Universal Human values

Unit 4 : Harmony in the Nature/ Existence

Q.1. What are the four orders of nature? Briefly explain them.
Answer: All the physical objects that are in solid, liquid or gas state either living or non-
living, collectively termed as nature. In other words, the aggregate of all the mutually
interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together can be called nature. These units
are infinte in number and we could easily observe that there exists a dynamic balance, self
regulation among all these units. There are four orders of nature:
a. Material order : The big land mass of the continents, gigantic water bodies like ocean and
seas, mountains and rivers, the atmosphere above, the heaps of metals and mineral below,
the dense gases and fossil fuels deep below the surface of the earth – all fall into the material
order or padartha avastha. In fact, if we look around beyond the earth, the material order is
visible even in the form of stars, planets, moons and several astronomical bodies.
b. Plant/ Bio (Pranic) order : Our land mass is covered with grass and small shrubs and
they form the lining on the entire soil. Shrubs, plants and trees form huge forest along with
the flora in the ocean. All of this is the plant/bio order or prana avastha and it is the next
big order on our planet. (The material order is far greater in quantity compared to the
plant/bio order)
c. Animal order : Animals and birds form the third largest order and we call them the animal
order or jiva avastha. Here again, we see that the plant/bio order is far greater in quantity
than the animal order.
d. Human order : Human are the smallest order and they are referred to as human order or
gyana avastha. Animals are far greater in quantity as compared to the human order.

Q.2. How will you show interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment in four order of nature
with examples. OR
“Other than human order, the three orders are mutually fulfilling to each other”.
Explain with examples. OR
Material, pranic and animal order are fulfilling human order but human are not
fulfilling them. There is lack of mutual fulfilment from human order. How and why is it
so? OR
Discuss the human interrelationship with nature. OR
What are the orders of nature? How are all four orders interconnected? OR
How are we disturbing the balance in nature? OR
There are four orders in nature. How does each order participate in the harmony in the
nature? Give few example.
Answer: In the nature, all the units are connected to each other and fulfilling each other.
Human being is related to all other human beings. On this basis, we have feelings and emotions
for everyone. Human being is connected to all the material units in the existence and gets
aware of it as he starts exploring it. We can see this interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment
in the following diagram:

Material Order, Plant/Bio- Order and Animal Order: The material order provides the basis
for movement of all animals, birds and fishes. Water, oxygen and other gases are necessities
for both plants and animals. At the same time, the animal order helps enrich the soil with its
excreta and this excreta helps the plants with nutrients. The plant/bio order provides food for
animals, birds and fishes. The animal Order helps in pollination of the flowers of the pranic
order.
Material Order, Plant/Bio- Order, Animal Order and Human Order: We humans also
have a natural acceptance to be mutually fulfilling to these three orders. However, we are not
able to ensure this mutual fulfilment. We are dependent on the material order for soil and
minerals and metals, but only end up polluting the soil and depleting the fossil fuels; we are
dependent on plants for our food and holding together the larger ecosystem, but we have
destroyed forests and destroyed multiple species of plants and herbs; we are dependent on
animals to carry out our production and transportation activities, but have made many species
of animals extinct, and are today known for our cruelty towards animals. We can see that there
is interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment in all the orders of nature except human order. We
have to work on this:
Q.3. What are the four orders in nature? Describe their activities and natural
characteristics? OR
What do you understand by ‘activity’? Write down the activity of the four orders in
nature. OR
Distinguish between the activities of different orders of nature giving an example of each.
Answer: Combination of all that is in solid, liquid or gas state, or the aggregate of all the
mutually interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together can be called nature.
We can categorize all these units into four distinct orders.
· Material order
· Plant/ Bio (Pranic) order
· Animal order
· Human order
The four orders can be distinctly recognised in terms of their natural characteristics and
activities.
Order Things Activity Natural Characteristic
Soil,
Material water, Composition/
Composition / decomposition
order metals, decomposition
etc.
Composition/
Pranic Plants Composition / decomposition +
decomposition +
order and trees respiration
nurture/ worsen
(Composition/
(Composition / decomposition,
Animal Animals decomposition, nurture/
respiration) in body + selection in
order and birds worsen) in body + (non
‘I’
cruelty, cruelty) in ‘I’
(Composition/
(Composition /
decomposition, nurture/
Human Human decomposition, respiration) in
worsen) in body +
order beings body + (selection, thought,
(perceverance, bravery,
desire) in ‘I’
generosity) in ‘I’
Q.4. Define harmony in nature. OR
Explain the harmony in nature.
Ans: The aggregate of all the mutually interacting units – big or small, sentient or
insentient together can be called nature. These units are infinite in number and we could easily
observe that there exists a dynamic balance, self regulation among all these units. This
self regulation is harmony or balance in nature. The law of nature has a unique cause
and effect system which must be understood in order to be in harmony with the natural law
of things.
Natural harmony is necessary for the following reasons:
1. Natural harmony is necessary to solve the problem of global warming and depletion of non-
renewable natural resource can be avoided.
2. Natural harmony with trees cure all problems like – reduction of wind velocity,
energy savings, doing companion planting, development of an eco-subsystem in terms of
establishing a forest garden, reduction of building heat.
3. It is possible to achieve natural harmony in the establishment, maintenance and management
of educational institution like schools, colleges and universities.
4. One can understand the depths of harmony and alignment in natural by contemplating
and reflecting upon the natural order. It is possible to unravel the mystery of the natural
synthesis in the midst of ongoing chaos at the material plane.

Q.5. What do you mean by co-existence?

Ans: Co-existence in nature means there is a relationship and complementarity among
all the entities in nature including human beings. Co-existence is a state in which two or more
groups are living together while respecting their differences and resolving their conflicts non-
violently.
Co-existence has been defined in numerous ways:
1. To exist together (in time or space) and to exist in mutual tolerance.
2. To learn to recognize and live with difference.
3. To have a relationship between persons or groups in which none of the parties is trying to
destroy the other.
4. To exist together (in time or place) and to exist in mutual tolerance.
The world is full of Diversity – there are different nations, cultures, religions,
communities, languages, and beliefs. The beauty of existence can only be maximized if
everything in this world is in harmony. Peaceful, symbiotic co-existence is the key to
harmony in the world.
Q.6. What do you mean by ‘innateness’? What is the innateness in the four orders? OR
What do you understand by the term ‘innateness’ (dhaarna) in nature? Explain the
innateness of material and animal order in nature.
Ans: Innateness (dharana): Innateness means qualities which are innate to the unit. Each
unit in existence exhibits an innateness, an intrinsic quality that cannot be separated from it.
We refer this principle as innateness also called dharna of that unit. This is intrinsic to the unit.
Material order: When we burn coal and it has finished burning and only some ash is
left and smokes have gone out, it is not that the basic material, the fundamental particles
in coal, have ‘cease to exist’ or ‘disappeared’ from existence. They may not be visible
to the eye at that moment, but they continue to exist, they still are in the form of other
matter or in the form of gases, etc. This is there with all material units. We cannot destroy
matter, we can only convert it from one form to the other. Thus, “to exist”, or ‘existence’ is
intrinsic to all material, it is innate to it. We cannot separate the ‘existence’ of a thing from the
thing itself.
Plant/bio order: Because the pranic order is a development of the material order, it also has
the innateness of ‘existence’. In addition, it also exhibits the ‘growth’. This principle
of ‘growth’ cannot be separated from any units of this order. If it is of pranic order,
it will grow. For example, if you have a plant, you cannot stop it from growing. It
will continue to respire and keep changing in this way. The only way you can stop it from
growing is by cutting it, but when you do that, it ceases to belong to the pranic order,
instead decays and then belongs to the material order. So, as long as you have a plant, it
will grow.
Animal order: The animal body is a development of the pranic order and therefore
this order inherits the innateness of the previous order namely ‘existence’ and ‘growth’. This
is at the level of the body, which is physico-chemical in nature. In addition, all units in this
order have the ‘will to live’ in ‘I’. Indeed no unit in this order can be separated from this ‘will
to live’. It is intrinsic to every unit in this order.
Human (knowledge) order: When we look at the human being, we find that ‘existence’
and ‘growth’ are fundamentally present in the body, just as in the animal body. At the
level of ‘I’ however, in addition to the ‘will to live’, a human being’s innateness is
the ‘will to live with happiness’.

Order Things Innate-ness

Material Soil, water, metals,
Existence
order etc.
Pranic order Plants and trees Existence + growth
Animal
Animals and birds (Existence + growth) in body + will to live in ‘I’
order
Human (Existence + growth) in body + will to live with
Human beings
order happiness in ‘I’

Q.7. What is the svabhava (natural characteristic) of a unit? Elaborate on the svabhava
of a human order. OR
How does the natural characteristics (svabhava) of material order helped man to
lead a better life? OR
Explain the natural characteristics of the material and pranic orders. Give examples.
OR
What are the natural characteristics (swabhava) of human order? Explain.
ANS: When we look at the different orders in nature, we find that each order has a certain
value. In a fundamental way, this is the ‘usefulness’ or ‘participation’ of the order in existence.
This ‘value’ or ‘participation’ is also referred to as “natural characteristic”. The ‘characteristic’
the order displays in ‘natural to itself’. This is the same as the value of the entity, or its
participation also called ‘svabhava’. The svabhava of material order is
‘composition/decomposition’, of Plant/bio order is ‘composition/decomposition’ and to
nurture or worsen other pranic units. The svabhav of animal order and human order can be
understood in two aspects: body and self. The svabhav of animal order is Composition /
decomposition, nurture / worsen in body and non cruelty, cruelty in ‘I’. The svabhav of human
order is Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen in body and perseverance, bravery,
generosity in ‘I’.
Similar as to the case in animals, the human body also belongs to the plant/ bio order and hence
has the same svabhava or value/natural characteristic as the pranic order. It either nurtures or
worsens other pranic units. As in the example above, when I digest the vegetable, I absorb the
plant and it worsens, while my body is nurtured. The svabhava/ value of the self (‘I’) in human
beings is perseverance (dhirata), bravery (virata) and generosity (udarata).
Perseverance (dhirata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to
understand and live in harmony at all levels of existence, living with this commitment without
any perturbation.
Bravery (virata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and
live in harmony at all levels and I am ready to help the other to have the right understanding.
This is the commitment to help the other have the right understanding of the harmony and
living at all levels of existence.
Generosity (udarata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand
and live in harmony at all the four levels and I am ready to invest myself, my body and wealth
to help the other have the right understanding.
Human beings are not living as per this natural characteristic; even though we have a svabhava,
we are not living according to this. This is basic reason for the contradiction and conflict that
we see in human being. This is what leads to a state of unhappiness. Only when we live
according to our basic human characteristics as mentioned above, we have definite character,
otherwise, it is not definite, it is uncertain, unlike other three orders as discussed above.
Order Things Natural Characteristic
Material Soil, water, metals,
Composition / decomposition
order etc.
Pranic order Plants and trees Composition / decomposition + nurture / worsen
(Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen) in
Animal order Animals and birds
body + (non cruelty, cruelty) in ‘I’
 (Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen) in
Human order Human beings
body + (perceverance, bravery, generosity) in ‘I’

Q.8. What do you mean by ‘conformance’? Explain the conformance in the four orders.
Ans: Each unit conforms through the principle of conformance or anusangita. It means how
the continuity of the fundamental nature of the unit is preserved.

Material order : The continuity of the fundamental nature of the material unit is preserved
through the physical and chemical processes. Take iron for example. Each atom of iron
comforms to the constitutional structure of ‘Iron’. There is no atom of iron that will be unlike
the other atom of iron, if it were, we would not call it iron. We call this ‘constitution
conformance’. The material order exhibits constitution conformance. We can verify this for
all things in the material order. For example, oxygen, nitrogen, other gasses, gold, silver,
aluminium… all of them comform to and are always according to the constitution of their
kind. Hence, we say that any matter conforms to its constitution or has ‘constitution
conformance’.
Plant/bio order: A neem seed will always sprout a neem plant. All of us know this. Its fruits,
its leaves, the taste of the leaves, the colour of the leaves, all this information, this basic
information of every neem plant is stored in the seed. Thus, we say the plant is always as the
seed, or we can say, ‘as the seed, thus the plant’. Hence, we say that a plant conforms to the
seed, or has ‘seed comformance’. This ‘seed comformance’ method is the mechanism by
means of which the continuity of a plant species is mentained in nature/existence.
Animal order: We see that a cow is always like a cow, and a dog is always like a dog. Animals
conform to their lineage. How animals are, their behaviour, is according to their lineage they
belong to, the lineage they come from. Hence, we say that an animal comforms to its breed, or
has ‘breed conformance’. This breed conformance method is the mechanism by means of
which the continuity of an animal species is mentained in nature/existence.
Human (knowledge) order: We can see that we humans are not according to our lineage or
race, as in animals. We may pick up something from our parents as we grow up, but we are
usually very different in many ways from them. We humans are according to our imagination;
according to our desires, thoughts and selection in ‘I’. the desires, thoughts and selections we
have in ‘I’ can come from anywhere. It can come from past memories, it can come from our
parents, the environment, the media, anywhere. In the case of humans, we can say ‘as the
education, so the human’. We are according to our desires, thoughts and selections. Together,
we call these ‘sanskara’. Hence, we say that a human being comforms to his or her sanskar or
has ‘sanskaar conformance’.
Q.9. How the activity is in human order is different with that of animal and plant order?
Ans: An activity means something that ‘has motion’ and /or ‘has a result’. The material order
is active in multiple ways, and the same with the plant order or animal order or human order.
We are sitting in a room. But we are active. We are thinking, desiring, the body has breath
running, heart throbbing. The air in the room is blowing. The wall standing constantly also has
activity.
The chair in the room is also active. It may not be very visible to our eyes but the chair is still
active.
We can understand this activity in two ways:
 Things that we see are ‘visibly moving’, through the naked eyes, such as a spinning
top, a moving bus, a running man, are active, and
 All things that are ‘visibly stationery’, are not moving, are also active. Like a stationary
chair. The activity of chair is that the wood of the chair is interacting with the environment
and as a result it decays with time.
 All units around us, including ourselves, are active, all the time. They are interacting with
the environment. In the activity, there is a state or configuration and motion
simultaneously. This remains all the time.

Material order: All material things (i.e. units in the material order) can be understood as an
acitivity of ‘units’ coming together to form a bigger unit. We call this ‘composition’. Example,
the chair is made of smaller pieces of wood. Bigger units can also separte from each other
to form smaller units and we call this ‘decomposition’. Like a wooden chair can decay after a
few years. Thus any unit in the material order can be understood as an ‘activity of
‘composition/decomposition’.
Plant/bio order: When we look at all the units that make up the plant/bio order we will find
that they can be understood in terms of composition/ decomposition and respiration.
Not only do plants compose (following new plants) and decompose (decaying), they
are also breathing, or pulsating, which we call respiration.
Animal order: We can understand the activities of animal order in two aspects:
• Body In Animals – Physicochemical Activities The body displays the same activities that
we
see the plant. The body displays respiration, or breathing, or pulsating, as we call it. The body
is also formed at one point in time and keeps building cells as well, i.e. there is composition
in the body. Hence, the activities in the body are the same as that in the plant/bio order,
which are: composition/ decomposition and respiration. Hence, we say that the body
belongs to plant/bio order.
• ‘I’ In Animals – Conscious Activities The activities in ‘I’ are fundamentally different
from those in the body. ‘I’ is a unit that has the ability or capacity of assuming.
Animals make assumptions. If you have a dog and some strangers come into the house,
the dog may start barking at him. If this person stays at your house, the dog may stops
barking at him, but will continue to bark at other strangers. What has happened here is that
the dog’s ‘assumption’ about this person has changed, due to which; the way in which it
responds to the person has changed. We call this assuming.
It is important to note that this consciousness or faculty of assuming is not in the body. The
body belongs to the plant/bio order, and is physicochemical in nature. It just responds
to physicochemical inputs.
Human (knowledge) order: The activities in human body are similar to that in the animal
body, and we have seen this in detail as: composition/ decomposition and respiration. When it
comes to consciousness or ‘I’, however, the human displays more than just an ability to
‘select’ or make choices as animals do. Thus, in human beings, ‘I’ has the activities of
desiring, thinking, and selecting/tasting, with a possibility or need for understanding and
realization. Only humans have this need to know and that is why it is called gyana avastha –
the knowledge order.
Q.10. Explain the basic activity in the four orders in nature.

In the material and pranic order, there is only recognizing and fulfillment. Such units do not
have the activities of assuming and knowing. Take for example, hydrogen and oxygen
recognize the relation to each other, and combine to form water. A brick and the other brick
have a definite relation, recognize it and get arranged to form a building. A plant recognizes
the relation with sun and water, and fulfils it by acting accordingly. Such activities take place
in a similar way all the time, there is no selection involved here. A plant does not choose to
turn or not to turn to sun, absorb or not to absorb water. Similarly, the fan in your room
does not choose to rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise. It turns as per the winding in the
motor. No choice. When we look at the animals and humans, we find selection taking place.
this, we would say that there are two kinds of realities in existence and these are: space and
units (in space). So we say,
Existence = space + units (in space)
Since nature consists of the four orders we have been discussing, we can say,
“Existence = Nature submerged in space”.
Nature = Four orders (Material, Plant/Bio or Pranic, Animal and Human Order)

Q.11. Define existence? Show that existence is in a form of co-existence. OR

Existence is co-existence of mutually interacting units in all-pervasive space.
Explain. OR
“Existence = Nature submerged in space” – Elaborate this point. OR
Differentiate between units and space. How are units self-organized in space? OR
What do you mean by co-existence? How are units in co-existence being in space?
Write a short note on ‘nature (units) submerged in space’. Explain the meaning of
submerged here.
ANS: All the units together constitute nature. All the units of nature exist in space which is
an important reality to understand. Existence is nothing but the nature in space.

We define unit as something that is limited in size. Like a small blade of human hair to the
biggest planets we know of, they are all limited in size, i.e. bounded on six sides. So, all the
‘things’ we have been studying so far: the human beings, animals, lumps of matter as well as
various atoms and molecules, are all ‘units’. We can recognize them as such, they are
countable.
But there is another ‘reality’ called ‘space’. We normally don’t pay attention to this ‘reality’,
because it’s not a ‘unit’. We can’t ‘touch it’, smell it. We normally just ‘see through it’. But
the fact is because we can’t ‘touch it’ or ‘see it’ as we would see a unit like our body, our
friends, or a piece of rock, doesn’t mean it does not exist. Space exists everywhere. Co-
existence is a state in which two or more groups are living together while respecting their
differences and resolving their conflicts non-violently. Co-existence has been defined in
numerous ways:
1. To exist together (in time or space) and to exist in mutual tolerance.
2. To learn to recognize and live with difference.
3. To have a relationship between persons or groups in which none of the parties is trying
to destroy the other.
4. To exist together (in time or place) and to exist in mutual tolerance.

When we look at
the existence around, the first thing we see is space. And then we see the units in space.
Between every two units there is a space. The units exist in space. If we were to define this,
we would say that there are two kinds of realities in existence and these are: space and units
(in space). So we say,
Existence = space + units (in space)
Since nature consists of the four orders we have been discussing, we can say,
“Existence = Nature submerged in space”.
Nature = Four orders (Material, Plant/Bio or Pranic, Animal and Human Order).
Q.12. Draw a chart showing in detail, the different categories of UNITs of nature in co-
existence in space. What is your role in existence? OR

Define the terms Gathansheel, Gathanpurna, Kriyapurnata and Acharanpurnata. OR

Explain ‘Existence is Gathansheel and Gathanpurna and also there is Kriyapurnata and
Acharanpurnata in existence’.

Ans: 1. Units: Units have a finite number of possibilities. They are all limited in size, bounded
on six sides, and range in size from a small blade of human hair to the largest planets we know
of. So everything we’ve studied thus far, including humans, animals, lumps of matter, and
various atoms and molecules, is a unit. We can identify them as such, and they are countable.

2. Space: Space is defined as an infinite entity. It has no size and thus cannot be bound, unlike
a unit. However, space maintains a certain regularity and follows certain laws. The
environment is reflecting. This means that it can be explained using its relationship to other
objects. For example, we might say there is space between you and the book you’re reading.
Space is also transparent, which means that there are no obstacles in space.

3. Co-existence : The relationship in this type of coexistence is founded on mutual respect for
diversity. In this relationship, the groups accept each other’s differences and have equal access
to resources and opportunities. The environment is one of peace, social cohesion, justice and
equality, mutual tolerance, respect for different points of view, and nonviolent living.

The diagram below depicts the relationship between the various orders of nature. We can see
that nature’s four orders coexist in harmony. This exists in nature and does not need to be
created. Nature’s units are small in size and self-organized. Space is limitless, and there is
always reflecting energy available in the all-encompassing space. Only the human and animal
orders have received self-consciousness. The material order is constantly changing
structurally. The conscious order does not change structurally. Because conscious units can
learn, they can know, assume, recognise, and fulfill .

(Refer figure on the next page)