Holistic Science of Life and Living

Author(s): Vitrag Vignan Charitable Research Foundation
Publisher: Vitrag Vignan Charitable Research Foundation

Page 18

Whatever this "element" is, it is the only one. It has no form or shape or taste or smell. It is inaccessible to our normal senses. It is universal everywhere. There is no place or time where it is not.
I will again try to draw a parallel with modern science and the conclusion it has reached. During the last four centuries, science has studied the structure of matter and of the radiant energy down to the deepest level possible. It has arrived at a truly amazing conclusion. All the matter we see and experience in our universe in its billions of different forms, is made up of only a few different kinds of atoms, about a hundred different kinds of atoms. You, I and the most distant stars and galaxies are all made of the same few atoms. Is this not an echo of - that thou art? In the last century, scientists have gone even deeper into the atomic structure. I will spare you the details. We find that the ultimate constituents, the building blocks of the universe are only a few elementary particles, called quarks and leptons. There is nothing else in the universe. Helping these particles to interact with each other and make more complex forms of matter are just four different types of forces. Radiant energy is only an expression: of one of these forces- the electromagnetic fields.
The implications of this wonderful basic unity underlying all things in nature are equally breathtaking. I believe that once we realize this all-pervading element of unity in nature and accept it fully, this provides the foundation for all morality and ethics in our society. This is what supports and integrates man and nature. The basic percepts of truth and non-violence follow from this unity. If everyone is part of me and I am a part of every one, how can there be violence amongst us? How can I lie or cheat anyone, when I realize that I am cheating myself only? This is truly the essence of "Dharma”.
Science is today a powerful force in our society. We see its influence everywhere, what has made science so powerful? Let me tell you that the strength and progress of science is largely due to the fact that scientific methodology is based on the principles of truth and nonviolence. Scientists do not go to war because they have different views or beliefs. One can find many instances in history where scientific disputes are settled by arguments, calculations or experiments done independently by third parties and results accepted amicably. In scientific papers one present's truth and only truth. Any fraud is quickly discovered and eliminated ruthlessly. Here indeed is a lesson our society can learn from science.
18 Holistic Science of Life & Living Vol. I May 2014