By Sri Chiraan 2009/05/09
If Sun or Mars are second lord aspected by Jupiter or Venus
in vishesha amshas one becomes adept at TARKA shastra. When not in vishesha
amshas, people usually dabble in computer programming.
Similarly Jupiter or Venus as second lord aspected by Sun or Mars in mooltrikona or own house gives one mastery in TARKA shastra.
Given the large number of people working in the IT industry, it has to be concluded that combination of Jupiter, Venus with either Sun or Mars gives indulgence with computers .
I consider computer science as pure logic. Its enumeration
and developments follow the usual theorems in TARKA shastra. In fact TARKA shastra
elaborates even better models then what is currently available in the raw
field of Computing.
One of the interesting fields in the realm of Computer
vision is "Virtual reality". Virtual reality is slowly gripping the society
although its current applications is limited to games and war simulation. This
fascinating world of Virtual Reality ultimately triggers a greater debate
on philosophy, and especially Vedanta as practiced in INDIA.
Let us first understand the term Virtual Reality. Virtual
and reality are mutually contradicting terms. What is virtual cannot be real
and what is Real cannot be attributed Virtuality. But computers boast pf
achieving the marriage between Virtual and real. How ?
In the the field of simulation, all the real world objects
can be simulated onto a software driven platform [platform can be video,
laser, or 3 D models]. With a specialised glasses, user experience can be
enhanced to give rich feeling of Virtual world as seen through gasses. Or
alternatively User can be seated in an auditorium with a giant screens and
acoustics surrounding him , transporting him into a virtual world.
- This
world is simulated
- Objected
in this world are created through software
- They
follow the algorithms of the software in their behaviour and interaction
- The
software assumes certain mathematical models depicting human
behaviour
- The
whole world inside the podium [video, auditorium etc] are interactive
and event driven
- Your
own self can be simulated through what is popularly known today as
*Avatar*
- This
avatar of yours can trigger live feeds [drive events, initiate
interaction] through sensors attached to your fingers, limbs, and other
body parts
- With binoculars on your eyes, and sensors to limbs, your avatar can be seen by you and controlled by you in the Virtual World
- Your
avatar acts as you say, as move and feel to interact with the virtual
surroundings of the simulation
- Slowly
as the simulation progresses, you become a part of it
- You
get engrossed into it
- You
get identified attached to your avatar
- The
life led by avatar, is the virtual life that you lead
- The
happiness and unhappiness of avatar is what you experience as emotions
while viewing the avatar interact
- As
your involvement increases, you mistake the whole process and
experience as a Reality
- Your
involvement is more if you are not allowed to blink, momentary blinking
may give self consciousness
- In a
movie theatre people get engrossed by identifying with a character, here
your own self is character, so involvement is more almost inseparable
- When
Identities merge
Thus it becomes a Virtual reality
Now The philosophy:
Advaita Vedanta [By Sankara and others]
- The
avatar is not real
- The
experiences are false
- As
the game is over [i.e. as you come out of the auditorium, or remove your
glasses, binoculars etc], you have gained nothing or lost nothing. C’
mon it was just a game
- The
experience of happiness and unhappiness was owing to your excessive
attachment to the avatar
- As
long as you felt the avatar as your real self and not mere body, you have
feeling of happiness and unhappiness, the moment your mind is conscious
that your self is not the avatar, its just a simulation, you cease to
identify with it and happenings of pleasure and pain of the character are
no longer bother you.
- So
leave attachment by conscious practice of the knowledge that it was
Virtual and not Real.
- Such
complete consciousness of the fact that this is not real saves you from
misery.
Dvaita Vedanta [By Madhvacharya and Sri Raghavendra Swamy]
- Avatar
is manifestation and real
- The
experiences are a reality and truth
- As
the game is over, the lesson learnt and memories of experiences are still
real. It was just not a game, there was a higher purport in the
formulation of the game
- Though
the experience was owing to the attachment of self to the avatar [dehabhimana], yet the happiness and unhappiness owing to pain and
pleasure of the avatar was real and experienced by the self
- Though
the knowledge of self being different from the body [avatar] helps in
mitigating the pain to some extent, yet it does not relieve one from the
experiences of pain and pleasure as long as the game continues. If
without the master’s blessing such a state is not possible because
the show goes on and we are a part of it willingly or unwillingly, so
better to gain master blessings to gain pleasure and equanimous leading of
life by avatar. Mere liberation from the attachment to pain and pleasure
does not gives an understanding of purport of the game/show. One cannot
live a vegetable life by being indifferent to pleasure and pain, without
purpose
- Goal
is not defined or gained by the knowledge that it was Virtual and not real, But by accepting it as real and different from self, happiness is
achieved in the form of grace of MASTER running the show
- Accepting
it as virtual may relieve temporarily from the misery of avatar, but
gives rise to misery of wasting time into the virtual world without
knowing the purport. BY ignoring the presence of MASTER and his designs
we are self and its purpose and end up in destruction of self. On the
contrary by accepting the reality and the designs of nature [software
simulations] and its creator is known and an relationship unfolds with the creator and his purpose. Thus a new beginning of self awareness is
achieved.
Krishnarpana
