You, me, Biochemistry, Music, Geometry- the link!

We all like music. Even a new born baby responds to sounds and music. Right from the child to a grown-up everyone relates to music in one or the other way. Ever wondered why?

Further, different moods attune to different music. And tunes are potent enough to change the mood - from sad to cheering, from party to meditative! How does this happen? How does music remotely control a fully aware and intelligent individual?

To know, let's trace the link between music and biochemistry since the human system is biochemistry.

To start with, music is composed of notes and rhythm which we also refer to as Svara and taala in Sanskrit. These notes (sa, re, ga, ma...) are in themselves sound frequencies. When we play an instrument or sing vocally these sound frequencies are activated and received by the ears both ours and the hearer's. Upon reception these sound frequencies cause changes to the brain and the brain sends signals to the rest of the body to respond to the stimulus. Depending upon memory associations and perceptions different music has different effects. 

Biochemistry (like chemistry) necessarily is a study of interactions between atoms/molecules within a living system. Molecules in turn depend on their shapes to function for eg., the DNA molecule, hormones and many other proteins. A change in shape may alter the function. 
Whenever a certain chosen tune is played it causes a change in the shape/symmetry and hence alters the way molecules interact. This changes the way cells respond to stimulus and is manifested as an effect which we witness on the body. The famous water experiment conducted by Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto (July 22, 1943 – October 17, 2014) further confirms the correlation between sound and form. He studied the effect of music on water molecules. He observed that different frequency sounds gave rise to different crystal structures in the water molecules visible beneath the microscope. So, sound creates form!

Pythagoras was the first to identify the relation between music and geometry i.e sound and form. He observed that basic geometric shapes produced tones in a pattern creating musical octaves.

The basic forms of geometry are the triangle, square, circle, pentagon, hexagon, septagon and so on. These shapes are identified with a particular number - the sum of their interior angles. For a triangle, the sum of all the interior angles is 180 degrees. Likewise for the other shapes as following: Square=360, Circle=360, Pentagon=540, Hexagon=720, Septagon=900 and so on.

When a musical chord is plucked using these numbers as cycles/sec we get a pattern that perfectly fits an octave in the F# major chord. Here we have forms revealing music! Surprising isn't it?

F# major chord – F – G – A B – C – D – E – F corresponds to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa the basis of all music. 

So the link appears both ways: sound creates form and forms reveal music!

Later, Plato took this concept further from 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional geometry and observed the 3-D shapes to be part of all forms seen in nature from petal pattern of flowers to spiraling pattern of sea shells. This concept of 2-D & 3-D shapes constituting everything in nature can also be found mentioned in our ancient scriptures. In fact, sound has been alloted a very special place in spiritual practices. This may be why music is used for meditation and healing. In fact, the Veena is considered symbolic of the human brain and spinal cord.What wonder then that these two should link to spirituality! Goddess Saraswati, the Shakti of Lord Brahma the creator, is depicted as holding the Veena...she is the origin of all sound and thus all form that we see in the universe.

Music is embedded in the very existence of all life. Each of us is music, a song, a story in itself created by the creator. And together we create harmony! Music is universal, so is biochemistry crossing the barriers of age, language & gender! 

As there are so many variations of symphony, so there are variations in biochemistry, so there are variations in individuals. Yet, the building blocks remain the same. Isn’t this true Unity in Diversity? conversely, Diversity in Unity?? 

Knowing WHY is important

We all are constantly on the search for something in life - meaning, purpose, identity, recognition, independence, finances, comfort, luxury, lifestyle, relationships. The root of all motivations to "do" something is the need for an identity! Some create great work to establish their identity, some create relationships, some create wealth and some  knowledge. 

Like all, I too was a victim of this identity crisis. Then there came a twist in the story as I sat back home and started reading books which I never dreamed of reading and to my surprise it was exactly what I was looking for, an answer to all my questions from an authentic source. What "is" the highest and the best to be attained in human life. What was I supposed to pursue for happiness & such other existential questions. And I found all the answers, yes, all the answers! Eureka!!

What I found out revived me. It revealed to me the truth in a way no one can ever do; how we relate to the cosmos/universe. That's what am about to share with you. Read on.

It told me that

1. financial insecurity is foolishness.

How much ever practical it might appear to be, fear of survival is a false notion. Every entity that is brought forth in this world comes with his/her own share of food and survival basics - that is the law of the universe! So no one is ever dependent on anybody. All are inter-dependent among themselves and ultimately dependant on the ONE SOURCE for everything.

2. We are not the body! Yes, read again, we are not the body. We are something else.

The entire human life, it is observed, is woven around fears pertaining to the body. It is the BODY of a woman which is feared to be mutilated and perceived to be an object for protection. It is the BODY of a man which is feared to be at threat on various occassions and hence the entire gamut of doings - work, income, expenditure, increased income, increased expenditure and so on....No one stopped to ask why. Why all this? Is the fear really true? Or is it just a notion? Anyone who digs-in enough to answer this ever perceptible yet often over-looked question "Why" will surely find his/her true identity which leads to lasting peace and happiness.

There are various ways of explaining this concept, am taking one of these.

We all know that the human body which is subject to constant damage and repair is composed of cells, cells are made up of molecules, molecules of atoms and atoms of nuclei which are invisibly minute particles.  There is a constant give-n-take of electrons and a constant change going-on every fraction of a second in the body although we don't perceive it. The body is thus transient in its subtle aspect. Anything transient cannot be real or true since we define that as true which is permanent/perpetual and is not subject to change.

In this context, the body which we all are habituated to treat personally and refer to as "I" should rather be taken impersonally. For example, imagine that you have to take care of a collection of cells in a test tube . What would you offer it? Would you offer it respect, clothing, ornaments, car or love or even a name? No, ideally you would offer it a nutrient medium for it to survive! The body is just that - a collection of cells. It gains undue importance  & attention and is entitled to a vast array of comfort items and treated respectfully. It enjoys different designations at different places like father, mother, sister, brother, wife, husband etc. although it is the same collection of cells arranged in a different space-time matrix.

What in reality should be admired is the intelligence contained in each of these cells, atoms and nuclei. How does the cell receive stimuli from the environment and generate a response? How does the atom know when to give-up a phosphate bond and when to accept it? (Phosphate bonds are the primary source of energy in all bodies). Atoms do not have eyes, yet how does a carbon atom identify a hydrogen atom to form complex structures in the universe? 

There seems to be greater intelligence flowing through as a common substratum, an undercurrent to all particle motions. This intelligence is reflected in all bodies irrespective of age, gender, caste or role in the society. Wherefrom does this intelligence come? There is definitely a SOURCE – THE POINT at which all begins. So it follows that bodies formed of cells are merely structures animated through intelligence by the source. Hence, the personal statement “some body (somebody) is extremely intelligent” is a false notion. The correct statement will be impersonal “intelligence appearing in the form of some body and some action”. Therefore it is not the body which should be the object of admiration assuming doership but the source whose intelligence moves the body. Source: body as Puppeteer: puppet!

No one taught intelligence to the cell, it is in-built. Intelligence is independent & occurs naturally hence the source must also be independent and natural.

This source from which intelligence originates and depends upon - the real cause of every cell and hence every animate and inanimate body – is the true object of admiration, worship and love. This source is what we refer to as GOD. God’s intelligence shines as various bodies in the universe – Sun, moon, stars, plants, animals, humans. God speaks and acts as father, mother, son, wife, husband, friends, thief, drunkard, customers, sellers, teachers and preachers all inclusive, nothing excluded. God lives our everyday life in the form of our family, friends and ourselves. Hence, the question of right or wrong, good or bad, doing/non-doing doesn’t arise! The question of success or failure, useful or wasted doesn't arise! It is all perfect just by being the way it is! This is the concept which we chant in our daily Vedic prayers/ hymns as stated in Sri Rudram, Narayana suktam and all our scriptures including Vedanta, puranas, and other literary works state the same truth.

Spirituality and science are not two different subjects. They are one and the same. Spirituality is full of science. There is more science we can learn from reading Upanishads, puranas and the Bhagvad Gita than any course at college secured after tedious entrance exams. Scientists such as Neil Bohr, Einstein, and Thomas Edward are among those who have referred to our Upanishads whenever they found themselves stuck in their experiments. The Schrödinger wave equation and the dual behavior of particles (as both a wave & particle) are repetitively mentioned in our scriptures and given to us in the form of captivating stories. Einstein stopped at stating that the speed of light is a constant and that it is the fastest. However, Ramayana has told us about instances of travel faster than the speed of light. Hanuman could travel faster than light. This only proves that intelligence that we claim of today is far diminutive than that of an average person in the time gone by. Spiritual intelligence is inconceivable and goes beyond the understanding of the intellect of a pea-sized brain.

In the light of this greater intelligence all our problems and our image of ourselves shrink to the size of dust. We are so bound by trivialities. There is much more to life than what we know!

What is the real purpose of life then? The real purpose is to regain our lost memory of who we are -   to regain our awareness that we are all God particles and be at peace with everything.

All the endeavors we take in life and the efforts we make whether it be wealth, family, progeny, luxury, religious acts or liberation (Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha – the four pursuits of human life) are directly or indirectly related to our strife to establish an identity of our ourselves. And so long as we don’t identify ourselves with the SOURCE called God, we always feel short of something inspite of all our possessions because these are just reflections and not the true self.

Begin today, ask why. At the end of the trail you will find the Source called God. Keep that identity!

The author of this text is the same nameless & formless Self of all decoding & writing through the body identified in this world as Devika.  

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