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Philosophy - The Nature of Things (Rakhah)
Philosophy - The Nature of Things (Rakhah)
Nature of Things
A Simple Analysis of the Physical World
and Things Pertaining to Human Life
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The
Nature of Things
A Simple Analysis of the Physical World
and Things Pertaining to Human Life
Dev Rakhah
FOREWORD
(vi)
PREFACE
(viii)
(ix)
(x)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DEDICATION
AND
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DEDICATION
CH. NO.
CHAPTER NAME
(v)
(vii)
(xi)
PAGE NO.
INTRODUCTION
1.
2.
3.
13
4.
17
5.
21
6.
27
7.
8.
35
9.
39
10.
41
11.
47
12.
51
13.
53
(xiv)
14.
57
15.
16.
65
17.
RENDERING OF SERVICE
67
18.
69
19.
71
20.
21.
79
22.
81
23.
87
24.
89
25.
97
26.
103
27.
105
28.
107
29.
HAPPINESAN ATTITUDE
109
30.
119
INTRODUCTION
Abraham Cowley
Introduction
CHANGEABLE AND
NON-CHANGEABLE THINGS
n this physical world, there are changeable things and nonchangeable things too. It is for us to know the difference;
we should distinguish the possible from the impossible. It
is better to forget things that are impossible to change.
We have to come to terms with inevitable changes; we
must build up nerves of steel in powerful and elastic
muscles, in order to be able to endure anything, whenever
it is unavoidable.
The whole world seems to be in a perpetual state of
turmoil since its creation; it is ever changing; nothing is static.
There is a multitude of natural phenomena happening all the
time: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, cyclones,
tornadoes, thunder-storms, floods, landslides, avalanches,
droughts, forest fires, etc. Natural calamities are almost
omnipresent. It is difficult to conceive a single region,
unaffected by anyone of the phenomena mentioned; only few
places in this globe manifest relative tranquillity. There are
so many imponderables that it is almost impossible to make
predictions, and yet nothing can happen just by chance.
If some of the natural phenomena look supernatural
or unnatural, it is due to our limited knowledge. There
Baruch Spinoza
10
11
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3
GOALS
AND
MEANS
14
15
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18
19
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OF
22
23
denied it. In fact, desires are like the seeds of new births
and the nature of those desires shapes our future. If the
spirit is earnest and full of yearning, nothing can prevent
us from getting what we deserve. At the end of the
struggle, there has to be some sort of crystallization. In
case of any failure, there must have been some sort of
omission somewhere. One has to correct ones mistakes
and try and try again.
In Existence, things happen according to certain rules
dreams do not materialize instantaneously like instant
coffee. But at the end of the day, everything should fall
into its place; it is a question of genuine deserving and
time.
Destiny is the net result of all our previous and present
efforts. If the previous and present efforts are contrary in
nature, then the stronger one will determine the destiny.
Thus, we make and unmake our destiny by our thoughts
and actions; we shape our future by our current thinking
and actions. Nothing happens at random; nothing is
adventitious. Existence always responds in right measure
to our deserving wishes.
In a certain way as someone had said: Life is a do-ityourself project. Our attitudes and the choices we make
today, build the house that we live in tomorrow. So, if
we have to build anything, it is better to build wisely. Of
course, it is important to proportion our ambitions
according to our capacities, at any given point in time.
DONT BLAME
YOUR
STARS
24
25
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WE CANNOT REVERSE
COURSE OF EVENTS
THE
28
29
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32
33
34
RIGHT ASSESSMENT
IMPERATIVE BEFORE
RESPONDING
35
IS
Hippocrates
36
the upthrust. The denser the water, the greater is its force of
upthrust. Thus, water with a high degree of salinity, such as
water in the Dead Sea, which is quite dense, exerts a much
greater upthrust than the water in the Atlantic Ocean.
Logically therefore, it would be much harder for a
person to sink in the Dead Sea than to keep afloat. It is only
by yielding to panic and needless agitations that he can
expect to be drowned. So one should not struggle
thoughtlessly in water; to remain afloat one needs to be
relaxed; instead of confronting, one must learn to let things
go when and as required.
Similarly, one must respond tactfully when one
comes across a ferocious dog. By trying to challenge it,
one will worsen matters. The more provocative one
becomes the greater the chance of being attacked. The
best thing is to remain calm as much as possible; then
the probability of avoiding contact with the dog will be
much greater.
Sometimes, despite all our efforts, we are still unable
to grasp with confidence the nature of a particular matter.
Consequently, we do not know how to respond
appropriately. Well, in such a situation, we must go for
the most sensible and realistic option.
It is a truth very certain that, when it is not in our
power to determine what is true, we ought to follow
what is most probable.
Rene Descartes
37
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ADJUSTMENT
SITUATIONS
TO
CHANGING
Rene Descartes
40
decreases, that is, the focal length of the lenses do not remain
a fixed number. Furthermore, the aperture also varies with
the intensity of light outside; when there is a lot of light,
the diameter of the aperture diminishes, whereas in the
absence of light, the aperture becomes bigger in size.
The point is: if the lenses are out of focus, vision will be
blurred, and when the vision itself is not accurate, our
assessment of the viewed object is bound to be poor. Thus,
with a poor definition, whatsoever follows next will be
quite obvious everything will be subsequently wrong.
So, right focusing and adjustment are very important,
if one intends to receive anything from existence, and if
one intends to keep ones balance. Implacable opposition
to adjust to certain situations in life can lead to unnecessary
complications.
Sometimes, the original image of an object that we focus
on, is itself distorted. For example, reflection on a curved
surface concave or convex gives a totally distorted
image. Of course, we do not take for granted whatever
image our eyes see and we do not take things at the face
value. In that case, before responding, we need to adjust
our minds to get the real picture, not the lenses of our eyes.
If the mind itself is not in good shape, the image that we
see will be far from realistic; the whole perspective will
change. So, to perceive things rightly, we need to adjust
both our eyes and our minds.
41
10
Yajur Veda
42
43
Sri Aurobindo
44
45
46
DISCERNMENT OF TRUTH
FROM UNTRUTH
47
11
48
49
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12
52
NOT TO JUDGE
APPEARANCES
53
BY
13
54
55
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ATTENDING TO THINGS
AWARENESS
IN
14
Bertrand Russell
58
ATTEMPTING TO DO THINGS
WITH
PRECAUTION
59
60
Anonymous
IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE
PRACTICAL AND REALISTIC
IN LIFE
61
15
62
63
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16
SEARCHING
FOR
THINGS
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17
RENDERING
OF
SERVICE
Francis Hutchison
68
George Arnold
Introduction
69
18
70
71
19
Marcus Aurelius.
72
73
He was quite surprised; he tried his best to bring the sheeplike-lion to reason by revealing in the true identity of the
latter. He invited the young lion to a nearby pond to
facilitate his job. When the little lion saw his reflection and
compared with the one of the bigger lion, he was finally
convinced that he was also a lion. He also started to roar
just like the bigger lion, making all the nearby sheep run
away in total confusion. Afterwards, the young lion
convinced of his true identity decided to follow the bigger
lion to the forest.
So, by just some superficial changes and mimicry, a lion
does not become a sheep. It is indispensable to change the
interiority, that is, the inner pattern, if we really want to
see a change in the exteriority. The interiority emerges into
the exterior, not the contrary. External manifestations,
seemingly positive can be very deceptive. By the way, there
are several masks that we wear from sunrise to sunset; by
simply changing masks, we do not change: our real
character remains always hidden to others.
Very often we manage to deceive others, but the
question is: can we go on deceiving ourselves? With a little
amount of inward-looking, that is, introspection we will
find the answer.
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NO NEED TO COMPLAIN
OVER THINGS THAT
ARE NATURAL
20
76
77
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21
80
81
THE
22
Albert Einstein
82
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
AND
SPORTS
83
84
Robert Stevenson
85
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WITH CHANGING
PARAMETERS, THE VALUE
OF THINGS CHANGES
23
88
89
24
Seneca
90
91
92
Leonardo da Vinci
93
William Penn
THE
SAME
94
Bible, Ecclesiastes 3: 1 8
95
IN A DILEMMA
ONE
HAS
TO
DECIDE
96
at the wrong time. And once the decision is made, one has
to go ahead straightaway without worrying too much of
the probably wrong decision made.
For example, very often high school-leavers find
themselves in confusion as regards their career in life. Come
what may, when one reaches such crossroads, one cannot
stop moving. It is better to opt for something rather than
awaiting eternity to come to a seemingly right decision.
A bird in hand is far better than a dozen in the bush.
One can later on change ones career, if one is not too happy
with the first one. At least one will have learned something
in life, and with more experience as well as the wisdom of
hindsight, one should then avoid making mistakes in
future. By the way, judgement becomes better from
experience of past errors; foresight gets more developed
too. Hence, one can look towards the future with more
confidence.
Similarly, a farmer may have preference for a certain
type of seeds, though unavailable at the required time. He
has to decide, whether to wait for his preferred seeds or
not; but if he does not sow his seeds at the right time, he
may not have anything to harvest. The same seeds which
sprout, when planted in spring, withers away in winter.
So, it is better to sow the seeds not necessarily the choicest
at the right time than to sow the best possible seeds, but
at the wrong time.
Be that as it may, anybody who thoroughly understands
the nature of things, and is totally aware of his actions
whether physical or mental cannot go wrong. He cannot
lose balance; he cannot go off the track.
97
25
TIME
AND
LIFE
98
99
William Shakespeare
THE FLIGHT
OF
TIME!
100
101
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26
104
Louis Agassiz
Introduction
PROCRASTINATION
THE THIEF OF LIFE
105
27
Elbert Hubbard
Robert Mannyng
106
are still young. Manners are best inculcated when the mind
is still uncorrupt. Once children get the necessary education
at the right time, they will take care of themselves in future.
With proper upbringing, one gets the right knowledge; one
then displays the right attitude towards others and
existence. But once they are grown-up delinquents, with
twisted beliefs, it becomes extremely difficult to break
away from their deep-seated habits.
He who neglects to drink the spring of experience is
likely to die of thirst in the desert of ignorance.
Ling Po
Introduction
107
AT
28
William Shakespeare
108
Kahlil Gibran
HappinessAn Attitude
109
29
HAPPINESSAN ATTITUDE
110
Leo Tolstoy
HappinessAn Attitude
111
Arthur Schopenhauer
Robert Oppenheimer
112
Siddharta Gautama
HappinessAn Attitude
113
114
HappinessAn Attitude
115
John Milton
HAPPINESS
AND
MATERIAL THINGS
116
HappinessAn Attitude
117
Lao Tze.
118
Introduction
119
30
120