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Articles: Education/Training | Dharmik Concepts
- Mr. kedarnath jonnalagadda
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What Is The 'dhärmik' Viewpoint?
The ancient Vedic Indian viewpoint is 'sanätana dharmaà'. This has connotation for eternal all pervasive principles of origin, divergence, existence and dissolution of all phenomena in the Cosmos. India's scriptures and culture are all about 'dharmaà'. 'dhar' is the elemental form in the word. It has meaning 'to bear', 'to uphold', 'to bring about cohesion'.
'dharmaà' has broad connotations for 'underlying cohesive principles among things observed as disparate in the Cosmos'. It also has principles for living by Man that are in harmony with the eternal 'dharmaà'.
'dhärmik' means related to 'dharmaà'.
'dharmaà' includes 'sathyam' meaning 'reality', 'nija' meaning 'innate', 'native', 'constant', 'continual' with connotation of 'truthful reporting' (Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil – 'nijam') and 'karmaà' meaning activity.
'vedam', the Indian scriptures are in the form of long poems. They are the origin of 'vidyä', roughly equivalent to learnable / learnt knowledge and 'jïänaà' roughly that which is known / knowable and knowledge. These have connotations for totality of knowledge about a subject and associated wisdom.
'vedam' is also called 'çruti' with connotation for harmonious sound. In their bare essence, knowledge - 'vidyä' and jïänaà' is about observable objects or phenomena in the Universe. They have connotations implying them to be more of a bestowed nature with included reverence for subject rather than acquisitions of some sort.
It is believed that 'vidyä' and 'jïänaà' are received by grace from a teacher, guru and from the higher powers. There always is a great reverence for the guru, the subject matter and the processes in 'vidyä' and 'jïänaà'.
'vijïänaà' is Science with technology included.
The 'dhätu', 'vij' has meanings to separate, to divide, to distinguish and to discern.
The organs of knowledge, 'jjïänendriya' enable us to observe Nature. Incident energy from objects or impact of objects themselves on the organs of knowledge is the first step of 'vidyä' and 'jïänaà'.
Any phenomenon in Nature is 'observable' because it announces its presence in a way. This is because of its qualities 'guëa'.
There are two things to be considered in the matter of qualities – 'guëa'
Gross qualities of observable phenomena
Innate nature of the gross qualities - 'guëatrayaù'
'satvaù' this innate nature of the gross qualities of phenomena is universal and harmoniously shared. The 'dhätu', is 'sat' with meaning - to be a part or portion.
'rajaù' This evokes excitation or effects that can be best understood by looking at the 'dhätu', – 'raj' with meaning - to be colored, to redden, to dye, to be attached to, to be excited, to be pleased with; the mode of passion.
'tamaù' - This is associated with general lethargy, dullness as can be seen from its 'dhätu', – 'tam' with meaning - to desire, to be fatigued.
Animate or living things are alive because of a principle called 'präëam'.
The sum of the characteristics that the living thing exhibits between birth and death is a process of growth and slow decay. This is called 'jévaëam'.
In addition to the organs of knowledge 'jjïänendriya' we have organs for action – 'karmendriya' .
'buddhi' is the ultimate 'processor'. It has connotations for sum total utilization of human capability. The elements input for 'buddhi' are actually elements of 'vidyä' and 'jïänaà' - knowledge.
Information is a transient product– if the 'buddhi' thinks it important enough the elements go on to becoming 'vidyä' and 'jïänaà' – knowledge. Marathi is the only modern Indian language that has an exact equivalent use to information - 'mähité' (Has the elemental forms - 'mäh' meaning measure and 'ité' and 'é' meaning to flow).
A Re-Look at Data and Information
In light of the above viewpoints a re-look at data and information would be useful.
What indeed is data? 'Data is record-able measurements of observable phenomena in Nature'.
We can observe directly with our organs of knowledge 'jjïänendriya' or invent sensors and probes to do the job for us and describe what has been observed. These descriptions are recorded on paper, audio-tape, magnetic media or in any other way. Such recorded material is data. They are depictions or representations made by us on what was observed.
What about things that have been entirely conceived by us only? Abstract paintings, mathematics, fiction, illusions and the many things in the human mind are phenomena too because we ourselves are phenomena! We can observe our thoughts and ourselves and can keep records of them quantitatively or qualitatively as data. These could be pictures of a UFO or an erupting volcano or recordings of heights, weights, number of voters, males and females in an area, brightness of light, color of light, heart beat, sound pitch and pulse rate and whatever else.
Data may be stored after recording. We may tidy them up a bit by storing in columns, collating related items, sorting in some desired manner or otherwise categorizing them. Data can be transformed using statistical techniques and may be output to store and retrieve and analyze later. All this is processing of data. At any or all stages initial data or transformations thereof may need to be stored, retrieved and output for inference, or for any other reason. At the end of all this storage and retrieval and processing, 'processed data' is output and not information!
When You Understand Data It Becomes Information
The user may derive an understanding or meaning from the data in its raw form, or in the beginning, during or at the end of processing. Sometimes it may be even be many days later. Only then will data become information to the user. And when it becomes that, if important enough for him it becomes part of his knowledge. So, data is data to all, but information is meaning derived by specific individuals. This understanding is in the framework of reference to the individual's own personal experience, relevance and context. This is best understood by analogy to understanding meanings of words. Take the word, space. An astronomer understands the word far differently from a common man. An astronaut’s understanding would be different from the astronomer and the common man. And this understanding would be far, far different from that of an architect designing a multi-storied complex on a B3 size sheet of paper.
Most of us are concerned with words and data that are more down to earth. Perhaps, in the marketing department of a company, a draft report is passed around to get consensus opinion. The report has data processed with every possible care to convey information. But has it become information? Some of those read it may say, 'Yes', some may say 'No' and some more could have 'null' opinion or 'It's not my business'. So, technically speaking, data by itself may or may not become information and processing data may or may not make it information. There is nothing absolute about information.
More About Data
A brief look into the processes of computing gives more insight for understanding data. How is data input into the computer? Data input devices such as keyboard, light pen, touch screen and microphones take care of that. Furthermore there are input-output devices such as floppy disks, hard disks, RW-CD ROMS and modems for remote data.
How is data represented in a computer? The 'way of representing data' is first order ingenuity to me. In the computer binary logic is used. The start point is the 'bit' with a location logic value of '0' or '1'. This can be physically 'off' or 'on'. This may be a magnetized or non magnetized zone, a high or low voltage zone, high or low light reflecting zone, high or low sound pitch zone and so on. From these are formed the 'bytes'. If 'bits' were considered to be letters then 'bytes' would be 'words'. And with this logic, different types of data such as numbers, letters and special characters, sounds and pictures are depicted electronically. This actually is a very simple hierarchy for depiction.
Numerical hierarchy comprising on or off location value, bits and bytes and depicted 'numbers' The end use of the hierarchy are numbers and whatever you want to do with them.
Alphanumerical hierarchy comprising on or off location value, bits and bytes and depicted 'letters words-sentences-paragraphs- so on'. The end use of this hierarchy is non-numeric characters including the alphabet of a language with which a lot can be done.
Visual hierarchy comprising on or off location value, bits and bytes, pixels or picture elements, to depict pictures on the screen or other output devices. The end use of the hierarchy is pictures and whatever you may want to do with them.
Sound hierarchy comprising digital depiction of sound.
Touch and feel hierarchy comprising on or off location value, bits, bytes, and digital depictions of inputs from touch sensors, heat sensors, micro electrical sensors and whatever are components of capability to touch and feel.
The above elements of data input, analyzed and processed in different ways and output in some desired form ultimately.
In its barest essence all the above hierarchies are ways to represent the recordings of our own capabilities of observations of phenomena in Nature by the organs of knowledge - 'jjïänendriya'. We are more capable because we can process data belonging to the 'smell' hierarchy and the 'taste' hierarchy too.
The 'jjïänendriya' - Organ for Knowledge are the following
'cakñurindriyaà' - Organ for sight
'çrotendriyaà' - Organ for listening
'tvaginidriyaà' - skin – Organ for perception of touch
'gränendriyaà' - Organ for smell
'rasanendriyaà' - Enjoyment, interest 'rasanaà' tongue
The 'manas' or mind has a special status.
'karmendriya' - Organs for action
vak - Speech
paëi - Hands
padaà - The step - Feet and legs
väyuù - Breath
upasthä - The sex and excretory organs
The types of observations that can be made by the organs of knowledge 'jjïänendriya'can be classified as
Physics based observations of Nature
'Seeing' - perceiving incident light energy. The incident energy can be depicted and recorded as Visual hierarchy type of data.
'Hearing' - perceiving energy within sound waves. The incident energy can be depicted and recorded as Audio hierarchy type of data.
'Touch' is in the realm of perceiving mechanical energy in the forms of kinetic and potential (gravitational potential and / or elastic potential) or even direct electrical energy. We can depict these as Mechanical energy hierarchy, or Electrical energy hierarchy type of data.
'Micro level' Physics or Chemistry based observations of Nature. These types of observations have Physics as their basis too, but at a level that is microcosmic. The interaction of atoms and molecules are involved and that technically is in the realm of Chemistry, Biochemistry and related subjects too. Here, electron and micro level energy transfers are involved.
'Smell' perceives impact of different types of tiny molecules in the air. This could be a delicious aroma emanating from your kitchen, the smell of flowers in a garden, moist rain, or odors and even stink. Theoretically, we could have olfactory hierarchy type of data. Besides perfumes, there are 'pheromones' that convey airborne messages to trigger response from the opposite sex. It is used for pest control largely. Human pheromones too are being marketed blatantly for 'unfair advantage' to users. This is not 'dhärmik' though.
'Taste' perceives sweetness, bitterness, salty, tangy, and spicy and various other tastes. These are from different types of tiny molecules in food and beverages we consume.
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