Journal 4:- How old is our habits and how old is our true Nature?

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Social media algorithms is outstanding, I don’t know, how it works but the way it works is visible to all of us. Now, we don’t go to finding shops matching out tastes, rather shops are at our doors fully aware of our tastes and preferences.

And that’s all because of algorithms that videos just come up in you tube based on our unique preferences.

So, recently, one video came up over my you tube page, with a question-


This question seems quite intriguing to me.

Vedanta teacher- Acharya Prashant answers to this question as-

In spite of the fact, that "our Nature is awareness/ consciousness, we live by our habits."

This statement alone answers it all.

 We, humans, have long standing evolutionary habits of our own. And this intrigued me further to make an effort to compare the depth of our evolutionary habits with the teachings of Vedanta and Upanishads of our true nature.

So, just dive with numbers and travel back in time.

Timeline from big bang to formation of organism on earth to evolution of humans to revolutions

Note- This timeline has been referred from the book-

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. ( Get your copy here!!)

 

 

 

13.8 billion years

Big bang event

>> time space begins = Study in Physics

 

 

 

3lakh years after Big Bang Event

1lakh = 0.0001 billion

.0003 billion years is 3 lakh

, around 13.8003 billion years

formation of atoms, molecules

 

Study in Chemistry

 

 

 

4.5 billion years ago

Formation of Earth

Its like after around 9 billion years of Big Bang Event- earth is formed

 

 

 

3.8 billion years ago

Formation of organism

Study In biology

 

 

Around 6 million yrs ago

Last common grandmother of humans and chimpanzees

This happened because one female ape has two daughters. 

One is common ancestor of chimpanzees and 

Other common grandmother. 

So, homo sapiens belong to family called apes. 

 

 

 

Around 2.5 million years ago

Animals like humans appeared

First evolution of genus homo.

 From ape genus= southern ape- Australopithecus

 

 

Evolution of genus homo in Africa

Stone tool appeared

 

 

 

Around 2 million yrs ago

 

Here, we see- human characters 

Like- mothers cuddling their babies 


 

 

 

Around 2 lakh years ago

Homo sapiens evolves in East Africa

 

 

 

 

Around 70k from now

Cognitive revolution

 

 

 

 

Around 10,000-12000 BC

Agriculture rev

 

 


Just a quick reference, who understand indian system of counting better as against international system of counting-



Source- Google

Million = 6 zeroes

Million, 10 million, 100 million, 1000million and 1 billion = 9 zeroes

1million = 10 lakh

1 billion = 1 arab


Now, wonders from the table above-

Going through the table, it makes me wonder that our habits are just so ancient.

Earth itself is 4.5 bn years old, i.e. 450 crore years old. Error range can be of plus or minus 50 million years ago. Just imagine, an empty solid piece of rock revolving around the Sun, silently, with hidden traces of life in it.

We as humans share last common ancestry with chimpanzees that lived around 6 million years ago. i.e. around 60lakh years ago.

If , I take into account, the year, when animals like humans started appearing- it turned out to be 2.5 million years ago i.e. Almost 25lakh years ago.

And Homo-sapiens is as old as 3 lakh years ago.

The three important revolutions- cognitive, agriculture and scientific seem so new and fresh as compared to the evolution of life on earth.

1st Agriculture revolution – neolithic revolution- around 10,000BC.

This is timeline pertaining to habits that exist in our human machine.

Now, coming to भारत दर्शन (Bhartiya darshan) – Vedas and Upanishads were written b/w 1200BC- 400BC.

Buddhism and Jainism Philosophy pertain to b/w 5th century BC-4th century BC.

भारत दर्शन (Bhartiya darshan) which alone has enabled humans to know its true Nature, seems so new as if, recently born, against our long standing evolutionary habits.

No wonder, slavery to habits as if we are machines working mindlessly, sleeping like a sloth, eating like gorillas can be easily traced to our long ancestry.

Hmm..

But, to all those who struggle fighting their habits; there is a good news.

In spite of these habits being old and ancient, there is one power that Vedanta दर्शन (Bhartiya darshan) has blessed us with- Power of choice, which is available every moment.

So, now you find yourself sleeping like sloth and eating mindlessly like chimpanzees- just pause for a moment and ask your habits- Am I really supposed to be your slave?

This question alone has empowered you now to make a choice towards your true Nature-

Hurray!! Enjoy your freedom and be joyful!! :)

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