Life is one of the means of generation of awareness
[A devotee asked that whether the word ‘Life’ can represent the awareness.]
Swami Replied: The word ‘Life’ stands for the ‘Prana’, which means the oxygen gas. This oxygen refers the respiratory system. This oxygen oxidizes the food in the digestive system generating inert energy. This inert energy enters the nervous system and is transformed into awareness, which is a specific work that is specific to that specific nervous system only. Therefore, the respiratory system is an associated side system in the generation of awareness. If the oxygen is not inhaled, death results, which leads to the disappearance of awareness. In the absence of nervous system, the only respiratory system cannot indicate the awareness.
Plants have the process of respiration but do not have the awareness due to absence of nervous system. Hence, trees are said to be inert like stones. The scripture also says that the highest sinner is punished to take birth as inert tree or the inert stone. But, a scientist called Bose, conducted experiments to show that plants also have feelings or awareness. But, such awareness is very negligible in the absence of nervous system and brain. The nervous activity of a living cell in the form of fluids is very negligible. Very minute thing can be treated as nothing. Hence, there is no contradiction between Bose and the Scriptures. Therefore, the life can be taken as one of the means for the generation of the awareness and cannot fully represent the awareness itself. The respiratory system is called as Pranamayakosha and the awareness consisting of feelings is called as Manomayakosha.
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Topic: Life is one of the means of generation of awareness (Read 712 times)