Page 31 - NAMAH-Oct-2017

Evolution Next XIII — a perilous bridge

Dr. Alok Pandey

Abstract
The evolutionary journey has its own dangers and perils. It is full of the unpredictable as our past and
present formation of nature adapts to the new. Nature tries and tests our limits, creating a number of
sub-types and abortive sub-species before finally yielding the old and arriving at a new poise. It is this
we seem to be passing through now.

Introduction the entire physiological apparatus. Slowly
the watch of life unwinds, slows down or
Evolution means crossing a perilous bridge more correctly deteriorates and eventually
in Time. It is a bridge from the past to the ceases to work. We call it death. But then
future, negotiating through a narrow gorge we are also conscious of an inner being in
of the present. What we mean by this is us that remains young even when our body
that Nature has evolved certain capacities is growing old, a mind that may still want
and functioning in us, in each species. And to learn and grow, a soul that yet aspires to
while these capacities and functions help fulfill its deepest seeking. But the body sets
us navigate through life, they also become the limits to these other parts in us. The life-
our limits. Take for example, at the purely force in us does not die, the mind in us does
material level, the action of lungs and not really stop working, the immortal soul
breathing or of the heart and circulation. within us continues to seek and aspire, but
They are crucial and even critical to our the body refuses to co-operate. The result
functioning. These devices have evolved is that the inner being has, at some point
over millions of years and have been slowly of time, to choose either to dwell in the
and systematically perfected so as to serve same body, accepting the slowing down
us well through the thick and thin of our due to the limits imposed by the physical
living. We cannot even imagine living apparatus or else decide to leave this device
without these organs except perhaps for for another. In this case we do not say that
a short while and supported by machines. we die but very simply we, the true ‘I’ is
However these organs have been set with unable to function anymore in the body. It
a timer embedded in our very genes and is hampering and hindering our growth in

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