Book Review

From time immemorial questions like ‘Who am I?’ ‘Does God exist?’ and `What is my relationship with God or this world?’ continue to puzzle many a sincere seeker after Truth as well as lay people. There are no simple answers to these questions, because their answers depend on cultural, spiritual, religious and philosophical perceptions and biases of the society one is born in. From superstitious beliefs to advanced scientific analyses, various explanations are offered as answers to the above questions. Faith plays a significant and important role in spreading these thoughts and beliefs. Every explanation offers some satisfaction to the believer; for every concept about Self, God and Universe contains a partial truth.

In his preface to the book under review the author begins with the same theme: ‘The usual questions about life and world that arise in every thinking mind have been troubling me too for many years. My struggle to solve them has led me to certain findings and conclusions.’ The author wants to share his thoughts with others, and thinks ‘they will be of some help to those who are searching for answers to the eternal questions’. There is a trend, a fashion, to try to relate or correlate spirituality with modern science. We try to ‘analyze the spiritual problems in the light of modern science’ as if to talk of spirituality without reference to modern science is not allowed, or would be a gross mistake! The author is a highly learned scientist (a graduate in mechanical engineering and associated with BARC, L&T and Cochin Shipyard), which explains his natural tendency to mix physical science and spirituality in this book.

This slim volume of fifty-two pages contains ten chapters or essays. The first chapter has an unusual title: ‘What Am I?’ instead of the more usual and expected title ‘Who Am I?’ The author tries to relate `I’ with a mental state that changes with external environment. In a peculiar language, he writes, ‘(1) Consume some alcoholic drink in small doses. At some point, depending upon the tolerance limit of the body, one will start feeling differently about oneself. The "I" gradually changes. (2) Inhale chloroform gas. "I"disappears completely. The author could have easily said, ‘If one inhales chloroform gas or any other anaesthetic agent, as seen during surgical operations, it is noticed that his or her "I"-sense disappears for the time being.’

Medical Consultant, Aurangabad

© "Prabuddha Bharata" (January, 2005) published by Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014. Email: pb@advaitaonline.com. Reprinted with permission.

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