- CREATION
Billions of years ago…
The Universe was just—a vacuum
Not as we now know…
Devoid of any stars, planets, or activity
Not even an iota of gravity
No humans have witnessed this mystical process come to life
Collective learning has led to this study being shared and further described
Discoveries upon discoveries, many a scientist built upon
Scriptures over scriptures, shared a deep inner knowing that the meditators were dawned on
Thus, it happened…
An infinitely tiny, dense, and extremely hot speck of nothing was it
Smaller than a fraction of an atom as the Vedas and Puranas (the most ancient Hindu
scriptures) describe it.
One day, faster than the speed of light it expanded
Like a giant balloon in which space, matter, and time, all quickly compounded
Scientists say that this ‘Big Bang’ happened so rapidly
Even before, you finish saying the word ‘squiggly’
Research also reveals the coming of light, gravity, and electromagnetivity
Leaving us in awe and wonder of cosmology and spirituality!
The scriptures (Samkhya philosophy) describe this under-a-second phenomenon
as a merger of ‘energy’ and ‘stillness’
Over many a million years, the Universe thus began to stretch its expansiveness
When the soupy, plasma-like Universe began to cool from its extreme hotness
It became easier for more matter to form and combine in togetherness
More and more protons, electrons, and neutrons attracted each other to form atoms galore
Making stars, galaxies, solar system, the black hole, and even the sun’s flaring eruptions, lo and behold!
What started as a space full of hydrogen and helium we are told
Now, also had the elements of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and iron unfold.
A cycle began that continues to play:
Small and big stars forming, heating, collapsing, and exploding to this day,
Creating enchanting supernovas and other elements as a result of this interplay.
This potent and mystical energy also manifested into intelligence, ego (I-ness), the mind, and the Mahagunas of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas (the very first qualities of the Universe)
All of which together are present on Earth since time immemorial thus.
Sattva is the energy of goodness, purity, light, harmony, balance, and intelligence
Rajas is the mode of change, passion, action, ego, and stimulus
Tamas adds ignorance, laziness, dullness, heaviness, destruction, and darkness
All combined especially, to give rise to our senses, the body, and all of its process
Pervading even in Nature, and all its beautiful components.
There was also evidence of recurring sound waves, vibrations that hummed
Scriptures call these, the sound of our Universe—the syllable Aum (Om) that in shlokas and prayers is sung
These waves gave birth to the existence of Air
Air and its zones stoked Fire and its flare.
Fire, with its transformative heat, gave us Water
Water gave us Earth and all life on this planet
The five great elements thus came together,
As if, Nature meticulously planned it.
Our story of birth is no different
We are made up of these very elements
The journey of a tiny zygote to a fully formed foetus
Growing in a comfortable space, within our Mumma’s uterus
Our mind, body, and soul are incredible gifts of cosmic energies.
Excuse me as I wake up from being mind-boggled, flummoxed, and dizzy!
Are you then, just a tiny speck in this big mighty cosmos?
Or are you the cosmos itself?
The answer to these questions lies in how mindfully you live this precious life, moment-to-moment
As life moves on, remember the little astounding spark of light and energy (soul) within you,
The very atoms that made this Universe,
Also made, every living and non-living thing, including me and you!
There will be days in our life when,
In order to feel whole, complete, and content
We'll go on to seek love, peace, self-worth, and acceptance
from people, grades, degrees, and our jobs, on recurrence
On all of the days, but especially, on those
Connect to your heart, with your eyes closed
For this potent source of creation is pulsating within you
Reminding you that everything you seek on the outside is ALREADY within you!
MEET THE WORDS
- Purusha – Stillness/ Cosmic Consciousness/ Pure Awareness
- Prakriti – Energy, primordial matter and time
Purusha is the stable, pure consciousness & Prakriti is the pulsating dynamic creative potential; everything that can be perceived through the senses, and everything that is changeable. Per the Samkhya philosophy, they join together and give birth to the Universe.
- Atman – Soul – Pure awareness within us. The Soul is filled with infinite joy and knowledge and its role is that of a neutral watcher of the activities of the mind and the body.
- Matter – From the Oxford dictionary: “Physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit; (in physics) that which occupies space and possesses rest mass, especially as distinct from energy. “Anything that exists in solid, liquid, and gas form.” Our body is made of matter.
- Samkhya or Sankhya – A philosophy attributed to the sage Kapila Muni, forms the core foundation of Ayurveda. Derived from the Sanskrit words "sat" (truth) and "khya" (to know), Samkhya literally translates to "the way of knowing the truth." This philosophy emphasizes the importance of understanding the fundamental principles of existence. Samkhya identifies four main components of life: the body, senses, mind, and soul. Their interconnectedness is essential for life to exist. This chapter delves into the fascinating parallels between Samkhya philosophy, the Big Bang theory, and the Nasdiya Sukta (Rig Veda 10.129). The chapter explores three key points of convergence: The Primordial State— the initial state of pure potentiality before creation, the role of heat energy in the process of creation, and the universe's evolution as a gradual process.
The beauty of Vedic texts lies in their openness to inquiry. Even the ancient Rishis (seers) acknowledged the mystery of creation and embraced the possibility of multiple explanations. This chapter celebrates this spirit of exploration by bringing together and overlapping the similarities between Vedic wisdom and modern scientific understanding.
- Ego – I-ness. When we say things like "This is my favorite ice cream," or "I'm an artist, tennis player, doctor, lawyer, fast-food lover, hustler!", or even compare ourselves to others with thoughts like "I'm much better than her," or "I'm not as good as her," we put on different masks to fit into different places or situations in life. This is our ego, a part of our mind that is natural and comes with us when we are born. It only wants us to feel loved, safe, and special, the most basic of human needs. But most times, it can be pushy and bossy, wanting all the attention, and throwing tantrums when things don't go its way. It loves the control it feels by staying in comfort zone of familiar thoughts, feelings, and actions. Our challenge in life is to live all of these roles with lots of love, acceptance, and presence, and yet, without the ‘I’ and ‘my’ or dislike for any. Once we get attached to or resist any of them, Ego takes over.
- The Five Great Elements – The Five Great Elements – the Pancha Mahabhutas – Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, relate to our five senses and bodily processes. Their merger in various combinations form every living and non-living thing on Earth, from the mighty mountains to the tiniest ladybug, including humans. Even the red bus on the road contains the five Mahabhutas. The proportions of these elements vary, creating unique physical and energetic combinations in each body.
When considering the Macrocosm to the Microcosm, we might question, "Okay! But how do I feel connected to the Mahabhutas?" or "How are they connected to me?" By simply stopping, noticing, and listening closely to our bodies, Nature, and the larger Cosmos, we can feel an instant sense of connectedness and oneness with the Macrocosm.
“As is the Microcosm, so is the Macrocosm, as is the Atom, so is the Universe, as is the Human Mind, so is the Cosmic Mind.”
- Deepak Chopra
Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-IdamPuurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate
PuurnnashyaPuurnnam-AadaayaPuurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
Om ShaantihShaantihShaantih ||
“Om. Wholeness/Infinity is complete. The world is born out of wholeness and thus is also complete. Even if we remove everything from what is complete, it will remain complete/infinite. Om, peace be with me, peace be with others, peace be with the cosmos.”
Quick meaning: We, and everything we see or do not, come from just the same source. The source that is whole. We lack nothing, just as the source of creation, we are as marvellous!
Take a look at this illustration to see the connection between the Pancha Mahabhutas, the universe, and us.
Visualize the time you were in your Mumma’s cosy, nourishing, and safe womb. Using this womb space, draw your baby self and then write all that you are made up of in this life. Hope, trust, love, confidence, curiosity, joy, water, earth, air…?
About the Author
Readomania
Joined: 06 Feb, 2015 | Location: , India
Take a break, read something nice, write something beautiful...
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