UNIT 4

Understanding Harmony in the Nature and Existence - Whole existence as Co-existence Understanding
the harmony in the Nature, Interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment among the four orders of nature-
recyclability and self-regulation in nature, Understanding Existence as Co-existence (Sah-Astitva) of
mutually interacting units in all-pervasive space, Holistic perception of harmony at all levels of
existence.
Understanding Harmony in the Nature and Existence.
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 selfregulation 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 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.

Technological advancements in harmony with nature:

1. Earth is the only planet where life can exist. But with the rapid advancement of technology
which have given rise to industries and led to deforestation, human beings have increasingly
started abusing the natural resources and therefore the harmony with nature has been lost
2. The problems of global warming and pollution have reached alarming proportions. The
ecological balance has been disturbed and the greed and violence in human nature have taken
over. If we continue to destroy the nature's perfect creation and if we do not realize that we
need to replenish our natural resources then we will not be able to leave behind a habitable
planet for our future generation.
3. We have to advocate the idea for renewable resources of energy such as solar and wind power.
If we channelize the new technological advancements in a direction of maintaining the
ecological balance then only we can say that technological advancements can be in harmony
with nature.

Interconnectedness and Mutual Fulfilment Among the Four Orders of Nature, Recyclability and
Self Regulation in Nature
1. All the physical objects that are in solid, liquid or gaseous state either 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.
2. These units are infinite in number and we could easily observe that there exists a dynamic balance,
self regulation among all these units.
3. To facilitate understanding, we can categorize all these units into four distinct orders.
There are four orders of nature
i. Material order
i. Pranic order
l. Animal odder
iv. Human order
Interconnectedness and mutual fulfillment in nature:
1. Mutual fulfillment implies that each unit of the four orders of nature is related to each ogee and
enriching to each other.
2. 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.
3. The four orders can be distinctly recognised in terms of their characteristics, participation with other
units in similar order, activities, pattern of inheritance etc.
Example: 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 these excreta help 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.
Recyclability in nature.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Characteristics of the four orders in nature.

1. All the four orders material, plant, animal and human have certain core values. These can also be
called as their natural characteristics or svabhava.
2. There is mutual fulfilment among four orders, these orders are:
i. Material Order : Most of the members of this order are non living things. Also, various forms of
energies like sound, light, heat, magnetism and gravitational energy are also part of this order. The
fundamental characteristic ofthis order is composition/decomposition. They can come together to
compose bigger things and also bigger units can be transformed into smaller units. They can neither be
created nor destroyed. For example, the atomic energy release and generated during nuclear fission and
fusion.
ii Plant /Bio Order: They comprise from single cell organism like fungi, algae to water plants, herbs,
shrubs and trees. They can reproduce, accept nutrition from outside, digest, assimilate and grow. They
also provide nutrition to the animal and to the human order. Therefore the natural characteristic of this
order is to nurture. But excess of nutrition or unregulated consumption of plant products can harm or
"worsen" our body.
iii. Animal Order: The members of this order are living things. They share many of the features of the
plant order. They have greater degree of locomotion than plants. The natural characteristic of this order
is that they realize or they are aware of the fact that they exist the quality of Self (I) therefore they have
an intellectual faculty. This awareness also brings in the excess which is cruelty as they know that they
can fulfil their needs by violence and cruelty towards members of the other orders or within their own
order.
iv. Human Order: They are the most evolved species of the four orders. They are living beings and their
natural characteristics are similar to | the characteristics of the plant and the animal order. They are
independent and self conscious. They have virtues like perseverance, bravery and generosity. These
abilities are peculiar to them. But human nature tends to deviate from its basic characteristics. This has
given rise to many conflicts and contradictions in their basic nature.

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.
1. 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.

2. 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 these 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.
3. 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
fulfillment. We are dependent on the material order for soil and minerals and metals, but only end up
polluting thesoil 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 fulfillment in all the orders of nature except human
order. We have to work on this.
Conforms: Each unit conforms through the principle of conformance or anusangita. lt means how the
continuity of the fundamental nature of the unit is preserved.

1. 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
conforms to the constitutional structure of Iron'. There is no atom of iron that will be unlike the
other atom of iron, I fit were, we would not call it iron. We call this 'constitution conformance’.
The material order exhibits constitution conformance. Hence, we say that any matter conforms
to its constitution or has constitution conformance'.
2. 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 are stored in the seed. Hence, we say that a plant conforms to
the seed, or has 'seed conformances.
3. 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 conforms to its breed, or has 'breed
conformance'.
3. 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 rom 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 T. The desires, thoughts and selections we
have in T can come from anywhere. It can come from past memories; it can come from our
parents, the environment, media or from 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 thata human being conforms to his or her sanskar or has
'sanskaar contormance’.
Innateness
 Innateness means to exist naturally. Each unit in existence exhibits innateness an intrinsic quality
that cannot be separated from it. We refer to this principle as Innateness'. This is intrinsic to the
unit. Look at all the material order.
Innateness in the Four Orders:
i. It is possible to convert material things from one form or a way being' to another form or a
way of being. However, it is not possible to annihilate it. We cannot make it cease to exist.
The particles that make up that unit continue to exist.
ii. Because the plant/Bio order is a development of the material order, it also has the innateness
of 'existence'. In addition, it also exhibits the ‘growth'. This principle of 'growth' cannot be
separated from any units of this order. If it is of plant/Bio order, it will grow.
iii. The Animal Body is a development of the plant/Bio order and therefore 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 separated from this 'will to live'. It is
intrinsic to every unit in this order.
iv. When we look at the human being, we and that 'existence' and 'growth are fundamentally
present in the body, just as in the animal body. At the level of T however, in addition to the
will to live, a human being's innateness is the will to live with happiness. Each one of us
not only wants to live but also wants to live with happiness'. This is the innateness of the
human order and it characterises the human order.

The process of self exploration helps us to identify our swatva and through that acquiring
swantantrata and swarajya.
i. Swatva means innateness of self - the natural acceptance of harmony.
ii. Swatantrata means being self-organized- being in harmony with oneself
iii. Swarajya means self-expression.
Swatva, Swatantrata, Swarajya: The swatva is already there, intact in each one of us. By
being in dialogue with it, we attain swantantrata enabling us to work for swarajya. Living
in contradiction, means we are not self-organized and living with pre-conditionings where
we have assumed certain things, have accumulated desires without having first evaluated
them, then it means we are partantra. On the other hand, when we identify our innateness,
what we really want to be and establish a dialogue with it, it enables us to start living with
this harmony, it starts expressing itself through our harmonious behaviour and work, and it
naturally extends to our participation with the surroundings. This is working towards
swarajya.
Understanding Existence as Co-Existence of Mutual Interacting Units in All-Pervasive Space.
Co-Existence: It is a state in which two or more groups are living together keeping in mind their
differences. The groups involved establish a relationship where they can live non-violently. They
achieve tolerance and mutual respect and live in agreement.

Difference Between Passive and Active Co-existence:

Passive Co-Existence : This is a kind of co-existence where one of the groups is less powerful than the
other. In this environment there is lack of violence but it is an unequal relationship.

Active Co-Existence: Relationship in this kind of co-existence is based on mutual respect for the
diversity. The groups in this relationship embrace each other differences and have got equal access to
resources and opportunities. The environment is that of peace, social cohesion, justice and equality.
Units: 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.

Space: Space can be defined as an unlimited entity. Unlike unit it has no size therefore it cannot be
bounded. But space maintains certain regularity and obeys certain laws. Space is reflecting. This means
that it can be explained in terms of its relation with other object. For example we say there is space in
between the book you are reading and you. Space is also transparent that is there is no obstruction in
space.

Co-existence : Relationship in this kind of co-existence is based on mutual respect for the diversity. The
groups in this relationship embrace each other differences and have got equal access to resources and
opportunities. The environment is that of peace, social cohesion, justice and equality, mutual tolerance,
respect the differences in opinion, and living non-violently.

The following chart explains the relationship between the different orders of nature. We can see that all
the four orders in nature exist in harmony. This is already there in nature and need not to be created.

Units in the nature are limited in size and self organized. Space is unlimited and there is constant
reflecting energy available in the all pervading space. Only human and animal orders have received the
consciousness of self. The material order undergoes constant structural changes. The conscious order
does not undergo structural change. The conscious units can learn and therefore they know, assume,
recognize and fulfill.
Existence is Gathansheel and Gathanpurna and also there is Kriyapurnata and Acharanpurnata in
existence.

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.

1. The material units are transformable, and their composition keeps on changing, hence these are
gathansheel.
2. The other category of units, the sentient 'I', do not transform and are complete in composition, hence
gathanpurna.
3. The material units are changeful (with activities of recognizing and fulfillment only) while the other
kinds 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.
4. In the material order, an atom combines with another atom to form a molecule; a molecule similarly
forms a molecular structure.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Completion of right understanding in human being is called kriyapurnata and ability to live with
complete understanding is called acharanpurnata.

Holistic Perception of Harmony at AlI Levels of Existence.

Holistic Way of Life:

1. Each one of us lives at all these levels-myself, family, society and nature/ existence and wants
to understand all these levels of our living. We will look into ourselves and identify our various
activities, our choice, thoughts and desires. This will help us to identify how we think, and what
we want. As a result, human-relationship becomes possible if they have right understanding,
recognition of values, fulfillment, right evaluation and leads to mutual happiness. We will also
look into the various dimensions of human society, what the comprehensive human goal is and
how this can be achieved after that we will study nature/existence and understand
 interconnectedness in nature. When we have our self-investigation we find out that we want to
be in harmony at all levels of our living.
i. Harmony in myself
1i. Harmony in family
ii. Harmony in society
iv. Harmony in nature/existence
In harmony in myself, we have mutual happiness and a feeling of | prosperity. In harmony in family,
we have mutual fulfillment in relationship and prosperity in the family. In society, there is fearlessness
and undivided society. In nature, we have harmony in nature and understanding the inherent co-
existence.
2. Having known this harmony at all levels i.e., having understood nature/existence, we can then
identify our role in it. This role of human being is nothing but his value, i.e., human's value is
its participation in nature/ existence. We shall see that these human values are natural and
universal. Thus, this is the holistic way of life.

Holistic Technology:
1. A holistic model is inherently conducive to the comprehensive human goal.
2. Today our world is governed by money and business rather than man. It's now our idea to reverse the
trend. The word "Development" has been highly misinterpreted in the present-day scenario.
Development as looked upon today is an exploitation of nature.
3. It is believed that nature has to be controlled and exploited for human enjoyment. This attitude of
ours towards nature has caused much damage to humanity. Human beings are an integral part of nature
and it's essential to be in harmony with it. The development of holistic technologies and systems with
critical evaluation of the strength and weaknesses of traditional existing technologies is very important.
5. Adoption of an appropriate lifestyle, proper assessment of needs coupled with the right understanding
can have a path for holistic technologies and system.

Criteria to evaluate Holistic Technology

1. Right understanding helps us to develop a vision of a holistic approach. By holistic approach,
we mean the processes and the technologies adopted by us must be compatible with nature. A
holistic model is inherently conducive to the comprehensive human goal. Modern technology
is the child of human brain. All inventions are the result of increasing needs. In order to facilitate
the development of holistic technologies it is indispensible to create specific criteria for holistic
evaluation of technologies. We have these broad criteria to guide the development of such
technologies and systems:
i. Caring to appropriate needs and life style.
ii. People-friendly.
iii. Eco-friendly.
2. Modern technologies are creating environmental problems, because of | the wide-spread use of
natural resources. We are burning fossil-fuels and other renewable resources. There is an
increasing demand of natural resources worldwide and natural resources are depleting very
rapidly. There is now increasing demand throughout the world to evolve alternative renewable
technologies and modes of production.
3. Certainly this is only possible through right understanding and evaluation of human-needs. We
need to work on renewable energy technologies. We need to research eco-friendly technology
for human welfare.
4. When we are making use of technology we need to take care of the needs of people. We should
make our best efforts to make a people friendly technology. Because technologies are to help
people and this thing needs to be keep in mind, while we evolve a system. In modern days
science and technology are not being used only for human welfare and this is happening in the
society because of lack of right understanding and an evaluation of human needs.
5. Instead of making technology, human friendly, we are making it anti-human. For the right
utilization of technology, we need to work out about our basic needs through right
understanding.