a space. The units exist in space. If we
 were to define this, we would say that there are two kinds of realities in existence and these are:
space and units (in space). So we say,
Existence = space + units (in space)
Since nature consists of the four orders we have been discussing, we can say,
“Existence = Nature submerged in space”.
Nature = Four orders (Material, Plant/Bio or Pranic, Animal and Human Order)

Q 32. Explain the concept of holistic perception of harmony in existence.

ANS. The existence is units in space. Space is the empty area all around. The units are of two
types: material (insentient) and conscious (the sentient ‘I’). The material units are
transformable, and their composition keeps on changing, hence these are gathansheel. The
other category of units, the sentient ‘I’, does not transform and are complete in composition,
hence gathanpurna. The material units are changeful (with activities of recognizing and
fulfilment only) while the other kinds of units are continuous (with activities of knowing,
assuming, recognizing and fulfilment). The material units are available in two orders – material
order and pranic order. In the material order, an atom combines with another atom to form a
molecule; a molecule similarly forms a molecular structure. Molecular structures are found in
two forms: lumps and fluids. Fluids give nutrition to pranic order. In pranic order, the smallest
units are plant cells which combine with other cells to form plants, animal bodies and human
bodies.
The co-existence of ‘I’ with the animal body becomes the animal order, and the co-
existence of ‘I’ with the human body becomes the human order. Completion of right
understanding in human being is called kriyapurnata and ability to live with complete
understanding is called acharanpurnata.
If we look at the left side of the chart, the transformation keeps taking place and the
transformation is cyclic in nature. But on the right hand side, the transitions are acyclic. This
implies that what we have understood continues to stay with us. We will never miss it. This is a
transition in one direction. This is actually called development (vikas).
So, Existence is in the form of co-existence. It is in Harmony. We don’t have
to create this harmony, it already exists. We only have to understand it to be in it. This means
that having the knowledge of self (‘I’) gives me the knowledge of humane conduct (how to live
in existence, with the four orders). With this knowledge, I can live with humane conduct. This is
the pending task we have to complete.

Q 33. Explain how there is recyclability and self regulation in nature.

Write a short note on the recyclability and self-regulation in nature.
Explain the recyclability in nature with any two examples. (UPTU 2009-10)
There is recyclability in nature. Explain this statement with any two examples. How does it
help in production activity? (UPTU 2011 - 12)
Explain the recyclability of any two units in nature with examples. How is it useful for
sustainable production activities? (UPTU 2010 – 11)
ANS. There are several cyclical processes that we can see in nature. For example the cycle of
water, evaporating, condensing and precipitating back to water giving the weather phenomena.
The cycles keep these materials self-regulated on the earth. Breeds of plants and animals are
similarly self-regulated in their environment. In a forest, the growth of trees takes place in a way
so that the amount of soil, plants and animals remains conserved. It never happens that the
number of trees shoots up and there is a lack of soil for the trees. The appropriateness of the
conditions for growth of both plants and animals are self-regulated in nature keeping the
population proportions naturally maintained. This phenomenon is termed as self-regulation. In a
single breed of animals, the number of males and females generated through procreation is such
that the continuity of species is ensured by itself. This happens with humans too, but inhuman
practices have led to disproportionate numbers of men and women. These two characteristics
namely, cyclical nature and self-regulation provide us with some clues of the harmony that is in
nature.

Q 34. Explain the basic activity in the four orders in nature.

ANS.
Order Things Basic Activity
Soil, water, metals,
Material order Recognising, fulfillment
etc.
Pranic order Plants and trees Recognising, fulfillment
(Recognising, fulfillment) in body + (assuming,
Animal order Animals and birds
recognising, fulfillment) in ‘I’
Recognising, fulfillment in body + (knowing,
Human order Human beings
assuming, recognising, fulfillment) in ‘I’
In the material and pranic order, there is only recognizing and fulfilment. Such
units do not have the activities of assuming and knowing. Take for example, hydrogen and
oxygen recognise the relation to each other, and combine to form water. A brick and the other
brick have a definite relation, recognise it and get arranged to form a building. A plant recognises
the relation with sun and water, and fulfils it by acting accordingly. Such activities take place in
a similar way all the time, there is no seleciton involved here. A plant does not choose to turn or
not to turn to sun, absorb or not to absorb water. Similarly, the fan in your room does not choose
to rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise. It turns as per the winding in the motor. No choise.
When we look at the animals and humans, we find selection taking place.

Q 35. Comment on the statement: “Nature is limited and space is unlimited.”

ANS. Nature has four orders and there are units in each order. Each unit is limited in size. The
size ranges from being really small (atom) to really big (galaxies). Each and every unit is finite
and limited in size, be it the smallest particle or the biggest galaxies. Space, on the other hand is
unlimited. Space has no ‘size’, unlike units, it is not bounded. So, there is no beginning or end to
space, as there is to units. For example, when we take a book, we know that it starts and finishes.
We say the book is ‘limited’ in size. When we take space, there is no such thing. There is space
behind us, inside us, between us and the book, between the book and the earth, in the book, in
every page of it, inside the page, and beyond the earth…. all the way till we can imagine. We
find that space pervades; it is all-pervading. Units, on the other hand are not all-pervading.
This is how we recognize them as units.

Q 36. Explain energized and energy in equilibrium.

ANS. What we normally call or consider as energy today, is the ‘transfer of energy’. For
example, when you place water in a vessel on the stove, we say the heat energy from the flame
was transferred to the water in the vessel. Anything that is a unit, has activity, anything that has
activity, is energized. All the particles in the water and the metal stove are active, very active
and energized. Hence we don’t say that space is energized but we say ‘space is energy in
equilibrium’ or it is ‘constant energy’. All units are energized in space.
This energy is available to all units. In other words, space is equilibrim energy, all units
are in space; all units are energized and active being in space.