Logic is Illogical

Illogic is the mother of logic. How many of us would accept the statement that logic is born from illogic?

We believe that everything in life adheres to logic. Nothing is accepted unless one believes it has a logical conclusion. Our logic might come across as the most illogical to someone else but to us it sounds well founded.

Science builds its theory on logic. Computer programs follows logic. Forensic investigations needs logic to reconstruct events. The system of communication follows logic. The whole world functions on logic. For us to come across as sane or mature we converse or argue or negotiate with logic. We expect logic even in our entertainment. But the whole universe sits on something that is so logically illogical.

Can the reflection be brighter than the source? asks Zen. The source of light is so unfounded but its principles follow logic. There is no logic as to why light travels but there is perfect logic in photons, reflections and refraction.  The source of matter and energy is illogical but it follows principles of science. It is logic which tells us why there is a sunrise and sunset but it is illogic which tells why the earth spins on its axis. It is bang theory that tells us how the universe came but it is illogic that would answer where did the emptiness that acted as the womb for the big bang (if at all as claimed) to occur come from. It is perfect logic that beyond every periphery there must be something. Applying the logic an infinite time one realizes the universe is endless. Logic knows it is limited and knows logically well that there can be no answer to it. Science knows logically well that answer to some of the question is 'That is the nature of existence. Any infinite probe would end in the same answer'. It is like you watching a movie from the middle that is logically constructed frame to frame but has no  idea as to what led to it.

It is like a movie where the first half is on Tom and Jerry and then all of a sudden it is Titanic for the second half. Now the two can independently appear extremely logical in spite of the absence of a beginning or an end. But for a person who has watched the entire movie will find no logical connection between the stories. He won't know how the Tom and Jerry movie would end nor why did Titanic sink.

There was this centipede that was in the habit of going for a walk every morning. It is on one such routine walk that a frog stopped the centipede to clarify on a pressing confusion. "Uncle centipede I have seen you walk on many mornings. I am extremely perplexed to see you walk with such ease with all those 100 legs of yours. I am amazed how you mange to do this? How do you know which leg to move first, then the second, then the third and so on? Don't you get confused as to which leg to move next? I couldn't hold it anymore and I wanted to know today. Please tell me" The astonished centipede looked puzzled. "I have been walking all my life, it never occurred to me how I managed all these years. I never looked down to count my legs. Now that you told me I will find out what logic do I apply to actually move the legs" The centipede tries to figure the mystery. It immediately falls on its face with all its legs entangled. The centipede angrily shouts at the frog. "You idiot all my life I was walking so fine, now you have brought this question in my mind I am afraid to walk again. Out of the billion other centipede I will be the only centipede who can't manage my hundred legs. you have brought shame to me."

Logic tells us that we laughed because we found something funny but what is the logical basis on which our mind labels something as 'funny' a fraction of a second before it is called as funny.

Logic belongs to the mind. Logic is so limited in its knowledge. Logic deals with the known. You have to go beyond the mind to see the illogical abundance, the divinity knows no logic. Unknown has no logic. Creation follows no logic.

How can a mind which is just a part logically comprehend the whole? How can logic ever comprehend the illogical? The truth lies beyond the mind.

- Some of these are excerpts from the fiction book that I am writing 'Rising above the spheres of Fear'

For discussions or to read the fiction part please join www.facebook.com/book.fear

Purpose of Life

A man without a purpose is a ship without a rudder goes the adage. There are many purposes one holds to in their lives. This list keep changing time to time. Some purposes in life gets dropped, some compromised and some get fulfilled  but there is always one purpose or a wish that one always have. There is no dearth for desires. When one is badly battered in life all purposes momentarily cease shifting the energy to a pressing problem that needs immediate relief. Once out of it we immediately pick the burden of purpose.

The purpose of any purpose is to seek contentment or well being in life. Whatever be the purpose the search is for happiness and security. Whether the want is about minting millions of dollars or wielding enormous power or indulging in sexual fantasies or putting a roof under the head or winning a scholarship or marrying the most perfect other half or travelling the exotic paradises or securing the future of your loved ones or saving the world from the bad guys or finding a cure for a dreaded disease or removing poverty from the face of Earth it all boils down to fulfilling the needs of one or more of the six senses. Man is a sensual being since the eons and will continue to be forever.

Although many goals are achieved man is never content inside. There is always a hope of better tomorrow. The core of the purpose remains constant but the superficial appearance changes from money to power to sex to recognition to security to enlightenment to lifestyle. The search for contentment seem to be an infinite one. The purpose suddenly is no more fun but a very tiresome burden. The eluding contentment makes life a curse. In the name of purpose life becomes rudderless, from waking hours to sleeping hours it is the usual boring mundane tasks. There is no more joy no more living but only longing for the unknown paradise. 

Alas! If only the dreamer knows that the sought lies within, he would stop the external search. Contentment had always been yours. There would be no more purpose in life but whatever you do there would be life in it. There would be usefulness in it. Life would take you places. There would be a rudder in your life that sets the direction but you won't be controlling it you simply sit back and enjoy the adventures of the journey. The journey is the destination.

Nature of Mind

The nature of mind is very logical. The function of the mind is to question, analyse, dissect and infer a result that is logically sound. Does that mean the mind remains quiet on arrival of a result? Does the mind stop with the knowing? No the mind takes nothing on its face value. It has to evaluate the information and only if it is convinced it accepts it otherwise it is armed with reasons for rejections.

An excerpt from the to be released novel 'Rising above the spheres of fear' states "How can the mind accept knowledge and be quiet? Knowledge means what the mind has discovered so far. The mind is a doubting mind. It is a probing mind trying to come up with theories to disprove knowledge so as to discover more. That is the reason scientific theories get constantly updated or replaced. Thoughts that were constructed based on some factors can fall flat when a new factor is introduced. Mind is a bag of thoughts. Whatever the mind depicts the truth to be, it has to be flawed." 

This has happened in our lives. What was right today turns out to be wrong tomorrow. Take the instance of cannibalism. Man thought it was okay to eat another man, but today because of the collective conscience the society perceives it as not correct. With newer experiences and better understanding there is a update to what we know. There is no end where one can say I know it 100% now. The knowledge that we hold on proudly has an expiry date. Wonder where the arrogance of knowing comes from.

The mind is at the mercy of thoughts. There is no right or wrong thought but you enact whatever you think is right at that moment. Mind has the capability of coming up with different reactions at different times for the same situation. It is like closing your eyes and picking a random chit in a lucky draw. You may train your mind to behave in a particular manner under particular situations. You may even succeed few times but then you will be disappointed with yourself for being caught off-guard at times. Controlling the mind is the most unnatural way. It is easier to control a gusty wind. It will wear you off. It is prudence to understand and accept the nature of your mind. This brings in lot of harmony in your being. This allows you to be in tune with existence.

The nature of mind is unpredictable. Random thought determines the current state of the mind. The mind itself has no clue as to how it would behave in ground zero. If such is the nature of the mind how can any thought lead to enlightenment? how can it illumine the self? Will it not be a fallacy projected out of the limited knowledge? Wont it be like the blind men and the elephant story?

Does that mean the mind is of no use to realize the truth? Yes and No. It is extremely useful to contemplate, understand and see the veil. It is like using the boat to cross the river. Once you cross the river you don't carry the boat on your shoulders. In the same way there comes a stage where the mind would be the stumbling block to realization of the self. The TRUTH is not a minuscule thought that is prone to change from time to time. You have to go beyond the mind to realize the truth!

(Some are excerpts from the Book - Rising above the Spheres of Fear www.facebook.com/book.fear)