UNIVERSE: A BASIC OVERVIEW

It is often understood by most of us that the universe was created by God or some supernatural power. For Hindus, it is Brahma, the creator, for Muslims, it is Allah, for Christians it is Jesus Christ. Even if we start to believe that God created the universe, it is not possible that there were different creators for different sets of people. Further, if we believe this, it brings us to the basic question, who created God ?

Logically, if we think, anything that has a beginning has a cause. Since, we cannot establish this cause even by the widest stretch of our imaginations, or even by delving deep into scientific theories, hence, it is safest to understand that when something has no beginning, it doesn't need a creator or a cause.

Thus, I now come to the basic understanding of the universe. The universe is made of six substances by nature. Nothing in the universe is ever destroyed or created, everything simply changes from one form to another. It is an uncreated entity which has always been in existence and shall always be, until perpetuity. It is regulated by cosmic laws and has kept going by its own energy processes, as also provided by modern scientific thinking.

Everything in the universe falls into one of the six categories of substances. These substances (which are a mass of infinite inseparable attributes) never perish, they only change their manifestations. All forms of substances are confined within the universe.

The categories of substances are:

Soul (जीव्)

The closest English word to jiva is 'soul'. The soul is:
· eternal and conscious
· made of some form of energy
· without physical form
· can be 'embodied'. An embodied ‘soul’ is given a form using things from the other five categories. A soul adapts its size to fill whatever body it is in.
· A pure soul is omniscient and totally blissful

Matter (पुद्गगल)

Pudgala is matter:
· the source of physical ‘matter’ i.e. those things which can be touched, tasted, seen and/or smelled
· The ‘matter’ is what gives the ‘soul’ the experience of pleasure and pain, birth and death
· the karma particles which stick to the soul are made out of ‘matter’

Ether (धर्म)

Dharma is the medium of motion:
· the substance that accompanies living or lifeless entities to move from one place to another.

Say for instance, when a fish swims in water, it is the water, that helps it to move, and hence, water for a fish, can be termed as ether.

Anti-ether (अधर्म)

Adharma is the medium of non-motion:
· the substance that accompanies living and non-living entities, when they stop movement and rest.

Space (आकाश)

Akasha is space:
· the substance which accommodates all other substances, it is formless, colourless and all pervasive (unlike theblue sky that we see above us)

Time (काल)

· Kala is the substance of time, which is a passive cause in the behaviour of self-functioning
substances of the world.

Soul is intrinsically an embodiment of knowing activity, totally different from soul, are all non-soul entities. Matter and others are all non-soul objects. Together the mass of these substances provide the physical structure of the universe.

The universe changes because of the interactions between these categories. These elements are eternal and indestructible, but their conditions change constantly, manifesting three characteristics: arising, stability, and falling away.

Every substance in this world manifests itself in different modifications of its own accord. The manifestations of the substances are their actions. These actions are called condition, change, modification or behaviour. Each substance is the creator of its own modifications. It does not at all need the cooperation of any other substance for these modifications. People not acquainted with the scheme of things, in vain, become unhappy with the desire of cooperation of others.

Thus, the crux of the structure of the universe lies in the following principles:

· Noone is a creator, preserver or destroyer of the Universe, and nor is capable of being one. Accordingly, we must not feel proud of being Doer, Enjoyer and Owner of the actions.
· Every living being (soul) has the potential to become God
· Conquer your desires by your own efforts and attain liberation otherwise, the souls wanders in this world (in different life forms) and faces sufferings continuously.