CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LIFE AFTER DEATH
What is Life?
Life
refers to the stability gained through dynamic equilibrium which is a continuous
state of change yet it does not alter the basic uniformity of conditions that
constitute the entity of an organism. In fact, this is the state where change
contributes to stabilty. Hence life itself is an illustration of the principle:
"stability-through-change". However, dynamic equilibrium or control of
the internal environment rests upon the personal effort of the body. Thus life
is not only what you make it but its rebirth and continuity also depends upon
one's own endeavours.
What is death?
Death, on the other hand, is
governed by what is called the principle of microscopic reversibility. It means
that though at macroscopic (observable) scale, the things called
"dead" seem standing still, at microscopic i.e. atomic level, there is
a continuous activity in such objects. Yet they are considered lifeless because
they are at equilibrium where each individual reaction occurs in such a way that
forward and reverse rates are equal. This type of equilibrium lacks dynamism,
that is, the ability to create and control internal environment.
Tobacco mosaic virus
From this description, it is quite
obvious that even what seems dead retains some kind of motion, therefore, there
is no real extinction, and things have the tendency not only to stay alive but
become alive under the right conditions. Take for instance, the tobacco mosaic
virus. In its crystalline phase, i.e. as a piece of matter, it does not display
any properties usually associated with life. It looks as lifeless an object as
any other but when these virus crystals are dissolved in water and placed on a
tobacco leaf, they immediately come to life and can be seen moving from leaf to
leaf. More surprising still, they multiply rapidly and form virus colonies.
Arguments for possibility of
life-after-death
These explanations do reveal that
death is not extinction but the lowest form of life because motion, no matter
how imperceptible in effect, is a symbol of life, and not of extinction.
Potential of life is embedded in atoms; it is realised by their ability to
arrange themselves into active patterns. Since our atoms survive
disintegration of our bodies, the chances of their *reanimation are more than
equal. However, this probability is provided by the Master Spiritual Cell only.
In view of the prominence of this subject, I am inclined to develop it by
further discussion to show that life-after-death is a distinct possibility.
Varying span of life
1. Length of cellular existence is
subject to a great deal of variation. The life of a microbe may be only a few
minutes or hours compared to man's 70 odd years. compared to this, a bristlecone
(conifer) may live for several thousand years. In a stand of bristlecone pines
on Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada, many of them exceed the life-span of 3000
years and one of them is 4900 years old!
Man has already improved his
life-span through improved medical care and spare-part surgery. Of course, it
cannot happen indefinitely at cellular level because the genetic code contains
instructions which specify that a species cannot live beyond a certain age, no
matter how favourable the conditions.
There is no reason to believe that
improved medical care and surgery are the only means of lengthening life.
Ordinary physical life seems more vulnerable to disintegration than existence at
atomic level. Since soul or the Master Spiritual Cell is more akin to an atom,
the tree o life germinating from soul is likely to be far more durable.
One should remember that not long
ago existence of atoms was ridiculed. Now, we know that atoms are the building
blocks of the universe, and also of cells which create life. Why can't the same
atoms be the basis of something more subtle and refined such as a soul?
Evolutionary principle
2. Evolution has displayed one
undeniable truth: a higher species emerges from the ashes of a lower species.
The higher species is genetically superior to the lower species and more capable
of adjusting itself to the environment. In fact, evolution is a process of
continual upward jumping, and this spiral takes place for two reasons:
a. the lower species can't cope
with the rigours of life, but life being an everexpanding phenomenon, seeks a
new mode (higher species) to express itself;
b. it is natural for things to seek
self-improvement. Man is imperfect. It is natural for him to seek relative
perfection. Soul is the realisation of that dream. Is there a cogent reason to
believe that evolution ends at man?
Direct propagation
3. Subhuman species can live
through their offsprings only, that is, by means of physical propagation. Every
species is the expression of its potential, which irnproves as the species leaps
to the higher rung of the evolutionary ladder. At human level, man must be
sufficiently evolved to possess a potential which is capable of extending his
existence without an external medium such as Children He must be capable of
propagating himself through himself. This means is provided by his soul. (Since
this potential is evolved at human level only, subhuman species are not capable
of producing soul).
The greatest human desire
4. Living-for-ever is the greatest
human desire. Achieving this aim must be a possibility; otherwise the whole
concept of life becomes a hoax. Man represents the apex of consciousness and
intelligence, and is also endowed with free will The purpose of these formidable
virtues can't be anything but to enable him to realise this goal. Soul is the
fulfillment of this dream.
Death is not extinction
5. Death does not lead to
extinction but to another form of existence. If an electron and a positron
collide, they both disappear, and two photons (particles of light) are seen
rushing from the site of clash. This is an example of conversion of matter into
energy.
Conversely, when two photons
encounter each other, they disappear, but from their disappearance emerge an
electron and a positron. Thus the reverse process, i.e. the transformation of
energy into matter, takes place. Death is, thus, a process of changing from one
thing to another.
Is it not more than likely that
human body when it perishes, can lead to the emergence of something else such as
soul? We cannot deny that the cessation of spring leads to summer, demise of
summer brings about (autumn) winter and the death of winter gives birth to
spring. Why should we deny the application of this natural process to man?
Law of sequence
6. This is law of nature that the
next stage is determined by the previous stage. For example, if there are atoms,
they must compose something; atoms are the previous stage and what they compose
is the next stage. Thus there is a definite correlation between the two, and one
cannot exist without the other. Therefore, there must be another stage of
existence after death, and it ought to be better than the human level of
existence because evolution is a process of moving from the inferior to the
superior. The more exalted stage than man is soul.
Supernova
7. People began to hear of the term
supernova in about 1933. It refers to a star which rises in brightness to such
an extent that it may outshine the total number of stars in the galaxy. In the
core of a star are formed massive nuclei through a long chain of successive
additions. When a star explodes through contractions it blazes with the
strength of a 100 million suns. However, the exploding star or supernova, as it
dies, hurls in all directions at a speed of many thousand miles per second, its
treasure of the nuclei which it has prepared over a period of long time. The
Crab Nebula is the remains of a supernova which exploded on the morning of 4th
July, 1054. Its ashes extend over billions of miles and like the Supernova of
the past, will give birth to stars of the future. The death of one star serves
as the breeding ground for another.
The explosion of a supernova seems
to be an integral part of the evolution i e rising from a lower stage of
existence to a higher one. It is because through a gradual process it contains
heavy nuclei which are essential for extending the ladder of complexity, and it
is complexity which is the essence of evolution. We should note that the
interior of a star is an unsuitable site for the formation of atoms and
molecules due to its extremely high temperature which is injurious to the making
of bonds. Bonding can happen only when the supernova has emptied its stellar
material in the cold expanse of space. Stars of later generations, like a
pheonix, rise from the ashes of the supernova.
Why is it not possible for soul,
the germinating seed of next life, to rise from the disintegration of its body?
If it is feasible for atoms to change into cells, and for cells to appear in the
incredible form known as man, what is so supernatural in assuming that man
carries the seed of his future life? Does a chicken not carry an egg to continue
its existence? Is it not known that every tree carries spores and uses amazing
techniques of perpetuating itself?
This fact is equally observable
inside the human body: cells are created from the destruction of cells
themselves.
Existence is eternal
8. Existence is not always
associated with the present. The atoms that constitute me now, existed billions
of years ago. It means that I existed in the past though I was not aware of this
fact. What has a past and present, must have a future as well. Again, as my
present is far better than my past, it is reasonable to assume that my future
can be even better than my present. Again, as my present is different from the
past, my future existence is likely to be different from both the present and
past, but as a real existence is always subject to rules, the future existence
can't be immune from them either.
Life as supposition
9. Life, in a way, is a process of
suppositions based on curiosity. The universe
with its wonders, was here long
before the advent of man. Even the primitive man, as he looked up into the sky,
heard the thunder of clouds, saw the dazzle of lightning or listened to the
music of dancing waves, felt curious to suppose the existence of a super-being.
As a result, he invented many gods and goddesses who governed the various
phenomena of nature. Since knowledge comes in stages, and Is never complete, he
had to learn the truth through a process of elimination. As most of our
knowledge is drawn from supposition, it is quite reasonable to suppose the
coming into being of a soul.
It is even more reasonable to
suppose that man is an important being, and is thus likely to live for ever,
rather than a mammal whose entire aim of life is to eat, drink and mate, and
then perish to become ashes. The supposition of a phoenix that may rise out of
ashes is far more superior to the ashes which are a form of refuse.
Unity of end
10. Finally, everything has the
unity of origin, that is, they all emanate from the same source, i.e. the atoms
(or the particles which constitute the identity of atoms). It is logical to
assume that they should also have the unity of ending. It is like snow melting
to split itself into many streams which combine to make a river, and rivers
flowing separately but eventually joining the sea.
Since things have the same identity
at the point of origin, they should also be homogeneous at the end. Without
being so, union is not possible: it is a mixture of the similar because only
birds of a feather flock together. This unity of ending is facilitated by souls
whose major attributes must have a lot in common.
Final unity
Now, we enter the last stage of
our argument, that is, the purpose of the final unity of souls which also
happens to be the purpose of the universe. However, one should remember that
inference can be drawn from the available evidence only:
What is a machine?
Before one can talk about the
purpose of the final unity of souls, one has to establish that man is not a
machine but an organism because machines have no goal; they function over a
certain period of time and then become a part of a scrap-heap. Again, a machine
is operated by an operator who may also be its designer. It is something stolid,
passive and obedient. It lacks will and emotive power and knows nothing about
pain or pleasure. Above all, it does not possess the instinctive quality of
self-improvement, the ability to create relationships and the glow of
consciousness which is the fountain of knowledge, moral values and social
discipline.
What is man?
On the contrary, man is
characterised with a mind which is the power "to think, know, feel and
will". Thus he is motivated by his dreams, desires, designs and
determinations. These qualities always have a purpose which man strives to
achieve. In fact, his entire life becomes a process of chasing and executing his
purpose. He is not only enthusiastic about attaining his goal but also becomes
concerned with the right way of attaining it. This is what creates moral
conscience leading to the creation of soul.
A machine knows nothing about moral
conscience. Man is called machine because he has a body which consists of parts
that function like the components of a machine. This is no reason to degrade the
status of man because cells of plants and other mammals have a great deal in
common with the cells of man; they all have the same functions and perform
similar processes, yet nobody has ever claimed that a mango or mouse is a man.
It looks to me that it is not similarities but the differences, no matter how
minute, which create distinction between one thing and another. Take a computer,
for instance. It has an "anatomy" including a "brain" which
are claimed to be not much different from those of man. Yet any comparison
affected between the two is only superficial. Instead Of going into details,
just look at the working of man's nerve cells. The result they produce is way
beyond the electronic capacity of a computer: man's unbounded imagination, fiery
determination, lofty designs, urge of execution, desire to succeed and
aspiration to improve, all stem from the operation of his neurons.
Obviously, man cannot be a machine
because his entire functioning is geared to an instinctive purpose which is
self-improvement though the notion of self-improvement may differ from person to
person. In fact, this urge of self-improvement lies dormant in atoms and is
awakened by the whip of change which excites them to assume ever-ascending
patterns of form to reach the highest point of existence. Intelligence of the
computers shows man's ability to rearrange atoms in a particular fashion to
bring forth the intelligence that is latent in atoms. However, this fact does
not obviate the difference between man and machine, it simply shows a similarity
between the two, and the innate creative power of the former.
Universe, as organism
Similarly, the universe is not a
machine either. It expresses its organismic spirit through man who is the
manifestation of the universal wisdom, operation and discipline. The
evolutionary process is a long chain of change. It has taken the universe some
fifteen billion years to create man, the most important link in the
concatenation of self-improvement. Improvement from atoms to cells and cells to
man, though incredible, is not good enough for the holy plans of the cosmos
which seeks the highest form of existence and thus uses man as the matrix of
soul. Such an exalted state of being is simply Godhead which is the eternal mode
of existence free from the pain of fear and want of favour. It is not that the
operation of change ceases here; at this point, change, which was originally
infantile and had been evolving all along, becomes the Creative Principle, that
is, change contributes to continual integration instead of disintegration.
The Godhead
To state this point more clearly, I
must add that Godhead is the stage where three aspects of change, that is,
change as principle, change as process and change as product, unite in perfect
harmony. The meaning of change as principle is quite clear; change as a process
implies evolutionary activity, and change as a product means souls brought about
by the evolutionary process from particles (the Primordial stuff) according to
the (underlying) principle.
At this stage, we must also bear in
mind that it is the nature of principle to manifest itself; for example, the
principle HE must manifest itself as water, otherwise it has no value, and its
existence cannot be proved. Again, the force of a principle or rule lies in its
enforcement. Thus, one can say that the myriads of phenomena that appear
everywhere as measured chemical changes (Compounds) are the enforcements of the
underlying principles (formulas). In fact, I am inclined to state that
enforcement is an integral part of the rule or law as burning is of fire and
reflection is of mirror; enforcement is another description of mamfestation.
However, both principle and process are abstract but manifestation is the
Visible form though it may not be readily accessible to the naked eye.
A soul or Master Spiritual Cell is
the product of the underlying principle and process. Therefore, God can manifest
Himself through souls only.
As atoms are the building blocks of
the universe, and cells make up the identity of man, souls constitute the entity
of God. In fact, God is the union of souls, as a river is the assemblage of
drops of water or a bonfire is the combination of scintillas. This concept of
Godhead is entirely different from the usually mystical idea of man's union with
God; according to this view man has a separate identity from God and union
denotes a friendly attitude of God towards man who holds his status as an
obedient servant.
Man is God and God is man
What I am stating is what I set out
to establish, that is, man is God and God is man. Man is God because he has the
ability to produce a soul which is a constituent of Godhead, and God is man
because of his dependence on man's soul without which the existence of God
cannot be imagined. However, the person of God is over and above the sum total
of the souls as entity of a radio Is more than its components. This is what
makes God an intelligible being. He cannot be transcendent because it makes Him
unknowable, and that what cannot be known, cannot be found, and that what cannot
be found, cannot be the goal of a search because, as stated previously, the
entire human conduct Is motivated by goal. The unknowable God has no relevance
to man but the knowable God becomes the goal of man whose nature it is to climb
the highest peak for achieving the best. Therefore, the messiahs and messengers
mislead people to be treated as God for staying alive through their memory. They
do so by exploiting the mystery that surrounds the person of God.
Properties of soul
Souls, the building blocks of
Godhead, have attributes of their own. What they are, is a matter of
speculation. To start with they must be fairly resistant to change because of
the super properties of being they possess. Harmony of existence appears to be
another of their attribute because each soul must be able to have on its own yet
capable of acting in unison and perfect synchronisation. Again, they must
represent a purified state of existence, that is, they do not possess or lead to
the lower properties, e.g. aggression, meanness, malevolence, etc. as do cells
at human level.
Self-preservation is man's greatest
dream, and Godhead represents its realisation I am not prepared to ascribe
attributes to God except that He loves piety and good deeds based on sincereity.
Since every soul becomes a component of Godhead, race, colour, creed, caste etc.
are the Divine abominations. Thus God is universal and cannot belong to or
patronise any one particular religion or race.
However, there is one big
moot-point regarding the attributes of God because there is hardly any believer
who does not think that God wants to be worshipped. If we look into this belief
carefully, it ranks as blasphemy. Why?
Aggressive behaviour and worship
Evolution of man starts from the
most primitive conditions. His biggest concern is survival which mainly depends
upon feeding one's self; predation, that is, one organism preying upon another
to sustain life, has been the rule of survival. In fact this seems to be the
case even before the start of life. In the beginning, as the oceans became
filled with such substances as sugars and alcohols, there came into being
molecules which had the ability to split these sugars and alcohols to drain
their energy for keeping themselves alive. As life advanced, the rule of
predation gave birth to the aggressive behaviour which became an integral part
of animal psychology because life could not be prolonged without the ability to
kill, or escape the killer. This fight-or-flight attitude grew more
sophisticated at human level, especially when man learnt to look cultured
without feeling the necessity to practice moral values. This hypocritical
outlook was reinforced by the desire of prestige which emanated from the ability
to increase one's own possessions by depriving other people of theirs. Those who
lose their possessions become weak and easily governable. Thus man's aggressive
behaviour emerges as the urge of dominance which demands satisfaction by
depriving other people of their will to act as they desire. To look reasonable
and cultured, the powerful individuals invent the rule that "might is
right" and thus create conditions through various ruses which keep masses
weak because it is their weakness that counts as the might of the mighty.
As the wheel of cultural
sophistication advances, the dominant feels ashamed of being CONSIDERED an
aggressor but not actually being an aggressor because he is obsessed by the urge
of dominance and all his life-pattern becomes devoted to the satisfaction of
this urge. What is it that actually gratifies him? It is his ability to command
people and secure obedience to his commands, the more ridiculous the commands
and the greater the desire of the dominated to observe them, the higher the
satisfaction of the dominant.
Obeying a rational command of the
legitimate authority is a virtue, but when boundaries of obedience merge into
the realm of servility, it becomes the vilest vice because it deprives man of
his dignity and free will, the true elements of humanity. And there is nothing
more servile than the act of worship which is a process of bowing and bending,
creeping and crawling, prostrating and palliating.
Dominating or securing the right of
worship, are the marks of aggression which Symbolise primitiveness. There are
three ways to secure dominance or the right Of Worship. Terror is the first
weapon in this respect; one is frightened into Submission by the enormity of
punishment such as death or abode in hell. The second method is a promise of
favour such as a high reward of paradise. Thirdly it is the power of
brainwashing through faith which persuades people to perform acts of
self-humiliation to please the mighty who love such perversions. Since Godhead
is the summit of evolution, the rules of behaviour applicable at the 10We5t
level cannot hold good right at the top. Therefore, desire for worship is not a
property of Godhead but the burning ambition of the self-appointed messiahs and
messengers who seek to establish their own divinity in the guise of viceroyalty
To give themselves prestige and reverence, they do not act like the secular
rulers who behead people for disobeying them. Instead, these merchants of
holiness create for their followers a psychological environment which induces
them to obey their commands with the same zeal as moths have, to cremate
themselves alive on a burning candle. And those who do not adopt this mechanical
behaviour are punished to please the Almighty who is just a euphemism for the
guru, messiah or prophet. Thus, they escape the blame for the desire to be
worshipped and all the atrocities that stem from it.
Universe, as the Creator of God
Contrary to common belief, I should
also state before proceeding further, that it is not God who creates the
universe but it is the universe that creates God Godhead is the highest, the
noblest and the eternal state of existence which perpetuates itself; it
represents the peak of evolution that started with particles, attained the
dignity of man and blossomed into soul. Therefore, God Himself being the goal of
the universe (and man) has no goal Himself. Neither He creates nor He
legislates. Thus, He has no part in the ills of the world which is
self-governing through its own laws. God being the most wise, the most
conscientious and the most righteous, does not interfere with the rules of
nature until such time that the natural laws become inefficient to regulate the
conduct of the universe which eventually suffers entropy through wear and tear
or old age. However, there is another situation in which God interferes, that
is, when vice becomes so prevalent that man ceases to produce soul which
constitutes the fabric of Godhead.
Role of God
God being the greatest and the
noblest purpose in Himself, cannot have a purpose of His own. If He did have
one, it would be inferior and. thus, He could not be the highest point of
existence. Therefore, when He interferes to break the hold of vice over virtue,
He does so, not to perpetuate himself but to protect the goal of the universe
(and man). His own perpetuation is a by-product of this process and not His own
purpose though it can be said that God interferes to save His own identity which
is threatened by the lack of supply of souls. Obviously, the role of God in
relation to the universe is that of a guardian, and not as the sole
administrator though administration is a part of guardianship. The fact that the
universe has a purpose does not subject it to determinism because its goal
(Godhead) is the highest and is achievable through a good deal of effort only
Again, there is no compulsion involved in accepting or rejecting this goal; one
can take it or leave it. I shall discuss the concepts of free will and
determinism at a later stage to clear the air.
God is one
God has got to be one. There can't
be many Gods because there is a tendency on the part of things to reduce their
roles from several to few: billions of cells forge themselves to make one human;
countless atoms join to form a star; billions Of stars combine to become a
galaxy; billions of galaxies participate in the formation of a cluster and
myriads of clusters anociate to rank as a superstructure. Thus, organization of
the universe is hierarchical and must eventually be presided over by one being
whose own entity is naturally composed of countless parts (i.e. souls). However,
there is one difference. Whereas transformation of other things such as gas and
dust into a star is brought about by natural forces, the change from man to God
is wrought by man himself. This is vouched for by the fact that man steers not
only his own destiny but also influences existence of the earth. In fact, his
actions have a special significance to the entire universe because without his
consciousness, the presence or absence of the cosmos makes no sense, and
secondly his exploratory zeal as shown by Voyager 2 provides an extra link to
the heavenly bodies, and what may be in them.
Since Godhead represents what is
the best, the greatest and the noblest, this existence cannot be mechanical but
conscious. As man is the only being endowed with the virtue of consciousness,
elevation from man to God implies the highest evolutionary point of
consciousness. It also shows that the purpose of consciousness is none other
than Godhead.
Moral conscience and Godhead
By consciousness, I do not mean
just awareness but the knowledge leading to moral sense accompanied by righteous
deeds. This is particularly true at human level because without a good moral
behaviour, attainment of Godhead is a myth. As moral conscience leads to
Godhead, it also remains the pivot of Godhead; God's guardianship of the
universe is strictly moral because its purpose is to assist righteousness
prosper at the expense of evil.
Why morality and not wickedness?
One can say, why does morality, and
not wickedness lead to Godhead? It is because morality is justice-in-action, the
practical distinction between right and wrong. It is natural for man to adore
justice and deplore injustice. As the welfare of an individual depends upon
fairness, so does his spiritual well-being. A society riddled with evil becomes
morbid and life begins to rank as a punishment and not a pleasure. As it is the
law of nature that sunshine, and not snow, will ripen crops, so it is the
inherent function of righteousnes to promote the cause of Godhead. The role of
vice is to demote it.
The pivotal question
The relevant question in this
context is to ask, "Has man got the ability to rise from the status of
humanity to that of divinity?"
Spectroscope
It seems to be the law of nature
that everything must carry testimony to indicate what it is. For example, when
chemical elements are excited they emit light of precisely defined colours which
can be decomposed by means of a prism to identify its source and nature. Thus a
physicist, by analysing the light of a star, can determine the presence as well
as scarcity or abundance of the elements to be found on the surface of the star.
The sequence of wave-lengths emitted by excited atoms when displayed in a
spectroscope is so regular that it can be expressed by a mathematical formula,
and thus serves the same standard of reliability in identification as do the
fingerprints of individuals.
Human greatness
Application of this rule of
evidence shows the unimaginable greatness of human mind and body. Scientists
have discovered that the number of possible organic compounds rise to several
billions but the contemporary life on earth employs less than 1500 combinations
based on no more than fifty molecular building blocks. As a result, only a few
chemical and functional patterns are being used again and again, thus reflecting
the very close relationships between all organisms.
The number of possible ways that
nucleotides can be placed in a chromosome is fantastic. The nucleotides are
organic chemical compounds which make up the basic genetic material responsible
for storing and replicating the hereditary information in cells. The likely
arrangement of nucleotides raises the mumber of possible varieties of human
chromosomes to 4^4 X 10^9 (10^2 · 4 X 10^9). This number is much greater than
the total number of elementary particles i.e. electron, and protons which are
about 108° and account for the physical make-up of the entire world. Obviously,
every human has the potential to be greater than the universe itself but this
fact is usually ignored. Of course, some of these nucleotide combinations can be
lethal to life but on the other hand, there must be myriads of sequences which
can raise the status of man incredibly higher than his present standing. He
obviously has the potential to be God.
How souls combine to create
Godhead
Another legitimate question is:
"How do souls combine to form Godhead?"
On the basis of what is known about
the living cell, the ability to create Divine existence must be inherent in
soul, the Master Spiritual Cell. It is because cells are the units of life, and
in right conditions they can survive and conserve themselves. Of course, a cell
is an autonomous unit but a single cell such as a bacterium lives at a very low
level. Cells have the ability to unite, and this union leads to complexity,
giving birth to a higher life. This happens because the cells are capable of
recognising one another. For example, if kidney cells and retinal cells are
taken out of an organism and cultured outside, they join their own kind and form
groupings very much like the two original tissues. Again, if the same type of
cells are taken out of two different species, they combine according to the
nature of the function in their basic organisms. The fact that cells join to
form well organised wholes or organisms, clearly shows that their inherent
qualities
are much greater than the sheer
ability to combine; they must possess the skills to communicate, synchronise all
the sequences, and must be capable of a harmonious co-existence to found a
highly integrated entity stemming from free will.
Theory of collaboration
There are about two hundred
varieties of cells in the human body each having a fixed role. Each kind could
exist on its own to protect its individuality but its magnitude of life would be
inferior owing to its simplicity. Their combination into a whole gives them a
complexity which results in a marvel like man. Scientists have developed the
"theory of collaboration" which states that the simple cells joined
together to form the complex cells of living beings and thus each primitive
organism became a particular organelle. The speculation about the ordinary
living cells equally applies to the Master Spiritual cells. The harmony of their
individual character emerges as the regulatory control of the union i.e. the
Godhead.
Individuality and collectivity
of soul
Soul or the Master Spiritual Cell,
which is the ultimate unit of divine life, must be far superior to an ordinary
living cell, and thus capable of recognising and joining the fellow-souls to
create the identity of Godhead. However, I am inclined to believe that Godhead
is both an individual and collective mode of existence, and this fact is made
possible by the harmonious powers of the souls.
Destination of souls
This discussion leads to yet
another enquiry: "How do souls find their destination, i.e. the point of
mutual association?"
One can speculate on the basis of
available evidence only. Flight of soul from human body to the final
destination, is an act of migration which is usually undertaken for survival or
better prospects of life, and it happens at all levels - vegetative to human.
Soul is no exception, and must have a mysterious way of reaching its goal. For
example fruits of burdock and agrimony have developed hooks for clinging to the
feathers of birds or furs of animals to be carried away from their place of
growth. They usually enjoy a free ride of several miles before they are dropped
to another place.
There are several plants which use
localised air currents or large-scale updraughts for migration. This is
especially true about the plants which produce very fine spores or seeds.
Aeronaut spiders
The way an aeronaut spider migrates
may help to explain this mystery. It starts its migration by getting hold of a
straw and exposing into the air its abdomen which extrudes silk. As the wind
strikes at the silk, it produces a still longer thread of this material until it
is sufficient to support the spider's weight. At this stage, it discards the
straw or whatever it is clinging to, and is blown up into the air Suspended by
its own yarn to be transported away.
Birds migration
Birds may be involved into very
long migrations, indeed. For example, an arctic tern may fly over 12,000 miles
to reach home from its breeding site. How does it find its home? Nobody knows
the true answer. However, it is claimed that in addition to using their powers
of seeing and smelling, birds use the earth's magnetic field for finding their
way, and can also take cue from the stars, the moon and the sun. Even after an
absence of eight years, some birds can recognise their home! How do buntings,
tiny birds, cross oceans to reach the same clump of trees where they were born?
How do snakes return to the same hole of birth after hibernation? Even more
amazing is the migration of the offsprings of the monarch butterfly (Danaus
Plexippus). Each winter these butterflies migrate from North America to the Gulf
of Mexico. On their homeward journey, they mate and lay eggs but because of
their short span of life, it is not they but their offsprings that return home.
How do they find their home which they have never seen?
It is these mysteries that make
life sweet, challenging and attractive. Soul ought to be the deepest mystery to
generate the greatest thrill, excitement and exhiliration. It is the most sacred
masquerade of nature packed with marvel, magic and medley.
Life as process of combinations
What I have said so far about
Godhead may sound strange but if we remember that life is a process of
combinations i.e. how things join and stay together, then the concept of Godhead
that I am advocating ceases to be incredible. Godhead is the superior and
eternal mode of existence. Naturally, God has a body which cannot come into
being without parts. However, the divine body is composed of spiritual cells
compared to other (living) bodies which are made of (ordinary) living cells. To
explain the concept of composition or combination, I find it necessary to
prolong this discussion:
No existence without body
However, before proceeding further
I may dispel one misunderstanding. Some people claim that God has an
"immaterial body". It is a contradiction in itself because what is
immaterial i.e. does not have a body, cannot exist independently: thoughts,
feelings, moods etc. are the conditions of a body and not the body itself;
likewise fragrance and beauty are the properties of a rose, and not the rose
itself.
A deeper study of biology may help
to understand the subject under discussion; life as we know it arose, mainly,
from two groups of molecules: the amino acids which join together to form
proteins, and the nucleotide bases whose combination emerges as DNA
(Deoxyribonucleic acid).
Proteins
Proteins have innumerable shapes
which are generated by a coiling and twisting arrangement of atoms. These
different shapes are linked by a backbone composed of a simple six-atom
repetitive unit which may recur several hundred times. Twenty amino acids
participate in the formation of proteins. They are attached to each other by
what is called peptide bonds, and are designated residues; the resulting chains
are known as peptides.
One should remember that the
diverse molecular assemblies i.e. the innumerable living bodies that we see, owe
their existence to the right combination or sequence of amino acids. Unless
sequence of the amino acids is correct, the biological structures, as we know
them, cannot come into being. We are told that the right polypeptides which made
a primitive cell, combined four billion years ago. It is also believed that the
odds of getting one polypeptide right are as small as 10^-130. It makes
happening of an event very nearly a figment of the imagination but when we
realise that the present evolutionary diversity involves 100 different
polypeptides, the probability of arranging them in the right order rises to
10^-13000 It is simply impossible because on this basis it would take
many, many, many trillions of years to produce the right sequence of amino
acids. This is against the available evidence which suggests that life on this
planet began 4 billion years ago. Some scientists believe that life on earth is
the result of an exceptionally lucky chance, and others hold that when suitable
conditions appear for the right combinations of amino acids, they assemble
spontaneously. This statement also relies on the chancesuitability of
environment. The truth, as already stated repeatedly, is that atoms (particles)
have the innate tendency to be, and the process of becoming is evolutionary,
based on trial and error.
DNA
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) also
results from the sequence of molecules. It is an organic chemical of complex
structure; it occurs in cell nuclei as the basis of chromosomes and serves to
encode genetic data. The genes are stored in the nucleus of a cell and contain
all the instructions for living and reproduction. One peculiarity of the DNA is
that it occurs in a constant amount in all body cells of a particular species
and its molecules have been faithfully transmitted at the time of reproduction.
Because of this constancy or stability since inception of life on earth, DNA is
considered immortal. The day this constancy is disturbed, life will cease to
exist. Thus life is a controlled affair and this control is exerted from within
the organism.
Cytoplasm - Symbiosis
An example of this fact is provided
by cytoplasm which is a gelatinous substance surrounding the nucleus, and is
itself enclosed by a membrane that marks the cell's interior world. As
previously stated, cytoplasm defines the internal environment of the cell and is
populated by a large number of small entities known as organelles each having a
distinct function of its own. For example, mitochondria serves as the lungs of
the cell. According to a theory of origin, these organelles or organs of the
cell, came into being as a result of the symbiotic union of different cells.
Symbiosis refers to a union (combination) which is mutually beneficial to each
partner. For example, as the theory goes, an anaerobic cell (capable of living
without respiration) swallowed an aerobic cell which needed oxygen to live. With
the passage of time, this union became obligatory and the captured aerobes
started functioning as mitochondria thus bestowing on its captor the benefit of
aerobic respiration. Yet another example of the symbiotic union is provided by
the algae which live within the cells of fungi in the lichen partnerships. In
fact, some biologists trace the evolution of organelles (organs of the cells) to
such partnerships (combinations); flagella or cilia, centrioles, plastics etc.
further explain this theory.
Three principles
I said previously that life is a
process of harmonious combinations; now I may add another element to this truth,
that is, the principle of combination must remain constant e.g. as molecular
sequence of the DNA. Here, the phrase ''molecular sequence" suggests yet
another principle, that is, the magnitude of existence depends upon the quality
of arrangement of the constituents of a combination. Put it another way, it
implies the mutual relationship of things within themselves and to the outside
world. For example, every iron atom has innate magnetic qualities, yet every
iron bar does not possess the attracting force. Why? Because the atoms of an
unmagnetised bar are arranged randomly, and as a result the force of one iron
atom is neutralised by another but the bar which is magnetic, its individual
atoms are aligned in such a manner that their individual magnetic fields
reinforce each other and thus turn the bar into a magnet.
The concept of Godhead is easier to
understand when we cogitate upon it in the light of these three principles,
namely, combination, constancy of the basic principle and the manner of
arrangement of the constituents. In the light of these facts, I may state that:
Godhead is the union of souls which
are, in fact, the spiritual cells, and therefore inherently possess all the
virtues of becoming at a much higher scale than the human cells whose stunning
properties create the marvel of man.
One of the properties of the human
cells is that they are reluctant to die, yet their dream of eternity is likely
to be realised through death if they can produce a Master Spiritual Cell (soul).
One should remember that a normal human adult contains more than a hundred
thousand billion 10'4 cells and an average cell consists of some 10'2, that is,
one thousand billion atoms. These fantastic numbers unite in so baffling a
complexity to create the marvel of man that millions of pages cannot explain it.
Our present knowledge of cells is infinitesimal, and possibly the more we delve,
the still deeper we will have to dive only to suffer a proportionately
increasing disappointment, disputation and disillumination. Even more stunning
is the fact that one fertilised human cell can divide itself into 1044 i.e. a
hundred thousand billion cells of several hundred kinds, each with a different
function! Thus existence or reality becomes so great a picture of beauty that
the more one gazes, the more it dazes. May be the only way to appreciate beauty
is to admire it. Yet inspection is an integral part of appreciation; one cannot
admire it genuinely without gazing at it, no matter how dazing its effect.
In view of these facts, it is wrong
to state in extravagant details how souls unite to create Godhead. It will be
equally fallacious to describe their manner of arrangement. However, one dare
assert that the union of souls is based on an extraordinarily efficient rule of
harmony.
Soul and individuality
However, I must emphasise that
Godhead is a union i.e. combination of souls, and not a chemical compound in
which the constituents lose their individuality Such a hypothesis will be wrong
because evolution from particles to man is, in fact, the evolution of
individuality. Every cell has the ability to exist independently Nature provides
evidence to this effect. For example, the singlecelled Euglena Gracilis which is
seen covering the stagnant surface of ponds, looks like a green plant when
weather conditions are bright but in the absence of sunshine, the green
disappears and it swims like a creature in search of food as any other animal. A
still better example is provided by the slime mould Dictyosteium Discoideum
which feeds on bacteria. When supplies are abundant the individual cells can
survive independently and are seen moving about as individuals but when supplies
of bacteria are scarce, the individuals through a chemical process, cluster
together to form a single creature; it looks like a slug and is called
pseudoplasmodium which moves about in search of food. Amazingly, differentiation
sets in leading to specialisation of the individual cells as in any other
multicellular organism, capable of shedding spores which hatch to become new
slime mould!
The solution
Similarly, members of the solar
system or a galaxy represent the basis of the union I am trying to explain. They
are bound by the force of attraction into a system, yet act as individuals.
Souls, the constituents of Godhead, must possess super qualities of combining
together yet staying apart. It all springs from the tremendous power of harmony
that souls have. Speculating about the form of God, or the shape of souls and
their mode of living, is the mystery that cannot be solved until one becomes a
part of Godhead. It suffices to say that Divinity is the level of existence
suffused with peace, serenity and happiness, and totally free from the fear of
death and need of favour.
Divine homeostatis
Godhead is the state of dynamic
equilibrium i.e. this is a condition constantly subject to the law of change but
it (change) does not affect its basic uniformity. This is a process of staying
alive by controlling one's internal environment through personal effort. It is
called "homeostatis" and applies to everything which is alive. God is
no exception to this rule but the union based on harmony and consciousness of
souls, gives God the knowledge, power and discretion which enable Him to
maintain this homeostatis to eternalise Himself. This ability emerges at the
level of Godhead only.
Cosmic march towards freedom
Godhead is not only the apex of
existence but also the realization of the cosmic dream which shows that the
cosmos has a purpose. The fact that through a constant travail of evolution it
seeks to raise higher and higher forms of existence, clearly shows that
self-improvement is the true purpose of the cosmos. We can also see that
connected with every higher form of existence is the greater desire for
independence and freedom of conduct based on individual choice. Thus, the cosmos
is marching towards freedom, that is, release from the iron grip of natural laws
without violating them and creating its own identity through Godhead which seeks
to regulate itself by its own rules. This fact becomes obvious when we look at
man: his entire physical constitution and chemical processes are governed by the
laws of nature but his personal conduct is subject to his own choices i.e. the
moral will.
How does God maintain His
homeostatis to eternalise Himself?
A clue is provided by the activity
of human cells which are autophagous, that is, they eat and digest small pieces
of their own substance. Thus, they continuously destroy themselves but possess
the ability to rebuild themselves. This process of self-demolition and
reconstruction is akin to the old fable of phoenix rising from its own ashes.
Constant self-rebuilding tendency shows their desire not only to stay alive for
ever but also remain young because this molecular renewal, known as
"turnover" is an act of continual renovation of the same type as a
vintage car receives through repair and replacement of its worn out parts to
stay efficient and also retain its good looks. Different cells have different
life-spans: protein molecules may live only a few hours or a few days whereas
hepatic cells may last several years without suffering any alteration in their
structure. However, DNA is an exception to the ravages of change and proves that
immortality is not a myth: it has the ability to repair any local injuries that
it may suffer.
Autophagous activity, as understood
in our time, is the fountain of rejuvination and adaptability. Without
self-destruction the chances of reconstruction will be non-existent. Thus,
turnover facilitates not only rebirth of young cells but the cells are also
better adapted to the condition of the internal environment (homeostatis). Of
course, brain cells last until man breathes his last. They are also the first to
reach maximum development at the earliest age - about eight. The reason appears
to be that man needs the longest possible period for the development of the
spiritual environment. However, they are equally subject to the law of change
but it does not destroy and remake them; instead it rejuvinates and renovates
them. This is the reason that their mitochondria, ribosomes, membranes and other
organelles are no older than one month at any time.
Bearing in mind what I have just
said, the interior of the human body is a life-manufacturing factory where life
is being created out of death every moment through a process of change. The role
of change is so rapid that all our cells which constitute us, are being replaced
about every six years. Thus a ninety year old man has fifteen physical lives.
Can he say so? No, he can't, despite the fact that billions and billions of
cells which originally constituted him, are no longer there. This unbroken
identity is partly sustained by the continuity of the brain cells but the act of
replacement itself carries the germs of restoring the original identity. Brain
cells which are themselves subject to renovation may assist but cannot be the
sole cause for the preservation of the basic identity. A bonfire is made of
flames, and each flame is ephemeral, that is, very short-lived. As long as one
flame is succeeded by another, the bonfire retains its identity irrespective of
the fact that the original flames are no longer there. Similarly, a (sea)
tempest holds its identity as long as one wave is replaced by another. Thus, the
identity of a thing does not depend upon the originality of its constitutents.
Again the identity of a thing is over and above its components e.g. identity of
a car, radio or television set etc. is over and above its parts; a heap of
components does not have the identity of a car, radio or television set. The
spare part surgery also reinforces this principle; a replacement lung, heart or
kidney merges in the physical identity of the body.
Man, the Divine microcosm
An atom is considered the working
model of stars because the positive charge is supposed to be concentrated at the
centre of the atom and the electrons form rings around it similar to Saturn's
rings. Exactly the same way, man is the microcosm i.e. the miniature model of
God. Thus God's physical entity must have something in common with that of man.
Human cells are reluctant to die but do not possess the ability to attain
immortality. However, they stand a chance of eternity if they can produce a soul
at the time of total collapse i.e. death.
Nature of Godhead
It is the union of souls which
creates the identity of God. As atoms are the fountain of cells, and cells are
the source of souls, God has a physical existence and therefore subject to
certain physical laws but not in all the details as we know them. There must be
many exceptions because He is the most exalted being. His moral conduct is the
noblest and self-regulated. Because of His great knowledge, wisdom and insight,
He is capable of interfering with the laws of nature but cannot be immune from
them: a being is a being only because its person is based on an underlying
principle. This view is not far-fetched. Look at man. His being is governed by
physical laws but his conduct is mostly motivated by his free will i.e. personal
choice. Thus in the field of behaviour, he is law unto himself.
Man, the fountain of Godhead
"Survival through personal
effort" is the rule which applies to God exactly the same way as it does to
humans. As man cannot survive without rebuilding his cells, God cannot maintain
his integrity without fresh supplies of souls. Here is a big difference: man has
to manufacture his cells but his ability to rejuvinate them is limited, and
therefore, he dies after a short while but God does not manufacture souls, He
procures them, and the only source of such supply is man. This is what makes man
the fountain of Godhead, and gives him very high dignity, indeed. And this is
why I hold the view that man is God and God is man, owing to their mutually
reciprocal existence. However, there are certain differences; man is imperfect
but God represents what is the greatest, the noblest and the best, and this
transformation is made possible by the leap from cell to soul. Thus Godhead is
the highest rung in the ladder of evolution. Another significant difference is
God's ability to eternalise Himself but this is beyond human capability. If it
were not so, evolution would stop at man and the wonder of Godhead would not
come into being.
Yes, man is God and God is man. Yet
he is afraid. Why? It is because of igrorance he is not aware of his divine
potential which is the guarantee of eternity. If a lion begins to believe that
he is a lamb, he is bound to feel and act like a lamb. In exactly the same way,
man has been misled by gurus, messiahs and prophets, to believe in his
insignificance which acts as the fountain of fear and he clutches at any straw
to save himself from drowning. This straw is the faith which does not have the
ability to act as an oar to steer the ship of life to eternity but he
desperately clings to it for fear of death.
Revelation is a myth, a cruel joke
based on the contempt of human dignity Knowledge is the only true guide for man.
Morality and Godhead
Basis of Godhead appears to be
strictly ethical. When social conditions are righteous they help mankind to live
a good moral life and members of the human species produce enough souls to serve
the cause of Godhead but when vice dominates virtue, people become incapable of
producing souls thus acting against the divine purpose. It is because as dead
cells in the human body require replacement, the souls need a process of
rejuvination which is made possible by the fusion of the new souls with the old
ones. This process is so unique and refined that union leads to oneness and not
duality of essence. Nor does it add to the weight or size of soul. This point is
no more baffling than the laws of relativity which state that at the light
velocity the size of a thing reduces but its weight increases.
Fusion of souls
The fusion of new souls with the
old ones, in a sense, is an act of replacement but it is imperceptible and leads
to oneness without affecting the identity of the individual soul or that of God.
Biology does provide a clue to this type of fusion. It is believed that the
organelles (cell organs) known as mitochondria contain DNA but the genetic code
used by them is somewhat different from the one that is obeyed by the DNA. From
this, biologists conclude that the mitochondria were once free living bacteria
that entered a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with the eucaryotic
cells and were eventually incorporated by them. However, a soul is unimaginably
greater in magnitude than a bacterium. This fusion of two souls leads to perfect
oneness owing to their super traits of harmony. At this juncture, one should
also realise that eternity emerges from the way souls merge together, it is not
a superimposed principle. It can be easily understood with reference to the
union of protons and neutrons - the example previously given. Again, eternity
does not imply cessation of time because change, the Creative Principle cannot
become inoperative and is integrally interwoven with time. Therefore,
eternity means an everlasting existence in defiance to extinctive conditions.
Divine administration of the
universe
It is obvious that lack of souls is
likely to endanger the identity of God but it can't happen. Firstly, Godhead is
the realization of the cosmic dream to exist at the summit. Therefore,
evolutionary forces must guarantee the birth of intelligent life, which can
practice a moral code, in several planets at the same time or at finely spaced
intervals so that if wickedness annihilates the spiritual potential of people in
one place, the inhabitants of some other planet can make up the deficiency
Secondly, God being the peak of the universe, is obviously the most
knowledgeable' the most wise and the most powerful. He does not make the natural
laws, which are subject to error, but being the guardian of the cosmos, He can
use His discretion as how to adminsiter them: He can either use certain laws to
correct the error for rejuvinating life on a certain planet which will otherwise
perish or He can let the error take its full course for the elimination of that
particular life. The criterion is simple: if the people of a planet are capable
of adopting righteous ways, they will be saved but if wickedness has destroyed
their moral potential, God does not interfere and thus allows them to reap the
fruit of what they have sown.
Final rejection
This is no fairy tale but a fact
which is easily understood by realising that man is, biologically, a species. A
species must adjust to its environment by a process of adaptation, which leads
to survival through natural selection, or it must die. Authoritative estimates
of the number of extinct species range from 15,000,000 to 16,000,000,000! This
total extinction is an act of final rejection and implies the inability of a
species to rise to a higher rank of existence. It follows that which loses the
ability of self-improvement, the purpose of the evolution, also loses the right
to exist.
Faith and brain
One must realise that the cause of
extinction is the inability to evolve to a higher stage of existence; it
denoates apathy, lack of right action, or excess of wrong action. Right deed,
which a biologist may call adaptation is the source of survival and faith hardly
plays any part in it though it is not to say that it is unnatural for man to
have a faith; this fact is supported by the study of mind. It is claimed that
brain has opiate receptors, and produces a substance which has the same effect
on its function as morphine has in regulating the process of pain and pleasure.
Faith is beneficial only when it creates self-confidence and stimulates the urge
of righteous action. But when it becomes the sole guarantee of salvation it acts
as the largest single source of self-destruction. It has no salvation value
whatever.
Atheist and salvation
Salvation depends upon the quality
of deeds only. It means that a righteous atheist is more likely to be saved than
a wicked believer. Why? Because if you want to go to London from Cardiff but
start walking in the opposite direction, you will never reach there even if you
honestly believe that you are on the right road to London. But if you are
marching in the right direction you will reach London even if you are not sure
of the right way. IT SHOWS THAT HUMANITY IS THE ONLY TRUE FAITH FOR MAN, AND THE
ONLY WAY OF BECOMING A PART OF GODHEAD IS THROUGH SERVING MANKIND.
Mag
God is the noblest, the ablest, the
greatest and the best being. He is the divine symposium of the souls of the
people who were once philosophers, sages, scientists, teachers, poets,
inventors, engineers, and so on, and whose intellectual and practical abilities
were packed with the virtues of sincerity, honesty and integrity. This fact
gives God an unlimited potential of intelligence, power, sagacity and the
ability to use these virtues with the utmost justice, compassion and honour As a
mark of reverence to His most Holy Uniqueness, which is all munificence through
a sense of care, concern and concinnity for the ordinary mortals, I salute Him,
and prefer to address Him as Mag to acknowledge His magnitude' magnificence and
magninimity, and to differentiate Him from the ordinary concept of God.
Mag and guardianship
I am as reluctant to ascribe
various functions to Mag as I am unwilling to assign Him certain attributes.
Like everything else, Mag has no purpose Out the guardianship of the universe
which is best achieved through genuine care and concern for man who is the
cosmic dream and on whose realisation depends the fulfillment of the universal
purpose and the existence of Mag Himself.
Universal purpose
As I have repeatedly said before,
the purpose of the universe is self-improvement and it wants to create the
highest possible point of existence capable of regulating itself without defying
the laws of nature. This is the reason that Godhead despite being subject to the
rule of change is perpetuated by change itself. The theory of Godhead that I
have propounded raises many questions. The reader, sincerely searching for the
truth, should have no problem in finding the solution if he/she refers the
matter to his/her own conscience. However, I must answer one or two questions:
Objections
If it takes, say, 15 billion years,
to evolve man, then Mag could not have existed for all that duration. Could He?
The divine theory that I have propounded clearly states that Mag being the
summit of evolution can't be in the beginning. He is at the end; and by the end
I mean the highest point of existence; there is nothing beyond or above Him.
It must take a sufficient number of
souls before the basic entity of Mag can emerge. At this initial stage of
Godhead, Mag can't perform the function of guardianship. It is the function of
the fully evolved divine personality which depends upon the sufficient supply of
souls.
Since evolution of man on earth is
a comparatively recent phenomenon, does it mean that Mag is only a few thousand
years old?
Not at all. The universe is a very
great mystery and the only way to know it is by becoming a part of Godhead which
is even more arcane than the univerSe. However, one can guess that the universe
proceeds in cycles of evolution, devolution an re-evolution. It is quite likely
that there are many universes, and when one is devolving another one is
evolving. Thus no limit can be put on the process of evolution which produces
intelligent life leading to the formation of souls, and Godhead. Hence the
antiquity of Mag cannot be measured.
Is God a creation?
No. He is the apex of evolution
which is the principle of growing from simple to complex and from the lowest to
the highest. He is not a creation but the most highly evolved principle.
Does man need faith for salvation
i.e. securing eternity by becoming a part of Mag?
No. A righteous atheist is superior
to a wicked believer. The proof lies in the fact that if an atheist saves your
life you will be pleased with him but if a believer tries to murder you, he will
be the target of your displeasure. It means that a deed has preference over
belief. Exactly the same way Mag appreciates good deeds because they strengthen
Him and the universe. Obviously, Mag does not like flattery, usually known as
worship.
Origin or destination
Which is the more relevant
question: where does man come from or where is he going?
It has got to be the destination
because this is the direction in which we move; this is our purpose and the
target of our desires and determinations. If we reach our destination, the
journey of life has been worthwhile; otherwise it has been a total fiasco.
Man's destination
Of course, it does not mean that
the origin or starting point has no relevance. It is nice to know where one
comes from but the knowledge of destination remains the true goal. In human
terms, eternity is man's true destination.
I think that I have said enough
about man's destination, now I may trace the way that leads to eternity. Since
eternity is the reward for good deeds, the way to eternity lies in structuring a
righteous society which is free from fear, injustice, hunger and disease.
Tolerance of fellow-beings is one of its main features. Though law plays its
part in running the society, it is chiefly operated by people's moral force.
The society which I intend to
suggest in the next book is not a utopia but a practical reality. Since I am not
a god or guru, the reader is perfectly entitled to differ or agree.
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