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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
The universe is constructed out of postulates. When we talk about the universe, we include in it individuality and Self that basically reduce to awareness. Awareness may also be found in other entities in the universe to different degrees.
The ultimate experience of universe is described in the Vedic philosophy as SAT-CHIT-ANANDA. This may be presented as the postulates of Substantiality-Awareness-Oneness.
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The universe can be sensed and known, therefore, it is substantial. In other words, the universe must be made of substance. The degree of substantiality may be denoted by the “thickness” of substance. It is visible as density, firmness, viscosity, etc.
The substance of the universe may be divided into the following categories: (1) Matter, (2) Radiation, and (3) Thought. Science may not accept radiation and thought as “substance”; but, these are considered “substance” in Postulate Mechanics because they are substantial enough to be sensed and known.
Matter has the most thickness called “mass.” Radiation is considered to have no mass, but it still has thickness, which is sensed mostly as motion or “energy” and measured as “frequency.” Thought has thickness that is sensed mentally instead of physically, and it may be measured as “heaviness.” For example, hate has much more thickness than love. Fixed ideas have much more thickness than a fleeting thought.
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Awareness arises as we sense the universe. Sensations assimilate into perceptions, memories, experience and knowledge. All knowledge assimilates, ultimately, into knowingness. Pure awareness is based on total assimilation.
Identification is superficial awareness that is limited to labels and symbolisms. It is memory intensive as there is little assimilation.
Knowingness is deep and intuitive awareness resulting from total assimilation. It does not require memory. It operates on an instantaneous basis.
Assimilation resolves lack of awareness. Awareness increases from identification to knowingness. In knowingness one is fully aware of all phenomena.
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“Ananda” means bliss, but that is just an aspect of oneness. Essential elements of oneness are harmony, consistency and continuity. For example, in oneness, both observer and observed are in complete harmony.
Bliss, rationality. beauty, health, etc., arise from oneness. In fact, everything that is positive, arises from oneness.
Oneness may be compared to a state in which everything is in equilibrium. When oneness is disturbed there is a natural effort to restore that equilibrium. Assimilation is the process that restores the equilibrium.
The word UNIVERSE literally means, “all things combined into one.” In Postulate Mechanics, this implies that
All elements of the universe are in a dynamic harmony, consistency and continuity with each other at all times.
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
The original Self is identifying itself with some postulates. It is in total harmony within itself. Therefore, it operates as a single entity. The totality of the postulates appears as the Universe. The Self is part of the Universe.
As the Self continues to identify, it assumes individuality. Thus there are many individualities operating in the same universe. Each individuality has its own will. It continues to postulate and modifies itself and its universe. But underlying all these modifications, there is a common Self and a common Universe.
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The original Self is identified as BRAHMAN by the ancient Vedas of the East. Each individual is ultimately identical with Brahman, and only appears separate due to ignorance and the conditioning of body‑mind. As the ignorance is removed the individuality becomes one with Brahman.
The original Self is identified as GOD by the Abrahamic religions of the West. Each individual is a direct creation of God, made intentionally rather than as an emergent by‑product of nature. God endows the individuals with a soul or spirit that links them to the divine, while their bodies are formed from the created world (earth, clay, “dust,” etc.). The individuality, forever, remains separate from God, but it is supported by God.
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The individuality is linked back to the Self. Different religion advance different theories to explain this separation of individuality from the Self. Two of the main theories are explained above. But underlying any theory there are postulates.
Basically, the Self disintegrates into individualities as it continues to identify increasingly with more postulates. This course is reversed as individuality comes to recognize those identifications and realizes that it is pure awareness.
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The universe is the sum total of all postulates. Individuality is made up of some of those postulates. Other postulates combine into other entities and life forms. An individuality is thus surrounded by a universe made up of all kind of entities and life forms.
The postulates that this universe is made up of are hidden, but they are knowable. It is the mystery of the universe and the ignorance of its underlying postulates that keeps awareness trapped in it. Freedom lies in spotting and recognizing these postulates.
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
Both awareness and postulate must be present together for postulate to even appear. The appearance of postulate implies that awareness is present. Even when awareness and postulate manifest together, they are two different phenomena. Only when we identify awareness with postulate that the idea of self comes about.
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Awareness is present while postulates appear and disappear. Awareness is not any of those postulates that it is aware of. The moment awareness wonders what it is, it is looking to identify itself. And, the moment awareness gets an idea of what it is, it has identified itself with some postulate.
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A postulate is a statement assumed to be true without proof, serving as a foundational premise for further reasoning. Einstein postulated the speed of light to be a universal constant to derive his theory of relativity. Postulate has been described in detail in PM Chapter 1: Introduction. All postulates and the considerations derived from it describe to us the reality of the universe.
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The moment awareness introverts into looking at what it is, it identifies itself with some postulate. In that moment it becomes a self. If the introversion continues the identification continues to occur and the self comes to acquire various colors and attributes.
At first, the self is in total harmony within itself, and it operates as a single entity. But as the attribute of individuality comes about, it breaks into many individual selves. All the earlier experience is shared by the individualities. That experience of total harmony within oneself becomes the idea of God. It extends to harmony within the society. It extends, ultimately, to harmony of humanity, and of all life.
God then comes to be regarded as the symbol of oneness. God is looked upon as the original form of self as a harmonious single whole.
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
There is a fundamental impulse to know because there are things that are unknown. We are surrounded by a universe that we would like to know about. We know it by postulating about what we are observing. So we postulate that there are things to become aware of.
From that it follows that there is awareness that starts with postulates. If we are becoming aware of the universe then that awareness must be present within us. The most fundamental postulate that we can make about ourselves is that we are that awareness.
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The highest echelon concept is UNKNOWABLE. This has been mentioned in The Creation Hymn of Rig Veda.
Whence this creation has arisen
– perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not –
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps He does not know.
We may say that there is always something more to know.
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We come to know by postulating about what we are observing. A postulate is something taken for granted. It is a creative thought that is claimed to be true. A postulate then forms the basis of all reasoning that follows. It may result in further considerations. There may be assumptions, that are verified later or simply get dropped.
We may say that all that is knowable, proceeds from our own postulates and considerations.
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Thus, there is awareness of what is known. There is also a general awareness that many things are unknown. We associate ourselves closely with this awareness. Maybe this awareness is basically what we are. But all this is just a string of postulates.
Thus, our consideration of self, proceeds from a string of postulates. It makes us aware of ourselves and the universe.
When “self“ is considered something to be aware of, it is no less a part of the universe. Then “that” which looks at self and the universe is just “awareness.”
Individuality is an aspect of self, and not of awareness.
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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
Postulate Mechanics is an effort to understand the fundamentals of this universe. Its basic postulates are:
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A postulate is a basic assumption, taken as true, which is then used to derive the rest of the theory. For example, Einstein postulated that the speed of light is a universal constant. He used this postulate (and others) to derive his theory of relativity. The purpose of generating a theory is to explain and organize what we observe, to unify many separate facts into a coherent model, and to guide prediction, research, and action.
Postulate serves as a foundational premise for further reasoning. It is through postulates, which follow observations, that knowledge develops. The postulates must be harmonious, consistent and continuous among themselves for sensible knowledge to develop. Ordinary assumptions are lower harmonics of postulates. Such assumptions either get revised upwards into postulates, or simply get dropped, as knowledge comes to be assimilated over time.
Assimilation means bringing harmony to knowledge by removing all inconsistencies. It also means researching and making discoveries in those areas where gaps exist in knowledge.
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The ideal scene of knowledge is ONENESS of all postulates, reasoning, and theories. Departures from this ideal scene appears in the form of disharmony (arbitrary data), inconsistency (contradictory data), or discontinuity (missing data). We refer to such departures as anomalies.
The basic form of anomalies are misconceptions. Misconceptions at the level of postulates corrupt the logic of reasoning, and the workability of theories. Resolution of misconceptions at the level of postulates is an important part of the assimilation of knowledge. The resolution of misconceptions and other anomalies lies at the core of Postulate Mechanics.
A very basic misconception is about the nature of self. “Who am I?” is a genuine concern for every person as he develops his understanding. He looks for answers in the universe and derives his identity from the things in it. Enlightenment occurs when he realizes his true nature. Further enlightenment occurs as he realizes the true nature of the universe.
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The purpose of Postulate Mechanics is to investigate the nature of self and the universe, and to assimilate all knowledge. It attempts to do that by going back to the original postulates and resolving anomalies at that level.
Postulate Mechanics attempts to reveal the mechanics of “thought,” just like Classical Mechanics reveals the mechanics of “matter,” and Quantum Mechanics reveals the mechanics of “energy.”
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