By: Dr. Suman Bharali
The Brahman i.e., the universe or the cosmos extends infinitely. Nobody understands or knows it’s beginning or end. It has been there since eternity and there is no beginning or ending time. Everything is changing constantly. A theory called the big bang theory was formulate to explain its origin. According to which at first there was a single condensed mass and there was empty space all around it. Then there was an explosion due to internal instabilities in energies of the mass and the matters were scattered in all directions. Since then, the matters are moving away from the center and each other. Some says at the beginning it was silent and the big bang happened with first sound “om”. Though the masses are moving away from each other there is gravitational forces between them and powerful gravity attracts the lesser matters. Some get attached and are constructive, some collides and are destructive. Different elements are there in the core and around the matters which may be a planet or a star. The immense energy within the original mass was distributed to the scattered matter. Fusion of hydrogen to form helium is going on in the stars which radiates light and heat and has powerful gravitational force. The planets surrounded them along with asteroids, moon, comets, satellites, gases etc. According to the distance from the central star their composition differs. There are infinite stars and more planets and cosmic phenomenon. Humans have been able to understand only a limited amount of this. There is birth and death of a star. There are dwarf stars, red giant star, supernova explosion and dark hole, which engulfs everything, even the light cannot escape from it. Due to its distance from the sun, the earth has particular core and crust and atmosphere around it. Water is in liquid, solid and vapour state.
Due to chemical reactions, energy and environmental factors, first unicellular organisms were originated which can regenerate and then annihilated back. These unicellular organisms adapted with the environment and complicated multicellular organisms were evolved. Since then, by adaptation and evolution different species of multicellular organisms have developed. Then their nervous system and consciousness developed to find food survive and reproduce. Then they tried to be safe and comfortable. Then means of luxury and pleasure were sought. Thus, the invasion and violence increased.
Different components of physical geography of the earth such as oceans, rivers, ponds, lakes, mountains, deserts, grass lands, forests etc. are also part of the universe. Different flora and fauna present in different ecosystems are also part of the universe. These can be as large as blue whales in the oceans to microorganisms and algae in the pond water. Different varieties of vegetations in different part of the world, different animals, birds, amphibians and reptiles on different forests etc. Even inside an organism or animal there are micro-organisms in their micro universes. For example, the human body is also a form of universe on its own. The gut of human and animals contain numerous bacteria, microbes and some parasites as well; which dwells there. Human body has different organs, tissues, cells and different molecules in it. These molecules are comprised of atoms of different elements, which in turn comprises of electrons, protons and neutrons.
Now the finest particle of a radioactive element i.e., neutron have tremendous amount of energy in it and is capable of large-scale destruction in the form of nuclear bombs. It can run nuclear power plants and supply power to industries as well.
Everything present is a part of the universe, from largest star to the finest particle. Everything originates from the universe, takes energy and matter from it, grows and reproduces and again annihilated into it. As a result, the overall energy of the universe is constant, only it is converted from one form to another to perform different activities. As said in Ayurveda everything is composed of five basic elements which are earth, water, fire, air and space. Their permutation and combination give rise to different forms.
Everything is happening by energy exchange. Different physical activities happen due to some change in energy. Different chemical reactions consume and releases energy. These energies are utilized and transferred to other activities. But the total energy is constant in the universe. It is the dynamism in energy that causes different activities in it. For example, metabolism inside the living body is a dynamic process. Only death is static. Metabolism comprises of anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is formation of new molecules or growth and development of the body and catabolism is degeneration and destruction of it. Till there is a balance between anabolism and catabolism, the body is functioning at ease and alive. If there is imbalance there will be diseases and death. During death the energy and matter of the body is given back to the earth within the universe. When the body of living being decays other organisms and scavengers takes the energy and grows and develop.
We attain knowledge by our sense organs. Sense organs connects with their respective objects and send message to the brain, there it is connected with the consciousness and processed. This processed information compels us to act and are stored as memory for future. But our sense organs have limited capacity to perceive. How we perceive the universe is different from how other organisms perceive it. For example, fishes, whales, dolphins etc. perceive the universe differently as they live in different ecosystem and have different sense organs and communication methods. Similarly, birds see the world from another angle. Different organisms in the water or land have different ways of perception. A bat, an owl, a snake, different insects, a tree or plant, fungi etc. all can perceive the universe, but differently. We know that bats can hear sounds of higher frequency and communicate. Thus, what we perceive and our knowledge of universe is limited.
There are various other forms of energy, persisting in the universe. Such as cosmic energies, radiations, electromagnetic energies, bio energies etc. we can get the idea about them by observing the tides, movement of wind, by network of modern electronic devices, etc. There is vast network of consciousness pervading the universe as our thoughts are also energies and we are thinking and communicating always. We are constantly interacting with other humans, living beings or non-living things. Humans consider themselves as most conscious being as they can manipulate the universe according to their need and desire. All, the thoughts, speech and actions of the humans at present or were present in the past, pervade the universe. We are inside a network of consciousness or psychic activities. This is called pan psychism. These have immense energy and influence us directly and indirectly, consciously and sub-consciously. We are affected by the consciousness of those who come in contact with us directly or indirectly according to time and space. It is said that we are influenced by our friends and by friends of our friends also.
Thus, everything that is in there which we can or cannot perceive by our senses and consciousness; from macro to nano levels are a part of the universe. We are insignificant in terms of mater, energy or duration of time on this planet. We should therefore rise above false ego and be present in the moment fully. We should live our lives to the fullest, utilize our time here properly for the benefit of all living beings, non-living things and the universe. We should live in harmony with other living beings and nature. Complete our spam of time by doing creative and good deeds, beneficial for everyone and everything in the universe. So that energy we consume is utilized properly and transmitted well. Thus, our activities, speech and thoughts should be non-violent and beneficial for us and for the people around us. Also, we should be aware of other living beings and non-living things on the earth and the universe. As our body is a form of universe on its own, we should take care of it regularly and maintain its homeostasis. Body is the vehicle which carries our soul to complete the journey of life. If the body is at ease and we have a long life we can perform more activities for the benefit of the universe. The activities performed by us regularly for maintaining the harmony and benefit of the universe according to time and space is called brahmacharya. These differ according to age and necessity of a person. There are some common rituals and some specific, according to the need of the individual.
We should take care of our internal universe and try to maintain the homeostasis within the body. We should be aware of each and every part of the body and take care of them regularly. Most of us know the importance of a body part or an organ when there is some discomfort or disease in it. But if we take care of them consciously and avoid accidents due to negligence we can stay in ease. For proper functioning of the body, we should take care of every system within the body. We should see our body as a temple and should not disrespect it by performing impure activities.
Food:
We need to eat consciously and in time. We should not over eat or eat before the previously eaten food is digested properly. Our diet should comprise of all essential nutrients. Diet should be fresh and juicy. Food should be prepared in a clean kitchen, by a person who has pure heart and wishes for the wellbeing of all. Freshly prepared food should be eaten, preserved or stale food is harmful. Too much spicy and hot food are also not good for the body. Different varieties of vegetables, fruits, nuts, pulses and cereals should be consumed. Vegetarians should take milk, butter, ghee, cheese etc. Meat of animals and birds which are active are good. In Ayurveda it is said that if your diet is proper there is no need for medicine and if the diet is improper medicines has no effect. Proper diet enhances strength, complexion, happiness and longevity. Due to worrying, grief, fear, uncomfortable bed and waking at night even food taken in proper amount is also not digested well.
Sleep:
The next important thing for physical and mental health is sleep. After a day of activity, we need to take proper rest so that our body and mind gets rest and recharge well. Sleep is very much important for growth and repair of the body. Different biochemicals are secreted within the body at particular time. If the biological clock is altered all these biochemicals are disturbed and lead to different diseases. Infants sleep 18 to 20 hours; children about 12 hours and an adult need around 8 hours of sleep. Pregnant women, diseased or weak person, persons doing heavy physical activity or students who are studying or doing other stressful mental activities can sleep for couple of hours a day as well. Though sleeping at day should be avoided by obese persons or persons having diseases due to sedentary life style like diabetes etc. There should be a fixed sleeping and waking time. Waking early in the morning has many benefits as the person get enough time to prepare himself or herself for the day. Proper sleep gives physical and mental joy nourishes the body, increase strength, increase vitality, increase efficiency of the sense organs and give longevity.
Exercise:
Regular exercise is very important to keep the body fit and active. A person should do some physical activity daily according to body capacity. Daily stretching, brisk walking, running, skipping, power training, sports, yoga, dance and martial arts all keeps the body strong and flexible. One should remain active throughout the day by taking stairs instead of lift, walking or cycling to nearby market, getting off a couple of kilometers before destination to walk etc. exercise increases the circulation of the blood throughout the body and every organ becomes fully functional. The stored fats and carbohydrates are utilized and metabolism is normalized.
Pranayama:
Our breathing pattern differs according to our emotions. By controlling our breathing, we can balance our emotions and the mind. Pranayama renews the lungs with fresh air with oxygen and also help in detoxifying the body by expiration of latent gases. By proper pranayama every cell of different organs in our body gets adequate oxygen and functions at optimal level. Otherwise, there will be hypoxia and degeneration and organ functions diminish. Thus, the body does not function at its full potential.
Meditation:
Around sixty thousand thoughts come to our mind every day. We need to break the chain of thoughts and make the mind still for some time regularly. Meditation helps in clearing and calming the mind from constant bombardment of thoughts. During depression or anxiety, we get trapped in monotonous thoughts and can’t focus on anything else. Meditation helps us in getting rid of previous impressions and prejudices, to be aware and understand things better. When our mind is calm, we attain clarity and can act consciously. Also, in such peaceful and rejuvenated mind fresh ideas pop up and new knowledge can enter.
Personal care:
We should take care of personal hygiene and groom us regularly. We should wear clean clothes and accessories and stay presentable. This boosts our confidence. We should keep our living space neat and tidy and discard all unnecessary and useless items cluttered since long time. We should do little things sincerely as they build our habits. We should make our bed daily, do dusting of the room, wash utensils, clothes etc. Wash our vehicles etc. keep the surrounding clean, do gardening, give time to our hobbies, do some creative things and pursue our passion.
Social Behaviour:
We need to take care of our responsibilities towards our family, society, nature, other living beings and think about the welfare of the Universe. We receive what we give that’s why we need to be conscious in our thoughts, speech and actions. We should hurt anybody with our speech or actions and speak politely when necessary. We should not engage our sense organs and mind in negative, violent or addictive things. As our thoughts manifests into words and actions. We should know the importance of time and try to be punctual and should not procrastinate. We should respect elders and learn from other great persons. We should be kind, compassionate and serve the mankind as much as possible. We need to express our highest potential for the benefit of all. The whole universe is blessing us to evolve and flourish. (The author is an M.D. Ayurvedic Medicine & can be reached at bharali.suman@rediffmail.com)
