How East and West diverged on genetics, time, and existence

To understand the profound philosophical divide between the Eastern and Western worlds, one must examine two forces that silently shape both thought and civilization: the perception of time and the inheritance of memory, what modern science now calls genetic or epigenetic influence, and what ancient Eastern philosophies have long described as the law of Karma.

While the West, particularly in its scientific era, has treated these as measurable quantities to be controlled, the East has always regarded them as living principles woven into the fabric of existence itself. This divergence is not accidental; it grew from the vastly different soils of cultural evolution and spiritual orientations.

The Western Anchor: A Universe of Order and a Linear God

Western intellectual heritage was formed of "jungle rule," or the battle for survival and dominance. This was tempered by successive waves of thinkers who sought to impose order upon chaos. They were systematically consolidated around a central, immutable concept: a single, omnipotent God.

This worldview found its ultimate expression in Christianity, which dominated the post-classical era. Here, God was not just a creator but the ultimate architect and lawgiver. This framework created a universe with a definitive beginning, Genesis, and a definitive end, Judgment Day. Time, therefore, has become a linear arrow, a one-way street from creation to salvation. This linear perspective naturally lends itself to a theory of progress, conquest, and a final, absolute truth to be discovered. The world is a creation separate from the divine, to be understood, mastered, and subdued.

In this model, "inheritance" is largely biological and material. Genetics is a blueprint for physical traits, a record of ancestry, but not a vessel for trans-generational moral or spiritual memories. The soul has just one life, one judgment, and one everlasting destiny; therefore, existence is a single, high-stakes trip.

The Eastern Cycle: Philosophy, Reason, and the Inner Universe

Chinese and Indian civilizations, on the other hand, embarked on a different journey. Rather than seeking an external architect, they turned inward, engaging in a deep and sustained series of philosophical inquiries. The primary objective was not to receive a revealed truth, but to find one's own explanation of the world around them.

This led to concepts of cyclical time, vividly illustrated by the Hindu and Buddhist notions of the four Yugas, vast cosmic ages that repeat in an endless cycle of creation, preservation, and dissolution. The concept of time cannot be viewed as a line, but rather as a wheel. The universe is constantly becoming, according to this framework.

In this philosophy, karmic memory functions as a profound analogy to genetic inheritance. The imprints of past actions and life (Samskaras) are carried by the soul (Atman) through reincarnation, shaping one's current disposition, circumstances, and future destiny. Here, "Genetics" is not just a physical code but a cosmic one. In addition to inheriting our parents' eyes, we also inherit the subtle karmic consequences of their actions. The soul's present condition is part of a vast, self-directed curriculum that encompasses multi-generational responsibility.

 The Clash of Worlds and the Unravelling of Control

Colonialism saw the West project its linear, progress-oriented model onto the world with immense force. There was a concerted effort to dismiss the ancient knowledge of the East, to uneducated populations, and to create systems of dependence. The tools of this dominance were the triumvirate of "Gold, Glory, and God", economic exploitation, imperial ambition, and religious conversion. For a while, this approach seemed successful.

However, what the colonial powers failed to account for were the very principles the East had understood for millennia: the power of karmic resilience and the long arc of cyclical time. You cannot erase a culture's philosophical DNA so easily. The deep-seated understanding of rise and fall, and the connection to a different temporal reality, persist beneath the surface. The Indian concept of time, stretching across billions of years within the Kalpa system, cultivates patience and perspective far beyond a mere 2,000-year linear timeline.

We are witnessing the consequences of this miscalculation today. Western-led systems are showing cracks. The relentless pursuit of linear progress comes at a cost, both ecological and spiritual. A re-emergence of Eastern principles that emphasize balance, cyclical renewal, and inner well-being is challenging the dominance model.

 The Resilience of Dharma: The Return of the Cyclical Mind

Despite centuries of suppression, the East’s philosophical DNA cannot be erased. Colonialization could alter education, economy, and language, but not genetic memory. Beneath the surface, the understanding of cyclical time and spiritual continuity persists.

Today, cracks in the Western concept are visible. Ecological exhaustion, psychological fragmentation, and spiritual emptiness have resulted from the relentless pursuit of linear progress. In this vacuum, Eastern ideas of yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and mindfulness re-emerge, often stripped of context, yet carrying whispers of their original wisdom.

Dharma reasserts itself quietly but inevitably. Time is no longer a race toward an end, but rather a rhythm that can be understood, and existence is not a conquest, but a continuum. It complements science, not contradicts it.

The Unwelcome Truth: Karma as the Ultimate Challenge

The West's historical resistance to and misrepresentation of traditions like Hinduism was not born out of ignorance, but out of a profound intellectual threat. Karma undermines our materialistic and linear understanding of reality.

Poverty, privilege, and hardship are not coincidental, but rather the product of a profound and personal cosmic curriculum. It removes the veil of victimhood and unearned superiority, replacing it with a level of profound, multi-generational personal responsibility that the Western paradigm is not equipped to handle.

As all things must, the temporary period of Western leadership has to give way to the old, deep currents of time and memory that the East has always preserved. The world is not on a simple march to a single end, but is perhaps remembering that it exists within a great, turning wheel. No system, no matter how powerful, can escape the laws of time and the resilience of ancient wisdom, which has always understood the unwritten code linking our past actions to our future becoming.