Newton's Laws Resound With Indian Way of Thinking

 Newton's Laws Resound With Indian Way of Thinking

Isaac Newton was not only an eminent mathematician and physicist but also an erudite philosopher, a deeply spiritual person and a theologian known for Biblical literalism. To most of us, Newton is known for his laws of motion, and there appears to be a striking similarity between these laws and some tenets of Indic philosophy.

Newton’s first law, also known as the law of inertia, states that if a thing is at rest, it will continue to be at rest and if it is in motion, it will continue to be so unless an external force is applied. Inertia is common among people with predominantly tamasic tendencies. They can be lazy and indolent, and many times need an external stimulus to get moving. Similarly, those with a hyperactive nature might find it difficult to be at peace with themselves. So, to bring change in their temperament requires external interventions such as regular physical exercise and meditation.

The second law is that if the same force is exerted on two objects with different masses, they will gain different speeds. The heavier one would require more force to move than the lighter one. Likewise, lazy people would need more prodding and pushing as compared to agile ones.

The third law, also known as the law of action and reaction, states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Interestingly, this resonates well with the law of karma, which means that whatever action we perform, either good or bad, has a bearing on our destiny. Whatever goes around ultimately comes around. Good karmas result in noble values, whereas bad karmas result in vicious values. After all, a person is a product of his past karmas. The saying goes: As you sow, so shall you reap.

Newton’s contribution is not restricted to the laws of motion alone. He is credited with the discovery of ‘calculus’ – a branch of mathematics that is anchored around the concept of independent and dependent variables, that is synonymous with the relationship of ‘cause and effect’, often mentioned in our scriptures. It states that the working of the entire universe is governed by this basic law. Through the discovery of calculus, Newton seems to have given a quantitative and tangible shape to what seems to be rather a lofty concept of cause and effect relationship.

Spirituality identifies three constructs of human personality: body, mind and intellect. Most of us are focussed either on our body or get trapped in the web of emotions and make the least use of the intellect, which every one of us is bestowed with. Newton, however, was an exception. While sitting in the garden one day, he saw an apple fall from a tree, and this led him to formulate the law of gravity. What fired Newton’s imagination to explore this phenomenon in detail? It was the spirit of inquiry, a function of intellect. When Newton was asked how he discovered the law of gravity, he is said to have replied, “By thinking about it all the time. He who thinks half-heartedly will not believe in God, but he who really thinks has to believe in God.”

D.G.Shastri