In search of Freedom (Mukti) – a Perspective

In most of Mukti’s public programs, that I have had the honor and privilege to participate, the famous Tagore Song “এই আকাশে আমার মুক্তি আলোয় আলোয়” (My freedom is in the light under the sky) is a common inaugural choir. Under the able leadership of its president, secretary and executive board – and given the broad arena of philanthropic initiatives that Mukti India has involved itself into – the choice of this song as the NGO’s prime theme is as much praiseworthy as it is thought-provoking.

In this article, by pondering further on this particular line of this song, I would humbly endeavor to share my personal perspective to explore “How can light be a source of freedom”? Towards this, we may just need to refresh a bit of Physics to summarize the scientific theories around the nature of light:

Since 17^th century, Newton made the world believe, that light is stream of “particles”(He named it “Corpuscles”). His hypothesis was that light rays are observed to travel in straight lines and the way light bounces off a mirror is very much like the way a ball bounces off a hard wall. During 1800, Thomas Young, observed and experimented on the contrary, that at interfaces (e.g. between that of air and water), some light is reflected back while the rest is refracted (bending obliquely in a different straight line) into water with a lower speed. Moreover, different colors of light bend at different degrees. Corpuscular Theory couldn’t explain such behaviors, but the new “Wave Theory” could. Thus the world started to believe that light must be a “wave” – and it propagates just like the ripples generated in a pond – upon throwing a stone therein – does. With the turn of the twentieth century, there was another transformation when “Quantum Theory” got introduced. Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 because he described light as particles carrying “Quanta” (discrete packets of energy)– which, to some extent, again brought back light’s particle theory in forefront. The great debate and curiosity around the nature of light didn’t stop therein. Without getting further into the cryptic theory and mathematics around it, the behavior of such quantum particles (like Light) can be summarized as follows in crude and simple layman’s term:

• Quantum elements can be both particles and waves – or at times can be something intermediary.
• Unless an observer is observing, there’s no way to precisely ascertain the state they “were”, “are” or “will be”.
• However, once observed, they seem to instantly detect that someone external is “spying” on them and will immediately disguise themselves into a different state to blur the distinction between illusion and reality.
• At any instant, it is impossible to precisely measure both their position and velocity simultaneously. If one is precise enough, the other will be flawed.

In the light of the above understanding, perhaps a way to portray and correlate such traits with that of attaining freedom could be:

• The “present” is all that “is”: Whether light is a “wave” or “particle” or “both” is a futile question. At any instant, in whatever form it is appears to an observer, is the truth. On the other hand, “light”, in this physical world is omnipresent. It is always on its job, tirelessly illuminating others, without caring how much glow it brought in this world over the last billion years or will bring in over the next trillion. On the contrary, for us, humans, our identity is all about our “past” and “future” though – and almost nothing about our “present”. Our “ego “feeds itself from the earned credentials, achievements, and accolades of the past – while our “desire” is nourished from the greed, power, entitlement, and wants from the future. Does ego and desire give birth to “freedom”(Mukti) or does it push us further to eternal captivity?
• Let the “presence” be felt the most in the “absence”: No one sees light, yet nothing can be seen without its benevolence. In the absence of light everything seems void all across – yet, with light around, it is all color. Can we humans emulate this behavior? Does the act of intended wellness performed over stage and announced via advertisements, publicities, lectures, fundraisers are the need of this universe OR, just a genuine intent towards human goodwill – coupled with silence, anonymity and sincerity more than enough to generate “freedom” (Mukti) in every soul?

The more Science is gradually unearthing the secrets on the design of our own human anatomy as well as that of this Universe, the more it is perhaps getting apparent that the universal code is written quite contrary to the way we have conceived, designed, and remunerated our own civilization system – where individuality and agenda takes center stage in every transaction. The true essence of Mukti (freedom)cannot thus just be modeled by announcing a financial bonanza towards the communities of lesser gods while aggrandizing personal agendas – but it’s an arduous act of enabling individuals to generate “consciousness in every soul” which understands the language of “anonymity” and “unconditionality” – be it in love, presence, excellence, or collaboration.

To conclude and in my humble opinion, Tagore, was as much a marvel of literature as he was in understanding this code of universal design that science is still in the process of gradually revealing….

…. এতো প্রেমে, এতো প্রেমে… মোর “আমি” ডুবে যাক নেমে …

(… amid so much of love, let the “I” in me get drowned forever)

My regards to every Mukti Sathi with a wish that may all your endeavors generate that consciousness among all “humanity” to bring back that elusive essence of freedom the universe is in dire need of…..

Thank You