Mass ...Energy ...And ...God
- Mahesh Kulkarni
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One of the great poets of Marathi has said “Oh God I never asked for your darshana because I see you in everything I see”. Where another one said where should I search you in fact you have infinite temples. No he didn’t mean temple literally. In fact he gave a small list of god’s presence as a representation of that infinity. A small necked otherwise a dirty child of a roadside beggar , a huge water fall , a huge mountain, a star or a planet that is several time bigger than earth and even small tiny thin blade of a grass is also a complete presence of god.
Philosophers or thinkers of all civilizations have been attempting to define god where devotees of all religions do not seem to be wasting time in inquisitive act. My father used to say god is a subject of belief and not that of intellect. Yet scientific community does never accept this conclusion and prefer to keep god or mystery around him away. As some have tried, I too wish to look at god here from scientific perspective along with Hindu ultimate definition keeping myths away. Let me aim at making all kinds of reader comfortable.
Several people for several centuries have attempted to define, describe God. I would express, not by mere humbleness but by reality that, I extremely fall short. My small intent here is not to define but convey an observation or a perspective.
One of the universally accepted discoveries of science is close to spiritual philosophy of one religion.
Omni Presence : what Science finds.
What is common in all that we see or even don’t see but exists in world?
Matter is the only substance that can provide objective existence in space and physical reality to an entity. All real entities are made of matter. We had been using one
of the attributes of matter, mass, to represent matter content of real objects.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists of the world. Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity showed that energy has an equivalent mass and mass has an equivalent energy. Thus energy exists in every matter of this entire universe. Matter is the ‘material substance that constitutes the observable universe and, together with energy,
forms the basis of all objective phenomena’ (Wikipedea). The universe is immensely large and possibly infinite in volume. Scientists have claimed that there may be 100 billion galaxies in this universe. Everything that exists has mass and as said above it equates with energy. Mass and energy are both but different manifestations of the same thing. So there is omni presence of energy accepted all over.
Omni Presence : what spiritual philosophy finds.
Hummm ! What is God? No I am not authority but I think concept of God might probably, have emerged out of fear or respectful fear. Hinduism has several deities. It follows polytheism. It is said that Hinduism believes in having 33 million Gods. We see around on every small street of every city or even a small village has temple and every Hindu family has specific deity. You see streets, you see walls, you see wallets, you see wall papers and find God all around you. Hinduism has extreme form of Idolatry. You find many different shapes, sizes of idols of their deities.
Yet the ultimate philosophy of the religion leads to monotheism. Perhaps the polytheism is supposed to be meant to lead to monotheism. No it may not be explicit but its unique in world that the religion that has polytheism, the religion that follows idolatry ultimately defines the omni presence of the God. Einstein said every matter has mass and so does it have energy. Hinduism believes presence of God (super power) in every particle of this universe. For Hindus God, as is, is beyond any attributes of form, colour, shapes ... That is, God does not have any specific form or name Such God is referred to as Nirguna , Nirakar. It is formless. We not only believe that God has created this universe or God is care taker of this Universe but we ultimately take follower to believe that this whole universe itself is God. Omni present God.
सर्वं जगदिदम त्वत्तो जायते
सर्वं जगदिदम तत्वस तिष्ठति
सर्वं जगदिदम त्वयि लय मेश्यती
सर्वं जगदिदम त्वयी प्रत्येति
सर्वं जगदिदम तत्वस तिष्ठति
सर्वं जगदिदम त्वयि लय मेश्यती
सर्वं जगदिदम त्वयी प्रत्येति
These lines of Ganesh Atharvashirsha have a definition of God that is close to what Albert Einstein had defined relation between mass and energy. The whole universe is emerged out of you. The whole universe exists due to you. The whole universe destroys due to you. Merges into you. I find you in this entire universe.
There are several different matters in world. All have mass and that equates with its energy. Thus everything in universe has energy. So God is not staying somewhere else separately. You , me and everything around is energy thus is God as defined by Vedas too.
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| (Temple owned once by our family: Jalgaon Dist.) |
एकोहम द्वितीयं नास्ति
Advaita Vedanta... the doctrine of non dualism is one without a parallel. Propagated in the history of mankind by Adi Shankaracharya... Advaita Vedanta implies one and only one. The philosophy of Advaita Vedanta... the non dual characteristic of the supreme Lord, the Almighty God aka Parmatman in hinduism confirms that the Creator God does not have a dualistic nature.
When there is only ONE and no one else then there is no possibility of enmity, lust, ego etc
Omni Presence: what a common mind can see.
Keep aside what science says. Keep aside what spiritual philosophy says. If we look at any common mind in human race we find that it is comfortable with its assumption and it gets used to anything when done repeatedly with involvement for years together. And then it finds it difficult to give up such assumptions or even perceptions.
Most of us have attachment with parents and siblings. And the blood relation today can even be proved by DNA test. But yet I would say it is more based on assumption and is only for the period of life span. Replacement by mistake or intentional in maternity hospital is not impossible. But the love continues on association and assumption. When we have a simple stone but carved as deity we worship otherwise a ordinary stone. And even observe sanctity. You might place a foot on any other stone but just join hands when it has Kumkum, turmeric like pooja material is applied. My point here is notice the assumption.
So likewise if we assume any human being rather anything that we see around is God, what difference it might make. If such assumption is made often and years together it becomes habituated by mind and body. It is extremely difficult because human mind has several reasons to run away and get attracted to many things around. It has to be done by frequent reminders.
The God that exists in me same do I find in a beautiful girl seen in front, same do I find in garbage or even night soil seen near around. It is not easy and several times the mind gets diverted but when attempted for several years and several times by reminding your mind it starts happening for few seconds or a minute. Imagination, assumption helps. The Universe is several billion light years big that means light like fastest matter will take some billion years to reach the edge of Universe but yet it is expanding rapidly so by the time light reaches there perhaps the edge would have gone yet farther. But if you close your eyes and try to imagine this infinity with zero thought in mind you see different light. If you insist your mind to accept and trust that a huge Himalaya, a tremendous rain fall, tiny blade of a green grass, a beautiful woman, stars , planets and whatever you see has a presence of God within; the same that is within you.
We come here…become old and get involved here and just forget that one day or the other we are supposed to “go”. Like the way edge of Universe is far beyond imagination the age of universe is also. The Universe exists for last 13 billion light years ever since big bang. You live for 50-60 years and then turn into ash within 10 – 12 hours. Yes a small amount of ash that disperses in a short while. This thought should make you as much as possible egoless, lust-less , humble. It should be done by a mind with devotion (Bhakti) to see Omni Present God in whatever we see. Perhaps that may be objective of concept of God.
I was blessed with these thoughts in early childhood and several times reminded by father. If you follow up such thought by humble mind for years together it just goes deep.The movement you see anything or especially you feel anger, ego or lust just think and tell yourself by science or spiritual philosophy that what "energy", what "god" is within you is the same in what you are seeing infront. This frequest reminder over the period takes to
that oneness. This should reflect in compassion and caring.
Lastly: How come.....
How come a god with 4 hands or 5 heads be the creator of this universe. and if the creator is separate then who created HIM. The Advait philosophy of Hinduism very clear about oneness that HE not only created this. but it is HE himself all around. Yes both idolatry as well as a thought of omni presence are required by human mind. Most of our sorrows are due to hurting some individual or masses. This is again out of selfish, egoistic nature and out of inappropriate lust. The human mind can attempt to become selfless, egoless and lustfree by extreme humble surrender, by devotion (bhakti). This is possible for a common mind by idolatry only. But after a prolonged devotion in temple a mind must develop ability to see the "god" all around within and out.
एकोहम द्वितीयं नास्ति
When there is only ONE and no one else then there is no possibility of enmity, lust, ego etc...as I said it happens by often and often reminders to mind.
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते
पूर्णश्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
