Model 1
There are some scientific theories that are being proposed that this world is primarily physical. They say that all mental processes and even the feeling of ‘I’ are the result of chemical and electrical activity in the brain. Thus, the universe is considered fundamentally physical – consisting of matter and energy. Everything else is the result of that.
This assumption leads us to a very peculiar situation. If everything is the result of matter-energy interactions, then if we consider a point of singularity like big bang, then the complete dynamics of every part of matter in the universe was decided accurately at that point of time. Even if we assume a steadystate theory, still if we know the complete dynamics of all matter at a time t1, then we can theoretically determine unambigously the dynamics of all matter at time t2.
This implies that everything in the Universe is pre-destined to the last detail. There is absolutely no place for free will, human ambition, freedom, etc. All the pursuits and struggles of the entire humanity becomes a big joke. Are we ready to accept this?
If we need to be able to ask “What is right and wrong?”, “What is the aim of life?”, “Why should I love my neighbour?”, etc the physical universe as the foundation cannot be accepted.
The test of Truth is not in its utility or our convenience. So not being able to ask these questions does not discount this to be true. But if this were the Truth, we donot need to proceed further at all. We can assume that this is not the Truth and proceed further. If we meet contradictions, then we can always come back.
Model 2
The next logical model that we can assume is that this is a mental universe. The question arises, “Why not mixed?”. If it were mixed, then they should interact. Because, if I want to lift my hand, I am able to do it. A toothache makes me feel sad. Now, the physical universe and the mental universe cannot interact without violating their own conservation laws. Conservation laws cannot be violated in either of them. If they were not the same, then there would be two Infinities, which is also not possible.
We have already discounted the possibility that the universe is fundamentally physical. This leads to the conclusion that universe is fundamentally mental.
This has very interesting consequences. There are no physical objects at all. It is all in the mind. There is one mental Universe percieved by all minds. The body is in the mind. The mental universe is shared by different minds. All actions actually happen in the mind. Space is unreal. Only time is real.
My existence is not dependant on the physical body. It is just a temporal identification. My mental existence is more fundamental than my physical existence. Birth and death are only of the physical body, which is a mental image only. My primary identity is with my memory, intelligence, emotions and ego. All interactions are at this level only. The interactions at the physical level are merely gestures.
Model 3
Now, what is the difference between reality and dream? Just as I see physical objects like a tree, houses, people, etc in a dream, I see physical objects in this world also. Now, how much reality do I give to other people? They exist in my mind like people in my dream. What about their mind? Do they have one at all? Just as out of the physical universe, I carve out a part of it and identify with it, out of the mental universe I carve out a part and identify with it. It is just like a dream. In reality, there is no one else in the Universe except me.
Concepts like birth and death lose their punch. Just as dreams start with me as a so-and-so person, son of so-and-so, of such-and-such age, father of so-and-so, etc, this Universe also starts with a bang. Just like dreams, it disappears with a bang. I donot take birth and grow and die in each dream. Birth and death are fictitious. It is the Universe that appears and disappears before me. I donot go from waking to dream to sleep to dream back to the first waking, etc. I merely go from one dream to another dream. There is no waking back from a dream. I enter each dream with all memory preloaded, as some person
of a certain age, living in a certain place, doing a certain profession, etc.
Now what makes a Universe to appear? My desires and fears. Just like strong desires and fears create dreams and nightmares, my desires and fears are the seeds for these Universes to appear and disappear in succession in my mind. A Universe appears in response to a desire. When the desire is satisfied, the Universe has no reason to be there. It disappears as instantaneously as it appeared. The next Universe appears to satisify another desire. This way Universes appear and disappear.
There is nothing called dream, waking or sleep. They are all only imaginations, just like birth and death. There is nothing called past and future. They are all in the imaginary. The present is also only in the mind, but atleast has slightly more reality than the past and future.
And every Universe has its own space and time coordinates. Space and time are relative to the Universe. But for the Universes to appear and disappear in sequence, there should be a “bigger” time reference. Surprisingly, law of causation still
holds good.
If I reach a point of desirelessness, then “snap”. No more Universes. What remains? I as a mere Existing, self Conscious entity. I am that only even now. But, the Universe is there too, supported by my desires. When the support is removed, the Universe disappears forever.
Now, there is another problem. How can there be desires in me? I am ever the pure Conscious Existence. Being Alone, there is nothing to lose, nothing to gain and no one to please. There is no reason for any desires. Desires arise by a freak forgetfulness of my Real nature.
Conclusion
Everything sounds fantastic. But is this the Truth? Is this the Reality? There are no contradictions. It fully explains everything.
Now, what is the cause of sorrow? Desires. But, it is heartening to know that even our worst sorrows are only as real as nightmares. How to be free from sorrow? Be free from desires. What is the cause of desires? Forgetfulness of my intrinsic Fullness.
Do I have free will? Yes. To have desires or to be free from them. And every movement of the Universe is controlled by this. I have free will, not only over what I do. But over everything in the Universe. The Universe is here in the current form because of my desires. I can decide the Universe that I will be facing by using my free will and desiring differently.
Who am I? The eternal, conscious, existence. In reality, there is nothing other than I. I am infinite. I am eternal. Joy and sorrow are only superimpositions on me, because of desires. Intrinsically, I am free from sorrow, eternally peaceful. I have nothing to acheive, nothing to give up. I am always Alone and Full.
What is the world? It is just a dream. What is death? It is just a fictitious concept.
What is good? What is bad? Anything done with desire and selfishness is bad. Anything done without any selfishness is good. Do full justice to the present situation, without any desire or anxiety over the results, fruits or fame. There is no one out there. Where is the place for name and fame in an Universe, where I am the only real person?
If there is nothing else expect me, then why don’t I just sit idle? I cannot. There is desire. So the unreal Universe is there. To satify my unreal hunger, I need unreal food, for which I have to do unreal work. The sorrow may be unreal, but it is a matter of experience. As long as there is an Universe in front of me, I have to do full justice to it.
So, here is
a model of Reality, that ans
wers all my questions satifactorily.
6 Responses to In Quest Of Reality