Is God Data

There are two things – data and the algorithm. While data is collected by sensors (in our case, senses) the algorithm or the instruction is used to ascribe meaning to it. Simply said, the instruction processes the data. And this exactly is the fundamental problem. Duality. While data doesn’t dictate any characteristics, its the algorithm that attributes meaning to data. Life tries to give relevance to data by classifying it. A human brain and the brain of a cockroach is different. Both of them view the data of the world in different ways. To perceive data you require a program. And what is this program, if not data, arranged in a particular pattern. This very pattern as it grows complex, gives birth to life in all it’s complexities. For example: We as human beings have a complex mind. At the cellular level, we have genes which are coded for smooth functioning of our body and at the macroscopic levels, we have the brain with the neurons which processes sensory information received from its surroundings.

We are actually not one life, but a conglomeration of trillions of cells, each one of them alive. Our blood cells, bacteria, viruses and other life forms exist inside each one of us. We are a society of micro organisms, each equipped to deal with life in its own way. This whole process is a verb and not a noun. By that I mean that the whole ecosystem is changing every second. Each one of these cells have a way of sensing its surroundings and use it for its own survival. Cells at one intelligence level sometimes combine together to form tissues, which in turn forms muscles and organs. An organ has a different understanding of its surroundings than say a tissue or a cell. But there are clear cut characteristics of each one of them. Whether you take a cell or an organ – all of them have a job to do.Their goal is to live as much as they can and push the expiry date to its limits. Some of them succeed, while some don’t.

Its remarkable how all these life forms at their individual levels process data. Can non life forms also process data ? Take a piece of wood – does it process any data ? While not in the sense of life, wood burns when fire engulfs it. That is the property of wood. Since its a non life form, it doesn’t really care about its survival like say a cell does. An object has properties or attributes. These are processed by life (the code) in different ways. The kind of processing for different types of data is a natural phenomenon. However the code can change through time or even the data can undergo change. There is no such thing as permanent data or code. Nature and nurture both play their roles in bringing forth actions based on data and instructions. What we need to remember is that data and program can become complex in nature as life evolves. A particular pattern is what gives rise to the algorithm and subsequently to data as the code perceives it.

Now beyond all this is the union of data and code. Where only pure data exists. This is the soul. What is nature (prakriti) is impregnated by purusha (soul) and it appears the same everywhere we look. And that is the real truth :

Tat tvam asi (You are that)

At this level, the awareness of soul and nature all merges into one. This is the feeling of oneness that has been experienced by many a blessed souls. Some of us live life in code and data boundaries in a regular usual manner. But beyond the daily grind is the sea of consciousness (pure data) awaiting for us to merge within its droplets. And even if we are going through a grind in real life, what we need to know is that the water and the experience also belongs to God – now and forever.

Cheers

Guru30