Universe in Connected in Hinduism

By Harshit Gupta

Although Kṛṣṇa is situated in His own abode (goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (BS 5.37)), where He enjoys His transcendental pastimes with the cowherd boys and gopīs, He is nevertheless present everywhere, even within the atoms of this universe (aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (BS 5.35)). 

I had the same question some time before and started to think about it. 

I won't answer that question; instead, I'll just share some of my ideas. 

In IITK, I was taking a biology-related course with the name of LIF101. Every time I attempted to study that subject, my thoughts would wander, and I would feel WOW and a sense of appreciation. I used to think that every cell in our body, down to its constituent parts, is alive. They are all working in unison to complete their tasks. Not just our cells, but even the subatomic particles are constantly moving with energy that can be converted to mass.Is energy different from mass?Is shakti different from shiv? Why do we call us living if we are made up of same atoms as non living things, just in a sequence so as to make us more conscious than others? 

I used to question why we could meditate on anything. Why is there no law of meditating on a name or an image? the way Swami Vivekananda would focus his meditation on a black spot Ramakrishna's image is what I focus on during my meditation, but over time, it started to fade. Then I reflect that he must have taken numerous forms; why, then, am I remembering him solely in this form? In what way should I pray to God? What makes god distinct from a picture, a name, or a sound? All of these things belong to God. Why make distinctions if everything is god! Either there is no god or everything must be god and therefore connected. Everything is made up of same particles/energy and therefore it seems reasonable for me to conclude everything can be connected, it can be just that we have more level of consciousness than others. 

“TAT TWAM ASI” When I read the Chandogya Upanishad, I found this phrase, It translates to "That Thou Art" or "You Are That". The phrase represents the idea that the individual self (Atman) is ultimately identical to the ultimate reality or ultimate consciousness (Brahman). This concept is central to Advaita Vedanta, a philosophical and spiritual school of Hinduism, and expresses the idea of nondualism, or the idea that all things are ultimately one and the same. 

In Islam, the idea of Tawhid, or the oneness of God, encompasses the belief that all things in the universe are interconnected and dependent on each other, and that everything ultimately leads back to the divine unity of God. The Quran also emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things, stating that everything in the universe has a purpose and that nothing is insignificant.

In Christianity, the concept of the interconnection of all things can be seen in the idea of the body of Christ, where each individual is considered a part of the greater whole, and in the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi, who believed that all creatures, from animals to plants to inanimate objects, were interconnected and deserving of respect and care. 

The Hindu belief that we are all connected stems from the idea that everything in the universe is made up of the same particles/energy. This means that every object is connected by a single vibratory field, also known as the Akasha(even Tesla referred to the philosophical etheric field as akasha), Logos(In Bible, Logos was used initially instead of “Word”), OM(Hinduism), Higgs field, dark energy, and so on in different religions and scientific concepts.It is the same sphere of energy that saints, Buddhas, yogis, mystics, priests, shamans, and seers have seen when they gaze within. This field is seen as the common thread that connects all religions and sciences, as everything in the universe is constantly changing and exchanging information with this field. You never see anything in its totality because it is made up of layer upon layer of vibration and it is constantly changing, exchanging information with Akasha. Through the constraints of thinking, observation is an act of creation. We create the appearance of solidity, of things, by identifying and naming them.“Once you label me, you negate me.” stated the philosopher Sren Kierkegaard. You eliminate all the other things I may be by assigning me a name, a label. By pinning it down and identifying it, you lock the particle into becoming a thing while also generating it and defining its existence. 

In Hinduism, the whole cosmos is seen as dancing to the drum of Shiva Nataraja, the "lord of the dance." The idea is that everything is constantly vibrating and exchanging information with the Akasha, from subatomic particles to galaxies, stars, planets, and all life. This idea is supported by the strange phenomenon of quantum entanglement, where two subatomic particles can be intimately linked to each other even if separated by vast distances. What are we? A set of subatomic particles? 

In addition, the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto on water consciousness has shown that even water can be affected by human thoughts, sounds, and intentions. This has led to the question of how much our thoughts and intentions can influence the world around us. 

This belief is supported by both spiritual experiences and scientific discoveries, and helps to explain how everything in the universe is interconnected. 

Slowly we are trying to understand things in quantum world which are stated in vedas, upanishads and gita. Heisenberg used to say.. Quantum theory will not look ridiculous to people who have read Vedanta. 

Hindu philosophy initially struck me as a collection of abstract beliefs that are interesting to hear and preach but have little to do with the universe and how it works. However, once I began learning about both science and Hinduism, I began to have second thoughts about my simple beliefs. Hinduism is much more than a set of concepts. It explains even the most complicated concepts of the universe in simple terms and gives us advice on how to live our lives and carry out our obligations, all gathered from the saints who have lived before us and had a variety of experiences.

In conclusion, the Hindu belief that we are all connected is based on the idea that everything is manifestation of the divine consciousness and therefore everything in the universe is made up of the same particles/energy and is connected by a single vibratory field, the Akasha. This belief is supported by both spiritual experiences and scientific discoveries, and helps to explain how everything in the universe is interconnected. 

I only gave my opinions; criticism and suggestions are welcome. I have no expertise in either science or religion. 

BG 6.30: For those who see Me everywhere and see all things in Me, I am never lost, nor are they ever lost to Me.

By Harshit Gupta