Dr. Rudi Jansma
Shortly before Dr. Rudi Jansma, who has worked with us for more than twelve years, is going to leave India, we have asked him to write down some of his more fundamental and philosophical thoughts about a subject matter that concerns us all. What is consciousness and what is intelligence? How do these relate to the physical body?
Here he has not written from the point of view of any particular religion or established thought system, but he tries to scan essential facts that are reflected in the universe as we perceive it with the best of our own mind.
The nature of consciousness, and the relation of cosmic consciousness with the individual consciousnesses of the multitude of types of living beings are discussed. So also the nature of mind and cosmic mind. Several basic questions such as whether consciousness is a product of the brain or the brain the result of consciousness, what phases of consciousness there are during dying, during Near Death Experiences and thereafter? What are the experiences of the individual after death and what are his moods, struggles and challenges in different phases of the cyclic journey of life and death? What is actually meant by matter and by spirit and what is their relation, and what phases of matter are to be recognized in the universe?
We hope that the wisdom from this little book will find its way to thirsty hearts like rivulets streaming in all directions from a main river that originates from the pure lake of clear mind; thus fructifying the continents of thought where all who want to know abide.
The clear and unpolluted lake of clear mind and spiritual knowledge is the noumenal source of knowledge about the universe, both spiritual and material. It is said that a Divinity is presiding over such a lake.
Humanity has a long way to go, struggling, failing and trying again, reaching ever deeper understandings and practicing resultant ethics. We are deluded by our self-created delusions and move in many erroneous direction, cul-de-sacs, such as that of pure materialism. Still, even materialism is a way which humanity would not have chosen if their were nothing to gain spiritually.
However much we ourselves, being humans, are still blindfolded in many respects, we of Prakrit Bharati Academy seek to bring a little light by presenting universal ideas and ethical ways and by promoting to the best of our insights and abilities and we try to further the practice of these. We feel the support of wise men and women of the ages and we abide in respect for all of them.
D.R. Mehta
Founder and Chief Patron
Prakrit Bharati Academy, Jaipur
