Alex Gibbs

Professor Jizi
UWRT 1102
29 February 2016

Consciousness and Science: A Non-Dual Perspective on the Theology-Science Dialogue

Double Entry Jornal
Sriraman, Bharath, and Walter Benesch. "Consciousness and Science: a Non-Dual
Perspective on the Theology-Science Dialogue." Interchange : a Quarterly Review of
Education. 43.2 (2013): 113-128. Print.

Source
o Response
There are passages in the Rig-Veda that express doubts about the sky gods and
radically turn towards consciousness as preceding the sky-gods.
o The fact that it questions itself makes it a more insightful spiritual book. It
shows critical thinking which is important in a discussion about creation and
consciousness.
the Principal Upanishads focused on ontological questions such as the nature of
reality, and the role of humans in the reality.
o Sounds like very interesting stuff. Im definitely going to look these up. I
find these topics very interesting
the finite capacity of the intellect cannot comprehend the infinite nature of
Brahman.
o This hits on the topic of my research. Even with science, this says to me that
its still implausible to think that we could fully understand consciousness.
One knows what something is if one knows what it is not
o This is a quote from the Upanishads that comes from the characterization of
Brahman. Ive never thought things in this reversed sort of way.
Polytheism in both these societies gradually evolved to a belief in a divine
principle of Oneness, called Rita by the Vedic Indians and Moira by the Greeks.
o The oneness is the idea that I hold in my own spiritual belief system. I
wonder if most religions have or will eventually get to that same point of
oneness.
While the Greeks following the Aristotelian tradition focused on nature (object),
the post-Vedic Indians focused on mind (subject).

o So it may be possible for us to understand consciousness but so far weve

been using the wrong focus. If we delve more into Indian science,
understanding consciousness may be possible.
One can think of subject and object as two unique and separate natures, neither of
which is reducible to each other. The question of course in such a dualistic
assumption is how do these two natures relate to each other? For example, if man
is a body and a soul and they are qualitatively different from each other, how can
they influence and determine one another?
o This is a quoted quote from Benesh who generally sums up the issue with
the dualistic way of thinking. It brings the complexities of the mind-body
ideologies into view.
Cartesian dualism essentially proclaims that we are composed of two
distinct and basic substances, namely the soul (mind) and matter. Matter
was the material substance that extended into the world and took up
space, whereas the soul was a thinking substance, which was not
localizable in space. If these two aspects (soul-matter) are to be held
in equal balance, it seems that it will have to be in some way more
subtle than mere juxtaposition (Polkinghorne 1998, p. 54). The problem
of dualism can be reformulated as follows: One can think of subject and
object as two unique and separate natures, neither of which is reducible
to each other. The question of course in such a dualistic assumption is
how do these two natures relate to each other? For example, if man is a
body and a soul and they are qualitatively different from each other, how
can they influence and determine one another? (Benesch 1997, p. 116)
o This is exactly what I was wondering. How are they related? What
connects them?

Summary- History and Motivation

These sections of the paper go over some background for the reader. It starts with the
historical background for the paper. It discusses two Indian religious texts which in

different ways explains creation and thusly consciousness. It then goes on to mention the
Greek philosophy and its differences from and treatment of the early Vedic views.