Welcome to the era of The Brave New World

Welcome to the era of The Brave New World – scribbles for my daughters continued.

As 2025 marks the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, once again we find ourselves reflecting on how insanely fast time flies and how rapidly the world around us changes.

Generation X is transitioning into retirement, Millennials (Gen Y) are embracing middle age, Gen Z is embarking on family journeys, Gen Alpha is stepping into their teenage years, and Gen Beta is now born!

In the spirit of new beginnings, let me wish you using beautiful lines drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text, i.e., the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which is from more than 4,000 years ago.

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May noble thoughts come to us from all directions.

May all be happy; may all be free from illness.

May all see auspiciousness and may no one suffer

For some reason, one thought that has been on my mind as we transition into this new year is the lightning speed at which technological advancements are unfolding—and this is just the beginning. We are witnessing the dawn of an intelligence explosion, a 'big bang' of sorts, originating from planet Earth through the relentless endeavors of humanity as we perceive it.

Take a moment to think of this: The latest quantum chip, Willow, performs a calculation in one second that the fastest supercomputer would take 10 septillion years (102? years)—equivalent to 200,000 billion-billion years, or 222 billion times the age of the current universe! The basis of the quantum chip Willow lies in mysterious, mind-bending phenomena like quantum entanglement, a concept discovered and experimentally proven relatively recently. Now that not only opens up entirely new horizons but also challenges and redefines our understanding of space, time, science, and even free will and their very nature as we have perceived it.

We are at the cusp of unprecedented times in history—or at least as we have known it. Until now, we have stretched our imagination to envision what technology might achieve, and almost always, our imagination was far ahead of what breakthroughs could deliver. Advancements allowed us to visualize a better future—step by step, incrementally. Now, this has flipped. Our imagination is beginning to fall short of what might happen, making it increasingly difficult to visualize or prepare for the future. To me, this marks the biggest inflection point in human history as we know it. One thing seems almost certain: in the times ahead, we will witness the radical, followed by the drastic, progressing to the unimaginable and the inconceivable."

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We stand at the threshold of exciting times as we move into a milestone quarter in human history. The times ahead may take us far beyond the 'Brave New World' envisioned by Aldous Huxley in the 1930s. We are drawn back to the possibilities imagined by H.G. Wells in the late 1800s through his extraordinary works like The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau (exploring genetic experimentation), and The Shape of Things to Come. While I’ve read only a just a little of what they envisioned, I feel, like me, many others may now be inspired to revisit these works and marvel at how much they foresaw in what was then labelled as fiction.

So perhaps you should do that now—before the joy of reading itself becomes a thing of the past. In a not-too-distant future, vast reservoirs of knowledge might simply be downloaded directly into artificially augmented brains. With such advancements, would our natural, limited brain and mental faculties begin to feel infinitesimally small, irrelevant, or no longer in control of our own destiny?

I must emphasize that these challenges are not mere imagination but very real. In fact, such miraculous capabilities may be showcased and commonly deployed well within our lifetimes

?It’s exciting, it’s fascinating, and the possibilities are beyond imagination—but it’s also scary and nerve-wracking. Regardless of how we, as individuals or collectively as a society, will navigate the roller coaster of emotions and feelings, the fascinating, mind-shattering journey ahead is no longer a matter of choice—if it ever truly was. Yes, we may have some say in the course it takes, or perhaps we are only deluding ourselves into believing so. Who knows? Ironically, the explosion of intelligence is making the 'we don’t know' grow even bigger and louder.

What better choice do we have than to embrace it, submit to the new realities of the game that nature plays, and play along as the Time Machine segues us into a Brave New World.

That brings me to some timeless wisdom from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:

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Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya | Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya | Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya | Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

Om, keep me not in the Phenomenal World of Unreality, but make me go towards the Reality (of Eternal Self). Keep me not in (the Ignorant State of) Darkness but make me go towards the Light (of true knowledge).

This ancient invocation reminds us to seek truth over illusion, light over ignorance, and immortality over transience, offering a timeless perspective of our eternal seeking as we navigate the rapid transformations of our time.

These profound lines mentioned above were, interestingly—but not surprisingly—featured in the soundtrack of the movie The Matrix, a film that explores the themes of illusion versus true nature of reality, enlightenment, and transcending mortal limits. In the movie, the Matrix represents 'asat' (falsehood)—an illusory world designed to control human beings. Neo, the main character, seeks to break free from this illusion, transcend the Matrix, and discover his true purpose, liberating himself from the control of machines.

Now, while we may imagine superintelligence suddenly taking us into a Matrix-like reality, it may not be a new happening - perhaps we are already in one—what the Vedas refer to as Maya. The real question is whether advancing technology will strengthen the grip of the "Matrix or Maya” or help us begin to comprehend and untangle our way out of it in the times ahead.

As we take our first steps into a world of altered reality, powered by AI and its mind-bending possibilities, it is fascinating to reflect on the wisdom of ancient Sanskrit texts. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad delves deeply into the true nature of reality, the self, and the all-pervading consciousness. It explores the eternal self—atman (the self)—and brahman (the causal universe), offering profound insights into both interconnectedness and liberation from the "Matrix."

The Upanishads describes the atman as eternal and beyond physical existence, emphasizing its completeness and oneness with brahman, the infinite and eternal reality. It teaches that brahman, the causal universe, is the most subtle and fundamental principle of existence—a pure consciousness or intelligence from which everything arises. This includes not only the physical, but also the mental, emotional, and metaphysical realms. It reminds us that the ultimate reality is beyond words or the constructs of a limited mind, and it cannot be perceived with senses confined to our physical realm – that what we also called Shiva, other than or beyond everything which is the literal meaning of the word Shiva in Sanskrit.

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Our ancient rishis have described in detail the immense power, splendor, and grandeur of Maya—the delusion or the matrix of existence—and the eternal quest of every being, not just humans, to transcend and be liberated, whatever that may mean. This eternal longing is, at its core, a desire to become Sat-Chit-Ananda—the eternal, infinite, and divine essence itself.

The infinite, by definition, cannot be separate from anything or anyone; otherwise, it would cease to be infinite and therefore there cannot be one infinite which is separate from another infinite.

We seek to be Sat, the eternal, for only that which is unchanging and everlasting can be the truth. We seek Chit, a state of complete awareness, where there is nothing more to know. We seek Ananda, a state of absolute and eternal bliss. Together, these three—Sat, Chit, and Ananda—represent the divine, or what we call Ishwara. At our deepest level, our ambition or longing is nothing short of becoming one with the infinite, the divine.

Since we cannot be a separate divine or a separate infinite—because that would contradict the nature of infinity—we seek to merge with it. They called the process of realization of this oneness Yoga, meaning "union" in Sanskrit. Through this union, we strive to be Advaita, free from all dualities, and to rediscover our true nature as Sat-Chit-Ananda. We long to be eternal, to expand our awareness, and to escape suffering in pursuit of everlasting joy. This yearning is universal - shared by all humans, whether good or bad, young or old, intelligent or simple.

The continuous striving of individuals and societies is the very essence of life. The rishis tell us that our perception of an inadequate self, driven by the limitations of time, knowledge, and joy, fuels this eternal quest. If we examine carefully, we find that be it tiniest elements or the largest elements of nature, all possess Chit i.e. awareness or intelligence—in varying degrees of manifestation. This universal consciousness is all-pervading, and it is not incorrect to say that there is nothing that is not Shiva, or nothing that is not a manifestation of the divine itself."

It’s this fine shloka from the Isha Upanishad which wonderfully touches upon the idea of oneness with the divine or the infinite.

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Om: The primordial sound, representing the ultimate reality

Purnam-Adah: That (the unmanifest, Brahman) is complete

Purnam-Idam: This (the manifest universe) is complete

Purnat Purnam-Udachyate: From that completeness, this completeness emerges.

Purnasya Purnam-Adaya: If completeness is taken away from completeness,

?Purnam-Eva-Avashishyate: What remains is still complete.

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The "That" (????????) refers to the unmanifest, transcendent Absolute.

The "This" (?????????) refers to the manifest universe, which is also complete because it arises from the Absolute.

The shloka speaks of the Absolute Reality (Brahman), which is infinite, unchanging, and complete despite all the separation and constant change that we experience in the manifest universe. Enlightened masters have also told us that the “Universe” is the creation of the self, the observer, which fundamentally is not separate from the infinite self.

When Einstein expressed his skepticism towards the concept of quantum entanglement, he famously remarked, 'Does this mean the moon doesn’t exist if I’m not looking at it?' and referred to it as 'spooky action at a distance.' Today, we are beginning to realize that not only do we have 'spooky action at a distance,' but we also have 'spooky action across various points in time!' This raises questions about the very nature of space and time and how they come to exist and may demolish mankind's understanding of space and time.

The rishis had a deep understanding of Kaal, which extends far beyond the conventional western notion of time. In ancient Indian thought, Kaal represents a profound, multidimensional principle that encompasses time, space, causality, and cosmic cycles.

This perspective differs significantly from the rather limited view of time often held in conventional thought, which sees direction of time to be like an arrow moving in a straight line from a position called "past" to a position called "future," at a constant, notional rate—with no possibility of moving forward or backward. The rishis, on the other hand, perceived time as a series of repetitive patterns, cycles, and rhythms.

It is often said that the entire creation is nothing but Spandan. The closest English equivalents I can think of are vibration, pulsation, or resonance, spanning scales from the subatomic to the galactic. I must admit, however, that I don’t fully comprehend the rather esoteric word Spandan, with its layers of meaning and deeper connotations.

The cyclic nature of Kaal is reflected in the Yugas (Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali), which repeat endlessly, and the Kalpas, vast cycles of creation and dissolution. Time, as part of Kaal, is seen as a loop where past, present, and future coexist in a continuum—a view intriguingly aligned with emerging insights in relativity and quantum mechanics.

Kaal is described as the cosmic canvas on which the processes of Creation, Sustenance, and Dissolution occur. It governs Srishti (creation), Sthiti (preservation), and Laya (dissolution), acting as the universal force behind all transformations—both individual and cosmic. These principles are also personified as Brahma (Creation principle), Vishnu (Preservation principle), and Shiva (Dissolution principle).

The Bhagavad Gita describes Kaal as the all-consuming force driving the movement and transformation of the universe. Shiva, often referred to as Mahakaal, meaning the "great Kaal"—one who is beyond Kaal (space and time) and simultaneously its master.

You might wonder if this is just a chauvinistic Indian’s bias, glorifying ancient Indian thinkers. I am truly a nobody to judge either the rishis or the great scientists. However, I can give significant weight to the words of some of the greatest scientists and Nobel laureates who have spoken about the profound level of understanding achieved by our sages.

You may also have heard of Erwin Schr?dinger. ?The Austrian physicist won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933. The Bhagavad Gita is the most beautiful philosophical song existing in any known tongue,” said Schrodinger. His biography and published works show the influence of Sanatan Dharma on his work

“This life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of this entire existence, but in a certain sense the whole; only this whole is not so constituted that it can be surveyed in one single glance. This, as we know, is what the rishis express in that sacred, mystic formula which is yet really so simple and so clear; tat tvam asi, this is you. Or, again, in such words as “I am in the east and the west, I am above and below, I am this entire world.” [Schr?dinger,’Meine Weltansicht’ (My View of the World), 1961]

“The multiplicity is only apparent. This is the doctrine of the Upanishads. And not of the Upanishads only. The mystical experience of the union with God regularly leads to this view, unless strong prejudices stand in the West.” [Erwin Schr?dinger, What is Life?, p. 129, Cambridge University Press]

“From the early great Upanishads, the recognition Atman= Brahman (the personal self, equals the omnipresent, all-comprehending eternal self) was in Indian thought considered, far from being blasphemous, to represent the quintessence of deepest insight into the happenings of the world. The striving of all the scholars of Vedanta was, after having learned to pronounce with their lips, really to assimilate in their minds this grandest of all thoughts.” [From an essay on determinism and free will]

“Most of my ideas & theories are heavily influenced by Vedanta,” writes Schrodinger. In speaking of a universe in which particles are represented by wave functions he said “The unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics. This is entirely consistent with the Vedanta concept of All in One”

“There is no kind of framework within which we can find consciousness in the plural; this is simply something we construct because of the temporal plurality of individuals, but it is a false construction. The only solution to this conflict insofar as any is available to us at all lies in the ancient wisdom of the Upanishad.” (Mein Leben, Meine Weltansicht [My Life, My World View] (1961), Chapter 4)

German Nobel Laureate Werner Heisenberg famous for his principle of uncertainty has been one of the biggest names in world of physics and quantum mechanics. The deep influence of Vedanta on his work is well documented.

In Uncommon Wisdom: Conversations with Remarkable People (1988), Frtjof Capra writes about the conversation between Tagore and Heisenberg: “He began to see that the recognition of relativity, interconnectedness, and impermanence as fundamental aspects of physical reality, which had been so difficult for himself and his fellow physicists, was the very basis of Indian spiritual traditions.”

“Quantum theory will not look ridiculous to people who have read Vedanta” states Heisenberg.

Robert Oppenheimer- the father of the atomic bomb said “Access to the Vedas is the greatest privilege this century may claim over all previous centuries”

Nobel Laureate Physicist Neil's Bohr is known to have provided the world the knowledge of the atomic structure said “I go into the Upanishads to ask questions"

Nikola Tesla - The great inventor who inspired Elon Musk to name his company Tesla. “All perceptible matter comes from a primary substance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, the Akasha or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon by the life-giving Prana or creative force, calling into existence, in never-ending cycles, all things and phenomena.” [Man’s Greatest Achievement, John J. O’Neal., & Prodigal Genius, The Life of Nikola Tesla, 1944]

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. An ardent student of the Upanishads, Schopenhauer had declared, “In the whole world there is no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. It has been the solace of my life. It will be the solace of my death.”

To me, there is no contradiction—neither in terms of the longing nor in the knowledge itself. However, there is a distinction in the approaches through which understanding has predominantly developed. One relies on the empirical, utilizing the five senses and experimentation, while the other seeks to transcend, diving straight and quickly into the very source of existence to "download," so to speak, an understanding through heightened perception and direct experience.

Knowledge of the Rishis is obtained by raising the dimensions of perception and diving deep into the source of creation, the source of existence. It is in the observer’s perception that the universe manifests and not the other way round. Interestingly, our Rishis say that meru dandd (spinal cord) is the centre of Universe. Isn't it the physical manifestation of the ability to percieve ? That is why the importance of going to the source - no perception no universe. That makes the knowledge far more profound, all-encompassing and universal but that also makes it far more difficult to prove or even comprehend conceptually. One has to, therefore, progress and elevate to realize. When I think of it, whether it is the structure of the atom or anything else that is not in my realization, it is either a hypothesis or a “fairy tale” that I am more inclined to believe than others. However, unfortunately, there is no short cut to raise our level of perception and that needs saadhna, practice, initiation and close guidance since it is to explore dimensions beyond our limitations wherein all our concepts must be demolished to see the true nature of what is, not what appears.

Conventional scientists of modern times have focused more on external manifestation and empirical evidence-based research. The inherent limitation here is that it starts and ends with the body and its capabilities or limitations. That said, I am sure that even modern scientists dive into the source, knowingly or unknowingly. After all, the source and the light are the same in all

Enlightened masters have understood that there is no fundamental difference between the causal, intelligent universe and the material universe, for it is the unmanifest that gives rise to the manifest. This reminds me of a discourse by Swami Dayananda Saraswati that I had good fortune of attending, a great master of Advaita Vedanta whose introductory work The Teaching of the Bhagavad Gita is must-read. He has beautifully summarized the deepest truths about the nature of the human mind in an exceptionally lucid and simple manner.

Therefore, while consciousness may seem to exist within the domain of space and time, it is, in fact, space and time that exist within the domain of consciousness. For those who have transcended the limitations of the physical, this is not merely a concept—it is a living reality, a plane they can exist on, operate from, and live through.

That formless infinite is pure formless consciousness and often referred to as Shiva. Shiva in Sanskrit also means “other than all else” which represents that from which everything emerges and merges into yet that which is “other than” or “beyond” all that we see or feel, beyond all concepts and comprehension which are limited senses in the physical realm.

The wisdom of our ancient scientists or rishis thus also provides an assurance and that there is no reason to worry. Fundamentally it is very much an expected part of our eternal longing to seek nothing short of Sat-Chit-Ananda or the infinite itself and towards which all beings continue progress in these never-ending cycles of birth and death. It is inherent not only to humans but all beings.

Advanced technologies are transforming our lives, our organizations, and the way we work. These innovations hold the potential to solve unimaginable problems and present challenges we’ve never encountered before.

Within our lifetimes Robots will be seen doing almost everything that humans do include complex surgeries autonomously. We will see Robots merge with humans via BCI (brain computer interfaces).

With advanced AI, Quantum computing coupled with advanced sensor technologies, it may become impossible for anyone to lie, and I do not even have any doubts that such devices are well within the reach of technology. Can you imagine, what happens once the civilisation agrees to deploy these? Calling the impact transformational will be huge understatement – it will be an annihilation of how the civilisation has worked for hundreds of thousands of years! Dawn of the Satyug, as we may say, is a complete possibility, if we as humans are willing to adopt and adapt the capabilities of technology.

More importantly, this transformed society will get increasingly desperate to ask questions we as society never asked; what it means to being human, what exactly are the limits of existence, of time, of space, of knowing and do they exist at all or are we anyway a play of some “divine” code.

I find that some of my attempts to scribble thoughts from my usually confused mind are encouraged by a desire to communicate with my daughters—to share what I find so fascinating and, more importantly, to ignite their curiosity. I want them to learn and benefit from the incredible advancements in science and technology while also striving to learn from the mind-blowing ancient knowledge and wisdom. There is, of course, no contradiction between the two, as both are driven by the same quest and longing, albeit approached differently. The times to come will, in all likelihood, witness a tremendous convergence of these two realms, offering unimaginable potential to further the eternal quest, longing, and purpose of life itself.

We notice that our construct of identity is itself fickle, constantly shifting with every passing moment, whether it pertains to our body, mind, emotions, or self-image. In fact, even Maya—the illusion—is a part of reality in its own way, much like any movie is. Yet, in this age, we possess remarkable tools—our knowledge, intellect, and the evolving capabilities of AI and quantum technologies—that can help us cut through these layers like a laser, revealing deeper truths about existence.

We simply move from one level of perception to another, and then another, in our journey to become one with the divine Sat-Chit-Ananda—the ultimate state of existence, consciousness, bliss, and completeness. This is not because I want my daughters to simply believe what I express, for true knowledge is not in what I say, nor in what they hear, or even what they believe. It is what we realize deep within, cutting through the layers of conditioning, concepts, mindsets, and biases shaped by our identification with a limited identity and the constraints of the labels we continue to acquire and cling to.

I don’t wish to impart knowledge, because there is very little that I can offer compared to both the great scientists and the rishis. What I truly wish for them is to sustain a burning fire of curiosity—a spark that inspires them to explore the boundless, mysteries of existence. I hope to fan this eternal quest and nourish their longing for deeper understanding—one that transcends both ancient wisdom and modern science. Such a journey would make life a beautiful quest, a wonderful adventure, so much worth living, and so much fun.

We have evolved from walking to carts, from cars to trains, from planes to supersonic aircraft, and now to space rockets blasting off to the far reaches of the solar system—metaphorically speaking, an extraordinary journey of development across many aspects of human progress.

The adventure ahead promises to be even more thrilling, so fasten your seat belts, everyone—especially boys and girls! Let us embrace the awe-inspiring yet nerve-wracking odyssey that lies before us.

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PS: Last but not the least I must acknowledge with gratefulness that most of it is something that I have gained from several places’ books, writings of masters, talks, writings and here and there.