Q.1. What are the four orders of nature? Briefly explain them.

Answer: All the physical objects that are in solid, liquid or gas state either living or nonliving, collectively
termed as nature. In other words, the aggregate of all the mutually interacting units – big or small,
sentient or insentient together can be called nature. These units are infinte in number and we could
easily observe that there exists a dynamic balance, self regulation among all these units. There are four
orders of nature:

a. Material order : The big land mass of the continents, gigantic water bodies like ocean and seas,
mountains and rivers, the atmosphere above, the heaps of metals and mineral below, the dense
gases and fossil fuels deep below the surface of the earth – all fall into the material order or padartha
avastha. In fact, if we look around beyond the earth, the material order is visible even in the form of
stars, planets, moons and several astronomical bodies.
b. Plant/ Bio (Pranic) order : Our land mass is covered with grass and small shrubs and they form
the lining on the entire soil. Shrubs, plants and trees form huge forest along with the flora in the
ocean. All of this is the plant/bio order or prana avastha and it is the next big order on our planet.
(The material order is far greater in quantity compared to the plant/bio order)
c. Animal order : Animals and birds form the third largest order and we call them the animal order or
jiva avastha. Here again, we see that the plant/bio order is far greater in quantity than the animal
order.
d. Human order : Human are the smallest order and they are referred to as human order or gyana
avastha. Animals are far greater in quantity as compared to the human order.

Q.2. How will you show interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment in four order of nature with
examples. OR “Other than human order, the three orders are mutually fulfilling to each other”.
Explain with examples. OR
Material, pranic and animal order are fulfilling human order but human are not fulfilling them.
There is lack of mutual fulfilment from human order. How and why is it so? OR
Discuss the human interrelationship with nature. OR
What are the orders of nature? How are all four orders interconnected? OR
How are we disturbing the balance in nature? OR
There are four orders in nature. How does each order participate in the harmony in the nature? Give
few example.
Answer: In the nature, all the units are connected to each other and fulfilling each other. Human being
is related to all other human beings. On this basis, we have feelings and emotions for everyone. Human
being is connected to all the material units in the existence and gets aware of it as he starts exploring it.
We can see this interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment in the following diagram:
Material Order, Plant/Bio- Order and Animal Order: The material order provides the basis for
movement of all animals, birds and fishes. Water, oxygen and other gases are necessities for both
plants and animals. At the same time, the animal order helps enrich the soil with its excreta and this
excreta helps the plants with nutrients. The plant/bio order provides food for animals, birds and fishes.
The animal Order helps in pollination of the flowers of the pranic order.
Material Order, Plant/Bio- Order, Animal Order and Human Order: We humans also have a natural
acceptance to be mutually fulfilling to these three orders. However, we are not able to ensure this
mutual fulfilment. We are dependent on the material order for soil and minerals and metals, but only
end up polluting the soil and depleting the fossil fuels; we are dependent on plants for our food and
holding together the larger ecosystem, but we have destroyed forests and destroyed multiple species
of plants and herbs; we are dependent on animals to carry out our production and transportation
activities, but have made many species of animals extinct, and are today known for our cruelty towards
animals. We can see that there is interconnectedness and mutual fulfilment in all the orders of nature
except human order. We have to work on this:

Q.3. What are the four orders in nature? Describe their activities and natural characteristics? OR
What do you understand by ‘activity’? Write down the activity of the four orders in nature. OR
Distinguish between the activities of different orders of nature giving an example of each.
Answer: Combination of all that is in solid, liquid or gas state, or the aggregate of all the mutually
interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient together can be called nature. We can categorize
all these units into four distinct orders.
· Material order
· Plant/ Bio (Pranic) order
· Animal order
· Human order
The four orders can be distinctly recognised in terms of their natural characteristics and activities.
Order Things Activity Natural Characteristic

Material Soil, water, Composition / decomposition Composition/

order metals, decomposition
etc.

Pranic Plants and Composition / decomposition + Composition/

order trees respiration decomposition +
nurture/ worsen

Animal Animals (Composition / decomposition, (Composition/

order and birds respiration) in body + selection in decomposition, nurture/
‘I’ worsen) in body + (non
cruelty, cruelty) in ‘I’

Human Human (Composition / (Composition/

order beings decomposition, respiration) in body decomposition, nurture/
+ (selection, thought, worsen) in body +
desire) in ‘I’ (perceverance, bravery,
generosity) in ‘I’

Q.4. Define harmony in nature. OR Explain the harmony in nature.

Ans: The aggregate of all the mutually interacting units – big or small, sentient or insentient
together can be called nature. These units are infinite in number and we could easily observe that there
exists a dynamic balance, self regulation among all these units. This self regulation is harmony
or balance in nature. The law of nature has a unique cause and effect system which must be
understood in order to be in harmony with the natural law of things.
Natural harmony is necessary for the following reasons:

1. Natural harmony is necessary to solve the problem of global warming and depletion of
nonrenewable natural resource can be avoided.

2. Natural harmony with trees cure all problems like – reduction of wind velocity, energy
savings, doing companion planting, development of an eco-subsystem in terms of establishing a forest
garden, reduction of building heat.

3. It is possible to achieve natural harmony in the establishment, maintenance and management

of educational institution like schools, colleges and universities.

4. One can understand the depths of harmony and alignment in natural by contemplating and
reflecting upon the natural order. It is possible to unravel the mystery of the natural synthesis in the
midst of ongoing chaos at the material plane.
Q.5. What do you mean by co-existence?
Ans: Co-existence in nature means there is a relationship and complementarity among all the
entities in nature including human beings. Co-existence is a state in which two or more groups are living
together while respecting their differences and resolving their conflicts nonviolently.
Co-existence has been defined in numerous ways:

1. To exist together (in time or space) and to exist in mutual tolerance.

2. To learn to recognize and live with difference.
3. To have a relationship between persons or groups in which none of the parties is trying to destroy
the other.

4. To exist together (in time or place) and to exist in mutual tolerance.

The world is full of Diversity – there are different nations, cultures, religions, communities,
languages, and beliefs. The beauty of existence can only be maximized if everything in this world
is in harmony. Peaceful, symbiotic co-existence is the key to harmony in the world.

Q.6. What do you mean by ‘innateness’? What is the innateness in the four orders? OR What do
you understand by the term ‘innateness’ (dhaarna) in nature? Explain the innateness of
material and animal order in nature.
Ans: Innateness (dharana): Innateness means qualities which are innate to the unit. Each unit in
existence exhibits an innateness, an intrinsic quality that cannot be separated from it. We refer this
principle as innateness also called dharna of that unit. This is intrinsic to the unit. Material order:
When we burn coal and it has finished burning and only some ash is left and smokes have gone
out, it is not that the basic material, the fundamental particles in coal, have ‘cease to exist’ or
‘disappeared’ from existence. They may not be visible to the eye at that moment, but they continue
to exist, they still are in the form of other matter or in the form of gases, etc. This is there with all
material units. We cannot destroy matter, we can only convert it from one form to the other. Thus, “to
exist”, or ‘existence’ is intrinsic to all material, it is innate to it. We cannot separate the ‘existence’ of a
thing from the thing itself.
Plant/bio order: Because the pranic order is a development of the material order, it also has the
innateness of ‘existence’. In addition, it also exhibits the ‘growth’. This principle of ‘growth’ cannot
be separated from any units of this order. If it is of pranic order, it will grow. For example, if you
have a plant, you cannot stop it from growing. It will continue to respire and keep changing in this
way. The only way you can stop it from growing is by cutting it, but when you do that, it ceases to
belong to the pranic order, instead decays and then belongs to the material order. So, as long as
you have a plant, it will grow.
Animal order: The animal body is a development of the pranic order and therefore this order
inherits the innateness of the previous order namely ‘existence’ and ‘growth’. This is at the level of the
body, which is physico-chemical in nature. In addition, all units in this order have the ‘will to live’ in ‘I’.
Indeed no unit in this order can be separated from this ‘will to live’. It is intrinsic to every unit in this order.
Human (knowledge) order: When we look at the human being, we find that ‘existence’ and
‘growth’ are fundamentally present in the body, just as in the animal body. At the level of ‘I’
however, in addition to the ‘will to live’, a human being’s innateness is the ‘will to live with
happiness’.

Order Things Innate-ness

 Material order Soil, water, metals,
Existence
etc.
Pranic order Plants and trees Existence + growth
Animal order
Animals and birds (Existence + growth) in body + will to live in ‘I’

Human (Existence + growth) in body + will to live with happiness

Human beings
order in ‘I’

Q.7. What is the svabhava (natural characteristic) of a unit? Elaborate on the svabhava of a human
order. OR
How does the natural characteristics (svabhava) of material order helped man to lead a
better life? OR
Explain the natural characteristics of the material and pranic orders. Give examples.
OR
What are the natural characteristics (swabhava) of human order? Explain.
ANS: When we look at the different orders in nature, we find that each order has a certain value. In a
fundamental way, this is the ‘usefulness’ or ‘participation’ of the order in existence. This ‘value’ or
‘participation’ is also referred to as “natural characteristic”. The ‘characteristic’ the order displays in
‘natural to itself’. This is the same as the value of the entity, or its participation also called ‘svabhava’.
The svabhava of material order is ‘composition/decomposition’, of Plant/bio order is
‘composition/decomposition’ and to nurture or worsen other pranic units. The svabhav of animal order
and human order can be understood in two aspects: body and self. The svabhav of animal order is
Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen in body and non cruelty, cruelty in ‘I’. The svabhav of
human order is Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen in body and perseverance, bravery,
generosity in ‘I’.
Similar as to the case in animals, the human body also belongs to the plant/ bio order and hence has
the same svabhava or value/natural characteristic as the pranic order. It either nurtures or worsens
other pranic units. As in the example above, when I digest the vegetable, I absorb the plant and it
worsens, while my body is nurtured. The svabhava/ value of the self (‘I’) in human beings is
perseverance (dhirata), bravery (virata) and generosity (udarata).

Perseverance (dhirata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and
live in harmony at all levels of existence, living with this commitment without any perturbation.

Bravery (virata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and live in
harmony at all levels and I am ready to help the other to have the right understanding. This is the
commitment to help the other have the right understanding of the harmony and living at all levels of
existence.

Generosity (udarata): Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and
live in harmony at all the four levels and I am ready to invest myself, my body and wealth to help the
other have the right understanding.
Human beings are not living as per this natural characteristic; even though we have a svabhava, we are
not living according to this. This is basic reason for the contradiction and conflict that we see in human
being. This is what leads to a state of unhappiness. Only when we live according to our basic human
characteristics as mentioned above, we have definite character, otherwise, it is not definite, it is
uncertain, unlike other three orders as discussed above.
Order Things Natural Characteristic
Material order Soil, water, metals, etc.
Composition / decomposition

Pranic order Plants and trees Composition / decomposition + nurture / worsen

(Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen) in body +
Animal order Animals and birds
(non cruelty, cruelty) in ‘I’

(Composition / decomposition, nurture / worsen) in body +

Human order Human beings
(perceverance, bravery, generosity) in ‘I’

Q.8. What do you mean by ‘conformance’? Explain the conformance in the four orders.
Ans: Each unit conforms through the principle of conformance or anusangita. It means how the
continuity of the fundamental nature of the unit is preserved.

Material order : The continuity of the fundamental nature of the material unit is preserved through the
physical and chemical processes. Take iron for example. Each atom of iron comforms to the
constitutional structure of ‘Iron’. There is no atom of iron that will be unlike the other atom of iron, if it
were, we would not call it iron. We call this ‘constitution conformance’. The material order exhibits
constitution conformance. We can verify this for all things in the material order. For example, oxygen,
nitrogen, other gasses, gold, silver, aluminium… all of them comform to and are always according to
the constitution of their kind. Hence, we say that any matter conforms to its constitution or has
‘constitution conformance’.
Plant/bio order: A neem seed will always sprout a neem plant. All of us know this. Its fruits, its leaves,
the taste of the leaves, the colour of the leaves, all this information, this basic information of every neem
plant is stored in the seed. Thus, we say the plant is always as the seed, or we can say, ‘as the seed,
thus the plant’. Hence, we say that a plant conforms to the seed, or has ‘seed comformance’. This ‘seed
comformance’ method is the mechanism by means of which the continuity of a plant species is
mentained in nature/existence.
Animal order: We see that a cow is always like a cow, and a dog is always like a dog. Animals conform
to their lineage. How animals are, their behaviour, is according to their lineage they belong to, the
lineage they come from. Hence, we say that an animal comforms to its breed, or has ‘breed
conformance’. This breed conformance method is the mechanism by means of which the continuity of
an animal species is mentained in nature/existence.
Human (knowledge) order: We can see that we humans are not according to our lineage or race, as in
animals. We may pick up something from our parents as we grow up, but we are usually very different
in many ways from them. We humans are according to our imagination; according to our desires,
thoughts and selection in ‘I’. the desires, thoughts and selections we have in ‘I’ can come from
anywhere. It can come from past memories, it can come from our parents, the environment, the media,
anywhere. In the case of humans, we can say ‘as the education, so the human’. We are according to our
desires, thoughts and selections. Together, we call these ‘sanskara’. Hence, we say that a human being
comforms to his or her sanskar or has ‘sanskaar conformance’.
Q.9. How the activity is in human order is different with that of animal and plant order?

Ans: An activity means something that ‘has motion’ and /or ‘has a result’. The material order is active in
multiple ways, and the same with the plant order or animal order or human order. We are sitting in a
room. But we are active. We are thinking, desiring, the body has breath running, heart throbbing. The air
in the room is blowing. The wall standing constantly also has activity.
The chair in the room is also active. It may not be very visible to our eyes but the chair is still active.
We can understand this activity in two ways:

• Things that we see are ‘visibly moving’, through the naked eyes, such as a spinning top, a
moving bus, a running man, are active, and
• All things that are ‘visibly stationery’, are not moving, are also active. Like a stationary chair. The
activity of chair is that the wood of the chair is interacting with the environment and as a result it
decays with time.
• All units around us, including ourselves, are active, all the time. They are interacting with the
environment. In the activity, there is a state or configuration and motion simultaneously. This
remains all the time.

Material order: All material things (i.e. units in the material order) can be understood as an acitivity of
‘units’ coming together to form a bigger unit. We call this ‘composition’. Example, the chair is made of
smaller pieces of wood. Bigger units can also separte from each other to form smaller units and we
call this ‘decomposition’. Like a wooden chair can decay after a few years. Thus any unit in the
material order can be understood as an ‘activity of ‘composition/decomposition’.
Plant/bio order: When we look at all the units that make up the plant/bio order we will find that they
can be understood in terms of composition/ decomposition and respiration. Not only do plants
compose (following new plants) and decompose (decaying), they are also breathing, or pulsating,
which we call respiration.
Animal order: We can understand the activities of animal order in two aspects:

• Body In Animals – Physicochemical Activities The body displays the same activities that we
see the plant. The body displays respiration, or breathing, or pulsating, as we call it. The body is also
formed at one point in time and keeps building cells as well, i.e. there is composition in the body. Hence,
the activities in the body are the same as that in the plant/bio order, which are: composition/
decomposition and respiration. Hence, we say that the body belongs to plant/bio order.

• ‘I’ In Animals – Conscious Activities The activities in ‘I’ are fundamentally different from
those in the body. ‘I’ is a unit that has the ability or capacity of assuming. Animals make
assumptions. If you have a dog and some strangers come into the house, the dog may start
barking at him. If this person stays at your house, the dog may stops barking at him, but will
continue to bark at other strangers. What has happened here is that the dog’s ‘assumption’ about this
person has changed, due to which; the way in which it responds to the person has changed. We call
this assuming.
It is important to note that this consciousness or faculty of assuming is not in the body. The body belongs
to the plant/bio order, and is physicochemical in nature. It just responds to physicochemical
inputs.
Human (knowledge) order: The activities in human body are similar to that in the animal body, and we
have seen this in detail as: composition/ decomposition and respiration. When it comes to
consciousness or ‘I’, however, the human displays more than just an ability to ‘select’ or make choices
as animals do. Thus, in human beings, ‘I’ has the activities of desiring, thinking, and selecting/tasting,
with a possibility or need for understanding and realization. Only humans have this need to know and
that is why it is called gyana avastha – the knowledge order.
Q.10. Explain the basic activity in the four orders in nature.

In the material and pranic order, there is only recognizing and fulfillment. Such units do not have the
activities of assuming and knowing. Take for example, hydrogen and oxygen recognize the relation to
each other, and combine to form water. A brick and the other brick have a definite relation, recognize
it and get arranged to form a building. A plant recognizes the relation with sun and water, and fulfils it
by acting accordingly. Such activities take place in a similar way all the time, there is no selection
involved here. A plant does not choose to turn or not to turn to sun, absorb or not to absorb water.
Similarly, the fan in your room does not choose to rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise. It turns as
per the winding in the motor. No choice. When we look at the animals and humans, we find selection
taking place. this, we would say that there are two kinds of realities in existence and these are: space
and units (in space). So we say,
Existence = space + units (in space)
Since nature consists of the four orders we have been discussing, we can say,
“Existence = Nature submerged in space”.
Nature = Four orders (Material, Plant/Bio or Pranic, Animal and Human Order)

Q.11. Define existence? Show that existence is in a form of co-existence. OR

Existence is co-existence of mutually interacting units in all-pervasive space. Explain. OR

“Existence = Nature submerged in space” – Elaborate this point. OR

Differentiate between units and space. How are units self-organized in space? OR
What do you mean by co-existence? How are units in co-existence being in space? Write a short
note on ‘nature (units) submerged in space’. Explain the meaning of submerged here.
ANS: All the units together constitute nature. All the units of nature exist in space which is an important
reality to understand. Existence is nothing but the nature in space.

We define unit as something that is limited in size. Like a small blade of human hair to the biggest
planets we know of, they are all limited in size, i.e. bounded on six sides. So, all the ‘things’ we have been
studying so far: the human beings, animals, lumps of matter as well as various atoms and molecules,
are all ‘units’. We can recognize them as such, they are countable.
But there is another ‘reality’ called ‘space’. We normally don’t pay attention to this ‘reality’, because it’s
not a ‘unit’. We can’t ‘touch it’, smell it. We normally just ‘see through it’. But the fact is because we can’t
‘touch it’ or ‘see it’ as we would see a unit like our body, our friends, or a piece of rock, doesn’t mean it
does not exist. Space exists everywhere. Coexistence is a state in which two or more groups are living
together while respecting their differences and resolving their conflicts non-violently. Co-existence has
been defined in numerous ways:

1. To exist together (in time or space) and to exist in mutual tolerance.

2. To learn to recognize and live with difference.
3. To have a relationship between persons or groups in which none of the parties is trying to destroy
the other.

4. To exist together (in time or place) and to exist in mutual tolerance.

 When we look at the
existence around, the first thing we see is space. And then we see the units in space. Between every
two units there is a space. The units exist in space. If we were to define this, we would say that there
are two kinds of realities in existence and these are: space and units (in space). So we say,
Existence = space + units (in space)
Since nature consists of the four orders we have been discussing, we can say,

“Existence = Nature submerged in space”.

Nature = Four orders (Material, Plant/Bio or Pranic, Animal and Human Order).
Q.12. Draw a chart showing in detail, the different categories of UNITs of nature in coexistence in
space. What is your role in existence? OR
Define the terms Gathansheel, Gathanpurna, Kriyapurnata and Acharanpurnata. OR
Explain ‘Existence is Gathansheel and Gathanpurna and also there is Kriyapurnata and
Acharanpurnata in existence’.

Ans: 1. Units: Units have a finite number of possibilities. They are all limited in size, bounded on six
sides, and range in size from a small blade of human hair to the largest planets we know of. So
everything we’ve studied thus far, including humans, animals, lumps of matter, and various atoms and
molecules, is a unit. We can identify them as such, and they are countable.

2. Space: Space is defined as an infinite entity. It has no size and thus cannot be bound, unlike a
unit. However, space maintains a certain regularity and follows certain laws. The environment is
reflecting. This means that it can be explained using its relationship to other objects. For example, we
might say there is space between you and the book you’re reading. Space is also transparent, which
means that there are no obstacles in space.
3. Co-existence : The relationship in this type of coexistence is founded on mutual respect for
diversity. In this relationship, the groups accept each other’s differences and have equal access to
resources and opportunities. The environment is one of peace, social cohesion, justice and equality,
mutual tolerance, respect for different points of view, and nonviolent living.

The diagram below depicts the relationship between the various orders of nature. We can see that
nature’s four orders coexist in harmony. This exists in nature and does not need to be created. Nature’s
units are small in size and self-organized. Space is limitless, and there is always reflecting energy
available in the all-encompassing space. Only the human and animal orders have received self-
consciousness. The material order is constantly changing structurally. The conscious order does not
change structurally. Because conscious units can learn, they can know, assume, recognise, and fulfill .