Let Me Teach You Real Math: Beyond Numbers, Towards Unification
Mathematics often brings to mind numbers, equations, and abstract problems. But what if math’s core operations—addition, subtraction, and equality—reveal profound truths about existence and consciousness? Let’s explore "Real Math," where these operations become a lens for understanding life and the concept of yoga as unification.
The Foundations of Real Math
At its heart, math is about three fundamental operations or "movements":
Existence (Identity): For anything to happen, something must first exist. This is the Law of Identity, akin to a noun in language. It’s the "being"—a chair, a person, or even the diverse forms of life, like humans as male or female. Everything starts with an identity, a defined entity.
Movement (Operations): Once something exists, it can act or be acted upon, like verbs in language. In math, this is where addition (plus) and subtraction (minus) come in. These are co-defined: if you understand 1 + 1 = 2, you also grasp 2 - 1 = 1. They’re two sides of the same coin, a duality we intuitively understand from childhood.
Equality: The equals sign (=) shows sameness. But it’s not about erasing uniqueness. Saying "apple = orange" makes sense if both are "fruit." Similarly, "male = female" holds when the category is "human." Equality highlights shared qualities while respecting distinct identities.
These concepts—existence, movement, and equality—are so fundamental that every human grasps them intuitively, regardless of formal education.
Yoga: The Art of Joining
The term yoga, meaning "to join" or "add," is central to Real Math. It’s not just about combining numbers but unifying consciousness itself. The opposite of yoga is division—breaking apart our sense of self and reality.
How Do We Divide Ourselves?
Our consciousness and existence are fragmented in several ways:
Fundamental States: Human experience naturally splits into waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. These states, created by universal principles, can feel disconnected without awareness of their transitions.
Fragmented Identities: In our waking state, we adopt different roles—parent at home, professional at work, or charming in social settings. Each role creates a separate "I," fracturing our sense of self.
Narrow Identifications: We limit ourselves by identifying with specific labels—Indian, Muslim, woman, engineer—instead of the universal "human" or simply "being." This focus on uniqueness over sameness is driven by ego.
Dishonesty: Lying creates inconsistent realities. Saying one thing to one person and another to someone else forces us to maintain separate mental tracks, breaking the continuity of our memory and being.
Fear and Desire: These emotions disrupt the flow of consciousness, pulling us into fragmented states of mind.
Divided Knowledge: Even in learning, we box ourselves into specialties ("I’m a physicist, not a biologist"), limiting the continuous pursuit of understanding.
This division, especially in memory (smriti), creates discontinuity. When we act inconsistently or lie, our memory fragments, requiring effort to maintain separate realities. Historically, keeping one’s word (vachan) was vital because it preserved this continuity, allowing us to be the same person across contexts.
Yoga as Unification
The goal of yoga is to reverse this fragmentation, unifying our consciousness. Two traditional definitions highlight this:
Patanjali’s Yoga: Described as Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha—the cessation of mental fluctuations. These fluctuations distort our memory and personality, creating division. Patanjali’s practices (Yama, Niyama, Asana, etc.) help control these distortions, restoring unity.
Krishna’s Yoga: Defined as Yoga Karmasu Kaushalam—skill in action with equanimity. This emphasizes staying unified and balanced while acting in the world, maintaining a consistent self.
Both point to a state where consciousness is whole, not fragmented. This is reflected in the Sanskrit term sam, meaning "equal" or "balanced," seen in words like samadhi (equal state), samvad (equal conversation), and sambandh (equal relationship).
Real Math in Life
Real Math uses addition, subtraction, and equality to frame existence. Addition (yoga) is about joining—unifying our fragmented selves. Subtraction represents the duality we experience, and equality reminds us to find shared essence without losing individuality. The ultimate aim is to return to our core "being," maintaining continuity regardless of external circumstances.
By practicing yoga—whether through Patanjali’s discipline or Krishna’s balanced action—we move from divided identities to a unified consciousness. This is Real Math: not just numbers, but a path to understanding and living our existence fully.