The Spiritual Connection of Man, Earth and Sun: The process or mechanism called Cellular Respiration is not learned or acquired experience. No Spiritual Teacher, no Spiritual Master, and no Spiritual Guide can implant this Knowledge in Man.
Air and the act of Respiration deliver the vital element Oxygen to the body and then blood circulates this vital element to rest of the building blocks of the body called cells.
No religious doctrine mentions about Cellular Respiration. But, understanding of Existence and Life will be impossible without examining the Connection between Air, Breath, Vayu, Respiration and Food that sustains Life by providing Matter and Energy drawn from an external source.
The understanding of Spirit or Soul begins with knowing as to When Life begins.
I ask my readers to begin their inquiry by studying the Single, Fertilized Egg Cell which initiates a man’s Life Journey. This Cell has Life, has ‘Prana’ for it performs the vital function called ‘Cellular Respiration’.
The vital functions called Respiration and Circulation, the Breath of Life and the Heart Beat of Life have to be interpreted by comparing Photosynthesis with Cellular Respiration. Respiration and Circulation are described as Vital Functions as they provide Vital Energy in the form of Energy-Yielding Chemical Molecules called ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) required for the performance of all living functions.
I use the term Spiritual to describe the nature of connection, relationship, partnership, association, the coming together, the joining, or the yoking of two or more distinct entities to perform guided, goal-oriented, sequential, purposeful actions to support the existence of life on planet Earth.
Sun, Photosynthesis, and Respiration demonstrate the nature of spiritual interactions between Earthly domain and the extraterrestrial or Supernatural domain. I will describe as to how Sanskrit word “Prana” describes mechanism for transmission of Knowledge from Supernatural or Heavenly Realm to Natural or Earthly Realm transcending barrier between the two realms.
In 1965, while I was a student of Human Anatomy at Kurnool Medical College, I had the opportunity to know about Dr. J. C. B. Grant (1886-1973), the author of Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy. The 5th Edition of his Atlas was published in 1962 and was available in India in our Medical College Library.
Born in Loanhead (south of Edinburgh) in 1886, Grant studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and graduated with an M.B., Ch.B. degree in 1908. While at Edinburgh, he worked under the renowned anatomist Daniel John Cunningham.
Grant became a decorated serviceman of the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War before moving to Canada. He established himself as an ‘anatomist extraordinary’ at the University of Toronto, publishing three textbooks that form the basis of Grant’s Anatomy. The textbooks are still used in Anatomy classes today, and made unforgettable memories for those who found themselves in his classes nearly a century ago. One of Grant’s many accomplishments was establishing a division of Histology within the department.
As a medical student, I used Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy, the seminal work of Scottish-born Dr. John Charles Boileau Grant, who would become the chair of Anatomy at the University of Toronto in 1930 and retired in 1965.
John Charles Boileau Grant (1886–1973)
The author of Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy (1943) used to train thousands of medical students around the world. He came to University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine from University of Manitoba (and previously Edinburgh), and was Chair of the Department of Anatomy there from 1930 to 1965. Although he is best known for this famous atlas, his research and teaching also included biological anthropology, as evidenced by such work as Anthropometry of the Cree and Saulteaux Indians in Northeastern Manitoba (Archaeological Survey of Canada 1929). The human skeletal collection he formed, the “J.C.B. Grant Collection,” is still a core collection for human osteology in the Department of Anthropology at University of Toronto. He is also remembered in the Grant’s Museum at the Medical Sciences Building at the University of Toronto. This museum, with its displays of anatomical specimens, many of which were dissected by Grant himself, continues to be used in an active learning environment by more than 1000 students each year.
Students continue to use Grant’s textbooks today, and for the more artistic anatomist there’s even a Grant’s Anatomy Coloring Book, published in 2018.
At the University of Toronto, Dr.McMurrich, Chair of Anatomy was succeeded as chairman in 1930 by Dr. John Charles Boileau Grant. Dr. Grant wrote three text books, of which “An Atlas of Anatomy” (published in 1943) rapidly gained international prominence and is still, one of the most widely used anatomical atlases in the world. It is now known as “Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy” and is in its tenth edition. The atlas was based on a series of elegant dissections done either by Grant or by others under his supervision. Many of these dissections are currently housed in Grant’s Museum at the University of Toronto.
The Rudi-Grant Connection is about knowing the man, the building blocks and the structural units and organization of the human body. To defend human existence, the Rudi-Grant Connection lays emphasis on knowing the person who is at risk apart from knowing the agent posing the risk.
The Identity of Multicellular Human Organism:
Daniel John Cunningham was born on 15 April 1850 in Scotland. After his initial schooling at his home town, Crieff, he took up the study of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and passed with honours. He is best known for the excellent series of dissection manuals, namely Cunningham’s Dissection Manuals. Cunningham’s Manual of Practical Anatomy has provided me the learning tools to know and understand Man’s external and internal reality and its Identity as described by Cells, Tissues, Organs, and Organ Systems.
I learned about the human body while dissecting the body in a systematic manner. The Manual of Practical Anatomy which guides us through this entire process was published in England. The author Dr. Daniel John Cunningham prepared the Manual while dissecting cadavers of British or Irish citizens. He had never encountered cadavers of Indian citizens. At Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India, where I was a student, the Department of Anatomy obtains dead bodies from Government General Hospital Kurnool and most of the deceased are the poor, illiterate, and uneducated people of that region. None of the deceased had the chance to know this man called Cunningham and Cunningham had no knowledge about the existence of these people who arrive on our dissection tables. But, as the dissection of the human body proceeds, inch, by inch, we recognize the anatomical parts as described by Cunningham. The manual also lists some anatomical variations and we very often exchange information between various dissection tables and recognize the variations mentioned. The dissections also involve slicing the organs and studying them, both macroscopically, and microscopically. We did not miss any part of the human body.
What is the Identity of the human person or human subject? How does the living, multicellular human organism maintains its Identity and Individuality? Apart from the Cultural Traditions of India, several Schools of Religious Thought claim that the human soul represents the true or real Human Self. Where does this soul exist in the human body? If human soul cannot be found in the human cadaver, what is the location if soul is present in the living person? Does man have a soul? How does the human organism acquires Knowledge about its own structures and the functions they perform?
Nature supports and sustains life through various material energies, and wind or air in motion is considered to be a vital force. The Sanskrit word Prana is described as the ‘Breath of Life’ and death is generally viewed as the departure of Prana. Wind is described in Sanskrit as Vayu, Pavan, and Marut. Wind is very important and it protects planet Earth from Sun’s radiation. Sun heats up the planet in an uneven manner, and the winds redistribute the heat. The importance of wind in controlling climate, rainfall, and ocean currents is well understood.
Wind or Air in Motion – A Life Giving Force
Air is the source of Carbon and Nitrogen and hence is an important source for food synthesis. Most living organisms depend upon Oxygen to sustain their metabolic activities. The carbon based fossil fuels are derived from atmospheric carbon dioxide. Wind energy is being directly harnessed as an alternate source of energy and will play a greater role in future energy supplies.
Several cultures across this globe recognize the importance of natural elements such as wind or air. Soul, the life principle of human beings is associated with the act of breathing.
If a man is seriously wounded, is bleeding profusely, and is not breathing, the physician would first give attention to the problem of breathing and restore it before he may give attention to the bleeding wounds. If a physician had to attend upon two patients, one fully conscious, howling in terrible pain and is profusely bleeding, and the second patient who is quiet but not able to breathe on his own, the physician would give the top priority to the quiet patient who may have an obstruction in his airways and is not able to breathe on his own.
Air and the act of Respiration deliver the vital element Oxygen to the body and then blood circulates this vital element to rest of the building blocks of the body called cells.
The living function called Cellular Respiration fundamentally involves creating the Chemical Molecules of Energy for Life. The most important organ in the body which is critically dependent upon Oxygen is brain. Compared to heart and circulation, the function of lungs and respiration are of higher importance for human survival.
What is “Pancha Prana?”
In the Indian Tradition, Pancha Prana (Breath of Life) is described as Vyana, Samana, Udana, Apana and Prana. The term or phrase ‘Prana’ refers to air that is in the heart, and the word is generally used to describe the act of breathing or respiration, as a sign or mark of Life. In reality, this air or breath, or Vayu does not exist as a gas but in combination with the molecules of Hemoglobin contained in the Red Blood Cells.
Oxygen is transported in the blood in two ways: Bound to hemoglobin: About 97% of oxygen is transported in this way. Hemoglobin is a pigment found in red blood cells that binds to oxygen molecules, forming a compound called oxyhemoglobin. Each hemoglobin molecule can bind to four oxygen molecules.
Dissolved in blood plasma: About 3% of oxygen is transported in this way.
No religious doctrine mentions about Cellular Respiration. But, understanding of Existence and Life will be impossible without examining the Connection between Air, Breath, Vayu, Respiration and Food that sustains Life by providing Matter and Energy drawn from an external source.
When Does Life Begin?
The understanding of Spirit or Soul begins with knowing as to When Life begins.
I ask my readers to begin their inquiry by studying the Single, Fertilized Egg Cell which initiates a man’s Life Journey. This Cell has Life, has ‘Prana’ for it performs the vital function called ‘Cellular Respiration’.
The vital functions called Respiration and Circulation, the Breath of Life and the Heart Beat of Life have to be interpreted by comparing Photosynthesis with Cellular Respiration. Respiration and Circulation are described as Vital Functions as they provide Vital Energy in the form of Energy-Yielding Chemical Molecules called ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) required for the performance of all living functions.
The Spiritual Connection between Man, Earth and Sun
All living entities upon Earth are energy dependent and they thrive by drawing the material energy from nature. Sun is the cosmic source of energy for earthly life. Apart from energy, the Sun is the source of freshwater for all terrestrial life. Sun’s role in the hydrologic cycle could be compared to the role heart plays in the human circulatory system. Human heart is considered to be a vital organ as it works like a mechanical pump to circulate purified blood which sustains all the essential functions of the entire body. Just like the human heart, the Sun provides the energy, which very much like a mechanical pump, lifts water from the oceans into the atmosphere and during this process of evaporation the salt water is transformed into purified fresh water. This water vapor is the most important component of Earth’s atmosphere and it provides the opportunity for our earthly existence. Being the source of energy, and of fresh water, it is appropriate to describe the Sun as the Cosmic Father. His heat may put us to trouble, arouse our sense of thirst, but His rains quench our thirst. Indian Cultural traditions recognize Sun as SAVITA which means Cosmic Father and He is often described as the provider of great rains, and as a friend of waters that flow across the land surface. Earthly existence is simply impossible without this harmonious relationship between the Cosmic Sun and earthly living creatures.
The Science of Spiritual Optics – God is Light:
Sun, Photosynthesis, and Respiration demonstrate the nature of spiritual interactions between Earthly domain and the extraterrestrial or Supernatural domain. I will describe as to how Sanskrit word “Prana” describes mechanism for transmission of Knowledge from Supernatural or Heavenly Realm to Natural or Earthly Realm transcending barrier between the two realms.
Optics is the scientific study of Light and the study of Light should be concerned with the genesis, nature, properties of Light and its purpose and role in the establishment of life and interactions among living things. Light is the sign of divine operation in the world of chaos and darkness. Light brings order to the world. Without a source of light, a primary source of external energy, life would be impossible on planet Earth. Further, it can be stated that light is essential for life for the synchronization of life’s living functions, and to generate the experience of peace, harmony, and tranquility in the living condition, or state. Thus light is associated with the experience called happiness.
Light is the source of Life. The establishment of light on planet Earth is a creative process that uses light energy to recreate the spectral colors in the lives of individual organisms. The Biological Coloration is the most compelling evidence of the fact of creation. Animals, and plants do not have the ability to generate colors by simply depending upon spontaneous, random, and unguided mutations. Biological Coloration requires complex synchronization of morphological appearance, biotic interactions and behavior of living organisms that share a given environment. Light is the primary source of external energy to support the existence of all living things. The principles of Physical Optics, Geometrical Optics, Physiological Optics have to operate in conjunction with Spiritual Optics to generate the experience of peace, harmony, and tranquility that is fundamental to existence. Life is a manifestation of order to replace disorder, or confusion that could be caused if light does not provide the stimulus called illumination that drives away darkness. It is no surprise to note that the major Biological Rhythm is called the Diurnal, or Day, or Solar Rhythm.
I use the term Spiritual to describe the nature of connection, relationship, partnership, association, the coming together, the joining, or the yoking of two or more distinct entities to perform guided, goal-oriented, sequential, purposeful actions to support the existence of life on planet Earth.
The fundamental living function performed by all the trillions of independent, individual cells of the human body is described as Cellular Respiration. This function involves the use of Oxygen molecules to create new molecules of energy using the Carbon molecules synthesized by plants performing the Photochemical Reaction called Photosynthesis. Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products. The process or mechanism called Cellular Respiration is not learned or acquired experience. No Spiritual Teacher, no Spiritual Master, and no Spiritual Guide can implant this Knowledge in Man.
Sun, Photosynthesis, and Respiration demonstrate the nature of spiritual interactions between Earthly domain and the extraterrestrial or Supernatural domain.
Veda = Knowledge – “Prana” – Mechanism for transmission of Knowledge:
Man, the Physical, Mortal Being has Subjective, and Objective experience of his ephemeral existence in real world for that existence is made possible by a Principle that is ‘always present’, and ‘ever-existing’. Sanskrit language coined the term ‘ASMI’ to describe this Principle of Unity or “Eikyata.” Further, Sanskrit language coined the term “Prana” to describe ‘Vital Force’ that operates man’s physical existence in real world. ‘Prana’ describes the underlying mechanism that establishes origin of ‘Vital Force’, the basis of man-God Connection. For all living functions involve knowing a range of information, processing information, interpreting information, and using information in a selective manner, ‘Vital Force’, the animating or vital Principle found in all living things involves mechanisms to acquire Knowledge and transmit Knowledge, or supporting Cognitive abilities which perform functions of knowing often called intelligence used in performing intelligent actions as opposed to transitive actions, or mechanical functions performed by inanimate matter as per Laws of Physics and Chemistry.
The word ‘Veda’ refers to Knowledge which means the fact, the state, or condition of knowing a range of information. As mentioned before, human body performs thousands of functions which involve use of knowledge or processing information. However, human body makes no use of any known human language. In Science, they use the term ‘communication’ to describe the act of transmitting, giving or exchanging of information. Science of transmitting information between living cells and within cells (between intracellular organelle, subunits like nucleus and ribosomes) involves study of chemical molecules which function as signals or chemical messengers. Most modern cancer research involves investigating signalling pathways used by cells to communicate information for purposes such as to begin cell division or to stop cell division.
Sanskrit words very often describe an underlying mechanism while the word stands for an action performed in external world. In this context, I will describe as to how Sanskrit word “Prana” describes mechanism for transmission of Knowledge from Supernatural or Heavenly Realm to Natural or Earthly Realm transcending barrier between the two realms.
To make it brief, I ask you to read about Photochemistry which is the study of chemical processes that are exclusively brought about by interaction of light with matter. Photoreception is any of the biological responses of organisms to stimulation by light.
Photochemical reactions play a vital role in biological systems. Two important photobiological processes are 1. Vision, and 2. Photosynthesis. In plants the primary photoreceptive response is photosynthesis which involves using energy of the Sun to convert Carbon dioxide and Water to essential nutritive elements of all life. One important outcome of the photosynthetic chemical reactions is, light energy splits the Water molecule so that one of its component atoms, Oxygen is released as molecular Oxygen which serves to replenish the atmospheric Oxygen supply which would be depleted by respiration processes of most other living organisms. Life on planet Earth is made possible by Sun’s energy that splits water molecules to provide Oxygen, component of air that acts as vital force to sustain Life. Prana describes this Vital Force that operates most living functions called Oxidation-Reduction Chemical Reactions.
‘Prana’ as a sign of life refers to air in the heart. The right chambers of heart deal with deoxygenated air, and left chambers with oxygenated air. Heart works as a mechanical pump circulating flow of air in the entire human body. If this activity of heart that involves air is improper or missing, life becomes difficult, and its most important consequence is that of immediate brain injury, brain damage, and brain death. Brain’s ability to process information or to provide Knowledge is dependent upon ‘Prana’, the air in human heart. The origin, or the source of this ‘Prana’ is Sun’s light energy. Sun rays are source of intellect for Sun is the Original Cause of ‘Prana’.
The Breath of My Life – Defining Indian Identity
While Wind, Vayu, Pawan, or Marut are well-recognized as a life-giving force all over the world, Indians have a unique way of celebrating and showing their reverence to this natural energy. Indians all across their Land worship Lord Hanuman who is the legendary son of the Wind God Vayu. Hanuman is invariably described as the son of Wind God and in recognition of that fact He is bestowed with several names such as ‘Pavan Putra’, ‘Pavan Tanaya’, ‘Pavan Suta’, ‘Vayu Putra’, and ‘Marut Nandan’.
When Indians think of wind or vayu, their thoughts automatically lead to Lord Hanuman whom they value for His devotional service to Lord Rama. The worship of Lord Hanuman became popular in India after the Muslim invasion and conquest of India and beginning in the 12th century A.D. several temples were constructed to worship Him. Lord Hanuman symbolizes the Bhakti Movement (Devotional Service) in India and is generally viewed as the Protector who dispels fears about enemy.
The following hymn in praise of Lord Hanuman describe his characteristic personality:
The Rudi Connection at Whole Foods 