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Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics (Perennial Classics)
by Gary Zukav
by Gary Zukav
Riku Sayuj's review
bookshelves: reviews
Dec 10, 12
bookshelves: reviews
Recommended for:
Prof Himanshu Rai
Read from November 26 to 30, 2011 — I own a copy
The happiest thought I take out of this book is the fact that science is no longer taking a direction opposite to that of religion, philosophy or spirituality - all the noblest endeavors of mankind were fundamentally tied together after all. It was just that we, with our obsessive propensity to classify and divide had made the artificial boundaries.
The only complaint about the book is the fact that it goes into needless depth about the fundamentals of classical physics and then skims over the "new physics" to an extent. Also, Zukav seems to feel that repeating an idea or concept three times is the best way to convey it to the lay person.
Except for these peeves, it was magnificent to look at Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg etc not as scientists discussing theories and experiments but as philosophers arguing over the nature of reality and mysticism.
The reader has to keep in mind that this is by no means a very up to date book and Einstein and his contemporaries star in the narrative more than CERN or Hadrons or Higgs. But this does not take away the fact that the new theories, though radically departed from what was "new physics" at the time of publishing of this book, still corroborates his base arguments. That too in even more weirder and psychedelic ways.
The more I read in the realm of new physics, the more I am convinced that all truly fundamental scientific theories tend to follow a life cycle - rejection, ridicule, incredulity, acceptance, dogmatism, degeneration, overthrowal, and finally resurrection. This is the case with all true ideas - so it might be with our vedic and oriental philosophies too. The physics classes and laboratories of this century might have meditation lessons and yogic experiments...
Science might finally grow up enough to explain to lay people what only mystics and yogis could experience - we might finally evolve the language and the concepts to explain and understand the structure of the universe without experiencing it - we might know nirvana without feeling it. Is that an uplifting or depressing thought, I am not sure.
The only complaint about the book is the fact that it goes into needless depth about the fundamentals of classical physics and then skims over the "new physics" to an extent. Also, Zukav seems to feel that repeating an idea or concept three times is the best way to convey it to the lay person.
Except for these peeves, it was magnificent to look at Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg etc not as scientists discussing theories and experiments but as philosophers arguing over the nature of reality and mysticism.
The reader has to keep in mind that this is by no means a very up to date book and Einstein and his contemporaries star in the narrative more than CERN or Hadrons or Higgs. But this does not take away the fact that the new theories, though radically departed from what was "new physics" at the time of publishing of this book, still corroborates his base arguments. That too in even more weirder and psychedelic ways.
The more I read in the realm of new physics, the more I am convinced that all truly fundamental scientific theories tend to follow a life cycle - rejection, ridicule, incredulity, acceptance, dogmatism, degeneration, overthrowal, and finally resurrection. This is the case with all true ideas - so it might be with our vedic and oriental philosophies too. The physics classes and laboratories of this century might have meditation lessons and yogic experiments...
Science might finally grow up enough to explain to lay people what only mystics and yogis could experience - we might finally evolve the language and the concepts to explain and understand the structure of the universe without experiencing it - we might know nirvana without feeling it. Is that an uplifting or depressing thought, I am not sure.
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Reading Progress
| 11/26/2011 | page 37 |
|
9.0% | |
| 11/27/2011 | page 63 |
|
15.0% | "With a Title like that, how can anyone resist the book? In addition, the introduction has even more tempting invitations - "I scarcely could believe what I had discovered. Physics was not the sterile, boring discipline that I had assumed it to be. It was a rich, profound venture which had become inseparable from philosophy. Incredibly, no one but physicists seemed to be aware of this remarkable development."" |
| 11/28/2011 | page 170 |
|
41.0% | "The importance of nonsense hardly can be overstated. The more clearly we experience something as "nonsense," the more clearly we are experiencing the boundaries of our own self-imposed cognitive structures." |
| 11/30/2011 |
|
100.0% | "Whoa, man, this whole physics trip is like, far out!" |
Comments (showing 1-9 of 9) (9 new)
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Ashwini
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Dec 04, 2011 09:10pm
yep true. i was already feeling what the premise of this book is after having "experienced" such and then finding its resonance in discoveries of science. and exactly as you said, science is catching upto what has already been laid down in the vedas. the vedas have a general overbearing premise, while modern science is leading to it with a step by step method. vedas contain discovery of the inner world, the travel within self. the science contains the discovery of the outer world, the travel with-out self. both will eventually lead to the same answer :)
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Ashwini wrote: "yep true. i was already feeling what the premise of this book is after having "experienced" such and then finding its resonance in discoveries of science. and exactly as you said, science is catchi..."But given our scientific indoctrination, we are no longer capable of accepting what we know to be true without objective evidence... :(
But given our scientific indoctrination, we are no longer capable of accepting what we know to be true without objective evidence... :( ^nirvana involves the breaking apart of precisely these kind of beliefs and indoctrinations. With science man has learnt to place faith in things outside himself, but not within himself. Man's self is subjected to constant doubt to be certified only by outside scrutiny. This is but another path for discovery of the self, not to say this is a wrong path. Through following the wrong path itself can also lead to discovery of "the path". Remember valmiki - dacoit - sage example. From uttering "mara" to "ram."
Science is but just the other method, though it may seem to be an "utterly" misplaced or horrendously wrong for some, but it is not. The path of science is just the other part of the same coin of which "ancient self-knowledge and nirvanic experience" is a part.
What m essentially saying is "duality". Two paths, one - the inner and the other - the outer (science). Both will eventually lead to the same thing as they are part of the same thing, but different facets.
So do not worry, people through their own ways will eventually reach it in sometime to come!!
But to end here, take up what Kant said, "that one cannot have reason by virtue of pure thought and it can only be via an "experience". Science might objectively create a theory or extra-somatic knowledge ( noted in print ), but I doubt if that by itself might lead people to what you expected.
Ashwini wrote: "But given our scientific indoctrination, we are no longer capable of accepting what we know to be true without objective evidence... :( ^nirvana involves the breaking apart of precisely these ki..."
Since we both agree, I guess I can only say "well put" :)
Even though i wish we could carry on this conversation.
On your last point though, my opinion is that we might have limited perception of the real powers of rational inquiry or Science, the other side of the coin as you put, in leading us to a better understanding of the spiritual truths.
I think eastern religion and philosophy have a better grasp in the spiritual field, not to mention they are much older. I like this part of the review. "Except for these peeves, it was magnificent to look at Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg etc not as scientists discussing theories and experiments but as philosophers arguing over the nature of reality and mysticism."
Thanks for bringing this book to my attention.
Moonbutterfly wrote: "I think eastern religion and philosophy have a better grasp in the spiritual field, not to mention they are much older. I like this part of the review. "Except for these peeves, it was magnificen..."
Thanks! I am sure you will enjoy it too.
Wonderful review, which I agree with wholeheartedly and the flaws you point out dragged my rating down. The book has a great message conceptually, could have been better communicated
