Art, Science and Dharma- The Indic triad of education
Art,
Science and Dharma- The Indic triad of education
The most strident
criticism of the Indian education system is that it stifles creativity and
bores the students to death through rote learning. One tech guru even went public
so far as to say that Indian culture lacks creativity [1]. In private, the
criticisms are even harsher. This issue is recognized by several educators and
industry leaders and unless it is stemmed, it will become a roadblock for
growth and prosperity of Bharat. This is not a mere academic coffee table issue
or fervid paranoia. Lack of creative juices can not only stifle long term
growth but also imperil the long-term dividends of important strategic
initiatives such as ‘Make in India’. Without inculcating creativity, India’s
demographic dividend will soon turn into a deadwood nightmare. A perfect trap
of stagnation. In fact, few countries have managed to get out of the vice-like
grip of long-term growth loss before fully reaching their potential. For a
civilization to ultimately rise and be a dominant and consistent geopolitical
and economic force, it must be a centre of creativity. Common prescriptions by
experts on Indian education include abrogating exams, drastically reducing
coursework, more free time, open disobedience of authority, removing homework
and finally let children simply follow their ‘dreams’. However, these remedies
lack an important secret sauce – abstraction.
Humans rose to the top of
the food chain through their ability to form abstract conceptual paradigms.
Such leaps of abstraction allowed the formation of complex religions,
hierarchical socio-economic organizations, stunning architecture and,
ultimately, modern science. Development of abstract ideas allows for insightful
forward leaps in progress. Ironically, ancient Indic thinkers were pioneers of
this naturally progressive trajectory. It is no co-incidence that Sanatan
Dharma (i.e. Hinduism) abounds in concepts that are far too profound to be
easily captured in mere words or paintings. Perhaps the best example of
abstraction is the syllable ॐ (OM), which abstractly captures meaning that no painting, murti
or other art form can portray. Here, abstraction also serves as a method for
achieving data compression. A simple, single syllable is able to convey
information that can easily be the subject matter of multiple themes. Another
fascinating instance of abstraction is in the use of fractal structures in
temple architecture [2]. Fractals are self-similar geometrical shapes, and in
the context of Sanatan Dharma, have been used to signify the
self-similarity between the Ātman and Bráhman. Thus, abstraction, in a sense,
is a tool to access the otherwise unimaginable niches of reality.
Abstraction is also a
route to self-rejuvenation as it allows the mind to innovate and transcend the
boundaries of physical experience. It is no surprise that growth in the abstract
arts in the early 1900s was intricately intertwined with the disruptive
emergence of modern physics. The early 1900s introduced an era of scientific
turmoil wherein the ideas of Albert Einstein and fathers of quantum theory not
only altered the landscape of scientific thought forever, but also
fundamentally altered how humans viewed reality. Therefore, it is not a
coincidence that the world of arts started seeing profound changes around the
same time leading to cubism, surrealism and expressionism. Einstein and cubist
Pablo Picasso never met, yet Einstein’s new understanding of space-time had a
profound resonance in Picasso’s later arts [3]. Picaaso’s cubism, among other
things, was his attempt to show that there is no single perspective of vision,
as many in the pre-cubist era believed. This idea may well have been inspired
by the lack of an absolute reference frame in Einstein’s theory of Relativity [4].
In fact, we now know that other eminent scientists such as Poincare, who had a
taste for both science and art, played a key role in this sangam of
science and abstract art [5]. Similarly, surrealists such as Salvador Dali,
whose painting ‘Persistence of Memory’ can easily be counted amongst the
greatest art works ever [6] was deeply influenced by modern physics and tried
to tie it with mystical and religious overtones. Albert Einstein himself
struggling with internalizing the framework of quantum mechanics, met with
Rabindranath Tagore to exchange metaphysical viewpoints and find solace. This
double helix of arts and sciences tied by strands of abstraction led to the 20th
century surge of creativity in the western world. This led to even greater
advances in science, architecture, fashion and consumer goods in spite of it
being perhaps the deadliest and most brutal century in humanity’s history. A
creative world emerging from the tāṇḍava
(ताण्डव) of destruction.
Whereas the western world
never shied away from tracing its arc over sciences and arts, Indian students
learn science and engineering in a series of culturally dry, alienating soup of
Greek alphabets. Few are introduced to the breathtakingly beautiful rainbow of
science, which has always glanced over literature, architecture, parables and
philosophy. Unfortunately, in Bharat science and technological education have
been divorced from the ancient philosophies, mathematics and art forms of this
land. One path to infusing creativity in Indian students would be to pursue a
three-way sangam of science, abstract art and dharma. Indic thought has
highly developed forms of artistic expression – from festivals, to dance forms,
to temple art, to general rituals. Instances of nature-inspired art are
manifold in dharmic works, yet very few instances of a sangam of modern
science with dharmic thought can be found. A new sangam can re-energize
the Indian mind and lead to extraordinary benefits. Our temples, monuments and
culture should not be left trapped for cultural nights but a living document
from which modern thought can be directly spun.
This fusion represents
uncharted territory offering opportunities for novel work and inspired out-of-the-box
thinking, while adding to the veritable treasure-chest of Indic thought. Readers,
who wish to partake in such an exercise would be well advised to visit
different museums in India and abroad and soak in the spirit of art and
abstraction. Similarly, when visiting a mandir the next time, take time
to appreciate the mathematical beauty of the temple. On similar vein, when
reciting a shloka, its structure and allegories should be imbibed rather than
the rote.
Our own research has
drawn from such a theme. After the editor of the venerable Royal Society of
Chemistry journal ‘Lab on a Chip’ asked for an art to represent our newly
published paper, we immediately drew inspiration from the riot of color that
symbolizes Holi (see below). This was an apt abstract depiction of the more
arcane research on bacterial colonization at the microscale. This was our own
experience of the sangam of science, abstract art and dharmic thought
and we further exemplify this idea here:
Exhibit
1:
Title:Bacteria play Holi/जीवाणुओं की होली
Image Source/Credits:
Cover Art image for the
manuscript - Hassanpourfard,
M., Ghosh, R., Thundat, T. and Kumar, A., 2016. Dynamics of bacterial streamers
induced clogging in microfluidic devices. Lab on a Chip, 16(21),
pp.4091-4096.
Credit – Mahtab
Hassanpourfard, Ranajay Ghosh, Thomas Thundat and Aloke Kumar
Scientific Description
The images depict
bacterial colonization of a microfluidic porous media subject to hydrodynamic
flows. The panels show colonization of the porous media at different times and
were instrumental in showing how bacteria interact with hydrodynamic forces leading
to significant changes in its colonization pattern. Green florescent bacteria
was used in the experiments and this final image is false colored. This image
was also highlighted on the Back Cover of the Royal Society of Chemistry
journal – Lab on a Chip. Interested readers can also read the full manuscript
from the RSC website.
Artist’s Statement
These inspiring images echo
the myriad colors we see in the festival of Holi. In that sense, the image embodies
the philosophy of the festival. The bacteria are, in a sense, playing with
‘water’ as they grow, detach and mature into various structures over time.
Exhibit 2:
Title: Ātman & Bráhman/ आत्मन् और ब्रह्मन्
Image Source/Credits:
Prof. Aditya Bandopadhyay, IIT Kharagpur
Scientific Description
The images are captured
moments before a droplet merges into a pool of water. Such events are often
part of various fluid mechanical experiments used to understand droplet impact
on surfaces.
Artist’s Statement
In an abstract sense, the
image showcases the philosophy of both Advaita and Dvaita Vedanta, and
eventually the Ātman and Bráhman undergo yoga as the
droplet merges into the pool and loses its identity. Depending on how one
views the time axis, the image also signifies birth or death and thus the cycle
of saṃsāra.
Exhibit 3:
Title:The Yoga of Fluid
Mechanics - Droplets splash, cascade and merge with a thin liquid film
demonstrating the multiscale beauty of fluid mechanics.
Image Source/Credits:
Image also featured as Cover Art
for the ‘Journal of the Indian Institute of Science’ Vol 98, Issue 2 (2018)
Dr. Aditya Bandopadhyay (IIT KGP), Dr. Aloke Kumar
(IISc) and Mr. V. Sarath Chandra Varma (IISc)
Scientific Description
As multiple droplets
crash into a water reservoir they create a splash pattern. Here such a splash
pattern can be seen immediately before another droplet falls and merges with
the reservoir. Images taken at 50 FPS using a diffuse light and a dye. The image
is false colored (original monochrome).
Artist’s Statement
Individually, the splash
patterns last for only a second, but in that small instant there is a display
of pure beauty, which reminds us of the beauty of life. Finally, the drop
merges into the reservoir like the Ātman merges with the Bráhman.
References & Notes:
1.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/steve-wozniak-points-at-lack-of-creativity-in-indian-education-system/articleshow/63265853.cms
2. Rian, I.M., Park, J.H., Ahn, H.U. and Chang, D., 2007.
Fractal geometry as the synthesis of Hindu cosmology in Kandariya Mahadev
temple, Khajuraho. Building and Environment, 42(12),
pp.4093-4107.
About the authors: Dr. Aloke
Kumar is currently an Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore. He tweets at @aalokelab
Dr. Ranajay Ghosh is currently an Assistant Professor
at University of Central Florida (USA). He tweets at @ranajayghosh
Disclaimer: The
article expresses the personal opinion of the authors.
Update: This article was published with slight modifications by Swarajya Magazine. The link to that essay is here - https://swarajyamag.com/ideas/the-missing-link-in-education-is-a-return-to-old-school-methods-the-way-forward
Comments
Post a Comment