The Battle for Consciousness Theory

We speak often of the Hindu religion, of the Sanatan Dharma, but few of us really know what that religion is…This is the Dharma that for the salvation of humanity was cherished in the seclusion of this peninsula from of old. It is to give this religion that India is rising. She does not rise as other countries do, for self or when she is strong, to trample on the weak. She is rising to shed the eternal light entrusted to her over the world. India has always existed for humanity and not for herself and it is for humanity and not for herself that she must be great. 

These are the words of Maharishi Sri Aurobindo. But what is this Sanatan Dharma? Is it just the religion and rituals that Hindus follow or is it really the secret of life and consciousness that is embedded in the very fabric of our cosmic existence? This book reveals, layer by layer, the subtler spiritual dimensions of Sanatan Dharma, and its timeless relevance to human existence and civilization.

Nastik chronicles the transformative journey of a modern Indian sceptic who initially embraced Western neo-atheism. It begins with the protagonist’s disillusionment with religious dogma and his subsequent adoption of Western neo-atheism, characterized by a staunch denial of theism and a critique of religion’s influence on society.

As the narrative unfolds, he encounters the rich tapestry of Indian philosophy. He discovers the nuanced perspectives of nastik schools of thought in Indian tradition, such as Charvaka, Jainism and certain interpretations of Buddhism, which reject the authority of the Vedas and the existence of a creator god yet engage deeply with ethical and philosophical questions. His transformation into a nastik and Nirishvarwaadi is marked by an appreciation for the complexity of Eastern scepticism, which often intertwines with spiritual and moral considerations unlike the more direct and often materialistic scepticism prevalent in the West. The book delves into the differences between Western and Eastern scepticism, highlighting how Eastern traditions offer a nuanced view that accommodates doubt within a spiritual framework.

As his worldview evolves, he critiques the emergence of neo-atheism’s successor, ‘wokeism’, which he argues marks a shift from scepticism to a new form of dogmatism. He argues that neo-atheism inadvertently paved the way for wokeism by undermining traditional structures without offering a sustainable alternative, leading to a vacuum that wokeism has filled with its own set of moral certainties.

At the penultimate stage, the protagonist explores the concept of Hindu scepticism, which is considered part of the broader Hindu tradition. The inclusiveness of this tradition highlights the unique ability of dharma to absorb various strands of thought. As the narration closes, he learns that at the heart of dharmic traditions lies a commitment to mutual respect, reciprocity and ahimsa (non-violence), which have allowed for a diverse array of beliefs and practices to coexist and flourish within the Indian philosophical landscape.

“When I first shared this story with a monk-friend, he asked me why I wrote it as fiction and not biography. Many others who read this book may have the same query. So let me share: the first reason was the most obvious one — Ahana hardly lived an outer life, her entire life unfolded within, in her consciousness. Outwardly, her biography could be written in a single paragraph: She was born in India, in the early sixties, to academic parents and grew up in a university environment. She met a young man when she turned eighteen, perhaps fell in love, and left her studies and social life to live in an obscure ashram in the Himalayas and explore Vedanta. She then left the ashram and came to Almora, a small Himalayan town, where she lived alone in a cottage.

Inwardly, however, Ahana’s life was rich, fascinating, multihued, multilayered, profoundly inspiring. The more I discovered and understood of her life, the more I realized how much is possible, and how much the human being can attain, in a single lifetime — none could come to her and remain unchanged. So how does one write a biography of such a being?

 And second, as I discovered in writing this book, a biography ties you down to facts and timelines while fiction can free you of all such needless fetters. Ahana’s life, I feel, is the stuff poetry is made of.”