Pages

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Is this world truly an illusion or Maya as The Gita states?

One often wonders what the world being an illusion means and the rational mind seeks a scientific explanation for these eternal truths.Illusion or maya means something that is not what it seems to be or deception.Now, if we look at our world everything from plant, animal, rock, wood, metal to humans is nothing but atoms of various elements arranged in different combinations. Water is two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen and carbon dioxide is one atom of carbon and two of oxygen. Similarly, every substance is a combination of different atoms. If we enlarge an atom to the size of a room then the nucleus is nothing but a speck barely seen by the naked eye. The rest of the space in the atom is empty except for the subatomic particles electrons revolving around the nucleus.So, at the atomic level everything in our world seems to be vast empty space with energy (as the basis of interaction between atoms is electrical energy) and has no defined concept of physicality or form. Therefore, a table is not really a table if we take it apart to the subatomic state and the same holds true for us humans and other things.Then doesn't the statement that this word is an illusion stand true?

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

How should we celebrate?

Celebration is not only a form of self expression of personal happiness but unfortunately has become a social statement.At the risk of sounding like a party pooper, I feel celebration has become tedious affair of fulfilling and meeting a myriad of social expectations.Yes, we need to celebrate minor and major events of life but in todays consumerist, personality driven, status conscious society celebrating occasions has become a gargantuan display of wealth and one upmanship. People forget that that the ability to be able to afford a certain level of luxurious entertainment doesn't necessarily mean one has to indulge in it to the fullest possible extent and then also subject others to that.They don't realise that this sets unconscious social guidelines of aspirations which others might not be interested in following or be able to afford, but buckle down under societal pressure.Also there are some who might start thinking that this is the way things should be done and follow blindly irrespective of the affordability factor.Why can't celebrations be quite personal moments of joy shared with dear ones instead of a carnival of hundreds of acquaintances, friends and relatives?We need to step up as individuals with courage to go against the tide and re- establish less ostentatious and more meaningful ways of celebrating.