May '11
Volume III, No. 6, May 2011
III. The World is Real, Purposeful and Beautiful – Part 2 of 4
Last month we observed that the universe we live in is real. It’s not an illusion because:
- An illusion is juxtaposition of two objects when an object A appears as B. Though B doesn’t exist at the given space and time yet it does exist somewhere in the universe that A appeared as B, or B must have existed in past. In other words, in so far as the attribute of existence is concerned: both A and B exist (or existed) in universe.
- An illusion is temporary. However, the human beings have been functioning in the universe for millions of years and this kind of a time frame cannot be an illusion.
- An illusion is relative that the object A appears to some people as B, to others as C, and so on. But in the real world that we live in, everybody says that this is a desk and this is a chair. Hence, appearance of desk and chair cannot be illusion.
Now we want to discuss the remarkable precision that exists in the universe. We live on the earth that is a planet in the solar system. Our sun is like a star among the billions of stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy of Milky Way is one among billions of galaxies. There are some stars billion light years away from us. Obviously, time and space scales stretch to their limits when we discuss the astronomical universe. There is a similar counterpart in the tiny world around us. Even the smallest gross object, say a pen consists of billions of molecules within. Every molecule has a cluster of atoms. Every atom behaves like a solar system wherein electrons orbit around a nucleus of protons and neutrons. We are told that a solid substance as a pen is also more than 99% void though it appears to us as a ‘solid’. It’s almost like a boy plays with a small pebble tied to a string. He holds one end of the string tightly gripped in one hand and rotates the pebble tied to its other end. Nobody would like to venture close to the boy with the fear of being hit by the pebble. But the fact is that at any moment of time, the pebble is at one point of an imaginary ring that it traverses. However, its fast rotation makes it appear as if there is a ring of pebble around him – a single pebble becomes like an array of pebbles forming a ring around the boy. Such is the case with the so-called solid substances. There is mostly void around a tiny nucleus but rapid rotation of electrons makes them appear as ‘solid’ as it happened with a single pebble rotated by a boy.
Above instances tell us about two extremes of space and time parameters – very large distance and large time duration as in the case of heavenly bodies. Also, there are tiny distances and tiniest time scales at the atomic level. However, there is much greater sense of awe when we notice that even with the large space scales, there exists tiniest time scales. This is most remarkable for us to observe that the earth moves around the sun at a speed of about 100,000 km/hour and yet it completes one revolution around the sun in a time interval that is precise to a second. Indeed, we can predict the timings of sunrise and sunset at a particular location very accurately. This is due to the advances in mathematics that we have made. But, also, it’s true that the astronomical movements take place with great precision.
Above observations can be summarized as every event taking place in the universe is governed by definite laws of nature. Some of them are known to us and some may not be known to us. Some are known to us quite accurately and some are in approximate sense. However, the truth is that there are definite laws in the nature governing everything that exists. This gives us an idea as if there must be a conscious lawmaker behind the laws. Next month we will discuss purposefulness behind the laws of the nature. Every event seems to have a grand purpose – sometimes known to us and sometimes still shrouded in mystery.
- Harish Chandra
B. Tech. (IIT Kanpur)
Ph. D. (Princeton, USA)
CIS News
1. Dr Harish Chandra begins new sessions on Science of Yoga: Patanjali Meditation next month at several locations in the UK:
I. Ford Street, Pleck, Walsall, WS2 9BW, 0121 357 8957
Every Tue Evening, 6:45 to 8:15pm
III. Liverpool Yoga Centre, 37 Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9EA, 07737 844 495
Every Fri Evening, 6:15 to 7:45pm
IV. 69A Argyle Road, West Ealing, London W13 0LY, 07908 494 895
Every Mon Evening, 6:30 to 8pm from June 13, 2011
V. Leicester High School for Girls, 454 London Road, Leicester LE2 2PP, 07789 170 059
Every Sun morning, 8:45 to 10:00am from June 12, 2011
These are wonderful sessions to lead a stress-free life. Interested? Call the local coordinator at the phone numbers that appear above with the location detail.
SpiritMag Team