LIBERATION FROM MATERIAL BONDAGE VIA A SPIRITUAL VISION

HOW ARE MATERIAL OBJECTS REAL DESPITE US SEEING THEM DIRECTLY WITH OUR GROSS EYES

An important question to be dealt with is: Is what we see, understand and

experience with our 5 senses true in the absolute sense? At the gross level the
immediate answer will be in the affirmative. This is because there is no reason to
say that things perceived, seen by us are illusory. We are so dependent on the
dictates of our sense organs and mind that we think that objects, individuals and
circumstances are absolutely true. And yet if we delve deep into this question the
answer is that the so called proof of reality of objects given by our sense organs
is unfulfilled and illusory in nature.

For more scientific e-books visit: http://www.shriramsharma.com/ and

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Various scriptural scholars since time immemorial have advised us all not to
believe our sense organs that say that our daily experiences are true and instead
maintain that we should develop a spiritual vision. If we insist on accepting that
all that we see and experience is the ultimate truth we sure will face many
uncomfortable situations. This can be proved by the ancient example of the
proverbial deer running after a mirage in the dessert in order to quench its
thirst. In desserts like Sahara etc travelers have often come across mirages which
from a distance look like a pond of water. A thirsty deer in a dessert runs after
this mirage to quench its thirst. The eyes of the deer tells it that there is
water at a few furlongs away but the more the deer tries to reach this ‘pond’ the
more the latter ‘runs’ afar. Ultimately the thirsty deer accepts defeat. Another
example is that of a rainbow. Try as much as you can but you can never ‘catch’ the
illusory rainbow. The brilliance of solar rays that fall on water creates an
illusion in our eyes and thus our eyes tell us that there is a tangible rainbow.
Yet the fact remains that the rainbow is but an illusion harbored by our gross
eyes.

Take the example of a movie. We see pictures laughing, crying, walking etc on the
screen. It seems very amazing and miraculous. But the question asked is whether
all this movement clearly visible to the gross eye is real and true? Individual
pictures which move at 16 second cannot be seen individually by our eyes. As a
result an illusory moving scene is created. Individual pictures which are actually
unmoving can be seen moving by our gross eyes due to the creation of an illusion.
Voices emanating from loudspeakers come from one place and the picture is at
another place. Yet our eyes and ears are fooled into believing that the picture is
actually talking, singing etc.

At dawn in the morning and twilight in the evening the sky manifests amazing hues.
Yet are these colors truly real? Actually these different hues do not exist but
because solar rays create an illusory effect in our eyes, we all notice these
colors. The sky appears to be blue in color but the fact remains that no such blue
color exists in space. Our eyes under the influence of illusion ‘sees’ this blue
color and fools our intellect in the process.

The function of the human eye is to understand the nature of an object via color
perception. Yet the fact remains that majority of the times our eyes succumb to
illusory effects and thus gives us wrong information. Let us study the following
examples. The chimneys of mills and factories emit a lot of smoke. If you minutely
analyze the color of smoke, it differs now and then. When the base of the chimney
has trees, buildings etc that are not lit up the smoke color seems black. Bang
opposite to this if the building trees etc are lit up with sunshine the smoke
appears to be brownish. When smoke emitted from burning coal, wood etc is exposed
to sunlight its color appears yellowish. In actuality smoke is colorless. The
illusory color is due to the designing of the carbon atom and other material
present on fuel. Light gets reflected away from it and thus smoke seems black in
color.

In the rail engine the tube of the boiler emits blue steam but when it enters
atmospheric air, its particles become larger and appears white in color.

There are many factories which use low quality coal and hence the smoke emitted is
dark black in color. If one visualizes the sun through this smoke, the sun appears
like dark red.

Many types of germs, bacteria etc are present in water which cannot be seen by the
naked eye. They can be seen only with the help of a microscope. With our eyes we
can see many stars in space but the fact is that there are infinitely more stars
not perceived by our eyes. Thus since our eyes have limited capacity we take the
help of gigantic telescopes to view those innumerable stars not seen by our naked
eyes.

Even today we are unable to fathom the deeper layers and units of an atom despite
the phenomenal success achieved by modern science. Its more gross aspect has been
calculated via subtle mathematical calculations. No doubt scientific technology
has helped in finding out the overall design of the atom and yet mathematical
calculations based on inference have been of much greater help in the research of
the structure of the atom.

In order to find true reality we will have to make more widespread and all
encompassing our research and testing methods. It is a great error on our part to
rely only on information given by our 5 sense organs. Today majority of research
laboratories base their testing methods on the ‘direct proof’ given by the 5 sense
organs. Hence many a times they fail to come to the right conclusion. In the
previous paragraphs we have detailed the fact as to how our eyes can be misled
into giving wrong information like the sky appearing to be blue in color when in
actuality this is far from the truth. If we insist on relying on our 5 sense
organs only then we are bound to stray in darkness for eons together. Modern
science uses scientific methods to prove many ancient beliefs and superstitions as
false. Despite this if modern science insists on believing that their 5 sense
organs are the final proof of all research conducted then know for sure that they
have come out of the iron cage of superstitions etc (which is required) only to
enter the golden cage of so called direct proof offered by the senses.

Leaving aside some gross facts whatever we see, hear etc as far as other aspects
are concerned is believed to be absolutely true. Yet the fact remains that we are
far from the truth. We are very much used to believing our day to day experiences
with the help of the 5 senses as absolute truth. And yet if we go deeper into all
this we will realize that time and again our senses have led us in the wrong
direction. In fact our 5 senses give us various experiences solely on the basis of
some gross beliefs. If these beliefs are changed then our previous conclusions and
inferences too will have to change automatically.

Our brain centre has the capacity to give levels of information that is very
common. If we remain satisfied with this then we can say that whatever we see,
experience etc is truth. Yet the bare fact remains that our very hypothesis on
which our 5 senses and brain function is itself erroneous to a great extent. Hence
how can such an intellect realize the absolute truth and reality? This question is
so tedious that it is very difficult to answer with ease.

While selling fruits, vegetables etc weighing scales are made use of. The basis on
which we measure weight itself is based on a hypothesis. Without this all
businesses will come to a grinding halt. Yet the question remains as to whether
our very basis of weighing materials is true in itself? When one thinks deeply
about this our intellect will get rattled. Weight by itself has no existence since
it is very relative. Weight of an object is nothing but the force required to
obstruct the influence of earth’s gravitational force on the object. An object
that weighs 37.33 kg on earth weighs 18.7 kg when raised at a height of 3.5 miles.
The more you raise an object higher up in the air the more weight it sheds. There
is an area between earth and the moon wherein if an object is weighed there it
will be weightless. Even if a gigantic mountain like Everest is placed there it
will be weightless. This mountain will hang in space in this area. The force of
gravitation on other planets is varied. The weight of an object on planet earth
will differ significantly when weighed on other planets like Mars, Neptune etc.
Thus we can conclude that weight of any object is relative. This is because weight
depends on certain hypothesis and circumstances.

In our daily transactions we make use of the measure of speed a great deal. Speed
too is as important as weight. We can reach from one place to another with the
help of various vehicle options like car, plane, ship etc which have various
speeds to cover distances. But the question asked is whether the basis on which
speed is calculated is factual or hypothetical?

While writing something seated on a chair and table we feel we are not moving and
instead are steady. Yet it is a fact that we are moving at a speed of 1000 miles
per hour in one direction. This is the movement of planet Earth. It is because we
all dwell on Earth, we too perforce move while the Earth is revolving and rotating
on its axis. Our sense organs fail to experience this speedy movement and hence it
is under the illusion that or body is steady and unmoving. The sense organs
experience movement only when we walk, ride a horse, move in a car etc.

The Earth rotates on its axis and hence we come back to our original position
after moving for 24 hours. But even this is not totally correct because the Earth
revolves round the sun at a speed of 666,000 miles per hour. The Earth returns to
its original position in space after 365 days or 1 year. Even this is not totally
true because the sun revolves around the ‘Super Sun’ along with the Earth and
other planets of the solar system. Further this ‘Super Sun’ too revolves around
another ‘Super Sun’ and God alone knows how many more such cycles of
circumambulations take place. Hence the gist of all this is that we cannot return
to the same destination in which we are situated today at least in this birth of
ours. If we move from our space we do so eternally. And yet our deluded minds
insist on falsely conveying to us that we are static all the time and that we are
not moving along with planetary etc movements.

The measurement of speed too is illusory just akin to that of area. If 2 trains
move side by side at the same speed it will appear as though both are moving and
swaying identically. If 2 cars approach each other from opposite directions at a
speed of 40 miles/hour they will feel as though their car speed is 80 miles/hour
when they whiz past side by side. Same is the case with 2 trains that move in
opposite directions (side by side). They too will feel that the speed is double
while they pass each other. If the speed and direction of the movement of other
planets, galaxies etc were to be ditto as that of Earth interstellar space too
would appear motionless and static. The sun, stars etc would never arise nor set
under such circumstances. All planets etc would remain where they were for
eternity. At that time despite all of them moving at same speeds they would appear
motionless.

Speed is very much relative. One can measure speed in many ways. If you subtract
90 from 100, 10 remain. If you minus 20 from 30 or 40 from 50 even then 10 remain.
In order to get the same difference (10 in the above example) different sets of
numbers are made use of. Despite these varied numbers the difference remains the
same. If you want the difference to be 1000 you can use so many numbers to get
this difference. The same holds true for measuring speed. Ancient geography
specialists measured speed by saying that the sun is motionless. Lunar/solar
eclipses, the rising and setting of stars, planets of the solar system which gives
day and night etc too has so far been measured on this basis. Yet the measurements
have been totally apt so far. Despite this the premise that the sun is motionless
which aids in the above measurements itself is baseless and false. When illusory
premises give correct results how does one differentiate between the true and
false. When one deeply reflects on this subject one’s intellect becomes dizzy.

In ones daily transactions it is necessary to measure distances. Without this

travel would not be possible. The Earth is divided into latitudes and longitudes.
Without measuring distances air travel etc would be well nigh impossible. The 10
directions (north, south etc) are an important basis for ones successful travel.
And yet by themselves they too are illusory and have no absolute existence.

If you gaze at a very large pond while traveling beside it in a parallel manner it
will appear that it is absolutely straight. Yet the fact is that after traveling
for sometime you will reach the original position from where you started. This is
because the pond is circular in nature. Even if you draw a straight line on a
rubber ball, it will actually be circular. A straight line is one whose 2 ends
never meet and that the distance between them is constant. In the above case of
the pond and ball, a so called straight line too is ultimately circular. Even if
you draw a straight line on a piece of paper, floor etc it will ultimately be
circular and never straight. Minute circular lines may never be identified by us
yet they will always be circular. The ground which appears flat to the naked eye
too is in reality circular. The sea appears flat and yet when ships travel in it,
it becomes clear that just like the ground on which water exists, the sea too is
circular. The point at which the sky and sea appear to meet is called horizon.
Whenever you watch this horizon it will always appear to be at a distance of 3
miles from where you stand gazing at it. If you stand at a height of 200 feet
above the ground the horizon appears to be at a distance of 20 miles. All this
proves that the Earth is a globe i.e. round. Despite this our naked eyes cannot
perceive the Earth to be circular. Thus our measurements of distances too are
faulty.

The Moon is definitely seen to be higher up in space when gazed at from Earth but
if after landing on Moon you gaze at Earth the latter seems to be higher up. If we
could manage to station ourselves in interstellar space beyond the solar system it
will be clear that there is nothing like north, south, east etc. Meaning no
directions exist. Thus directions too are very much relative and not absolute. New
Delhi (in India) is west of Lucknow, east of Mumbai, north of Chennai and south of
Haridwar. Thus when directions to reach Delhi are given they are relative and that
by itself Delhi is directionless.

In worldly transactions time measurement is very much important. It is on the

basis of time that offices open/close, railways/buses run etc. Our daily life
revolves around time. Yet the premise or basis of time too is no less faulty. The
time designated for sunrise and sunset is not as we actually believe it to be.
When we actually see the sun arising, the fact remains that it had already arisen
8.5 minutes previously. This time is the time taken by solar rays to reach Earth.
When we see the sun setting at dusk it has actually done so 8.5 minutes
previously. There are many stars in the sky which although visible to us today
have actually set thousands of years previously. This illusion is the result of
the light of stars reaching Earth after thousands of years. We become actually
aware of the stars setting after thousands of years. The same holds true for all
the planets, satellites of the solar system. They have arisen or set much before
or after the time calculated by Indian astrologers in their Panchangs (diary).

One may visualize a star in the sky as straight ahead of us yet this need not be
true. Light does not always travel in a straight line. Light rays too are material
in nature and that it too can be weighed. Light rays falling on an area 1 mile in
diameter for 1 minute weighs 1 ounce approx. It is but natural that gravitational
force influences objects. When light of various stars enter the solar system it
becomes zigzag or staggered in form because of the influence of the force of
attraction of sun and the other planets. Despite this our eyes fail to perceive
this staggered light and instead out of illusion we see it as straight. It is
quite possible that it lies on the periphery of another star, sun or planet yet
our eyes see this light as straight. In the same way if our eyes see a star right
above our head in the sky the reality is that it could be much lower or diagonal
than the position seen by us. In this manner not only directional data but also
time measurements too are no less illusory in the absolute sense.

Philosophical discussions do include time and space related topics. This space is
certainly not some country, region on Earth etc nor is time an hour, minute etc.
All these are only technical terms. The length, width and breadth of an object is
called space and changes taking place in them is called time. Ordinarily objects
are seen on the basis of its length, width and breadth whereas while discussing
and describing it the 4th ‘dimension’ of time too should be included. But the
problem is that speed and direction keep varying and are illusory too. Time is
itself based on them and hence if the basis itself is erroneous how can the result
of time be apt? Even if objects are said to be 4 dimensional instead of 3 yet this
problem remains unsolved. What exactly are objects? What are its form, nature and
quality? This cannot be described in totality because the manner in which its
atoms move speedily disproves our description of it in the very next moment
because of its uncertain position (something like the great scientist Heisenberg’s
principle).

What is big and what is small? Even this question cannot be answered
satisfactorily. A stick measuring 5 feet is smaller than another which is 6 feet
and is bigger than a stick of 4 feet. A tree trunk with a diameter of 2 feet is
thinner than another of 3 feet and is thicker than that which has a diameter of 1
foot. We cannot say whether an object is in absolute terms. An object is labeled
thin or thick only with reference to another object. By itself it is neither thick
nor thin.

Who is rich, who is poor, who is happy, who is sad, who is a saint and who is a
rogue? These questions cannot be answered in absolute terms because all these
qualities (richness, poverty etc) are relative in nature. Before let us say
calling a person rich or poor we must find out whom we are comparing this person
with? With reference to a beggar a person who has a job that pays him 1000 dollars
per month the latter is rich. A person with only 1 sorrow in life is happy when
compared to another who has 4 sorrows to contend with in life. Thus is reality we
cannot say as to who truly is happy or sad. With reference to a dacoit a small
time robber is more gentlemanly but with reference to a person of good character
the robber is lowly. With reference to a great saint a man of good character is
lower in stature. With reference to an Avatar or Prophet of God a great saint too
is if a lesser class.

We measure objects, individuals, situations etc only in relation to one another.

Comparison is the highest measure used by us all to make ‘apt’ decisions. What
exactly are the things which we measure? It is very difficult for our sharp
intellect to decipher them because all of them are limited and not omnipotent in
nature. In fact in a certain sense they can be called illusory too. In movie
theatres pictures are seen moving on the screen whereas in reality each picture is
static. These individual pictures move so fast that our eyes fail to see them in a
static manner. Thus out of illusion we see these otherwise static photos in
motion. Meaning actors are seen to walk, eat, run etc.

Many a times our experiences are bang opposite to the actual situation. Our senses
(eyes, ears etc) not only give false information but also tend to give non-
existent illusory information. If we insist on depending on our sense organs to
give apt information i.e. think direct visible proof as the be all and end all of
life not only can we not attain true divine wisdom but that we will fail to even
understand it.

For example take the concept of light. What exactly is light? It is an eddy of
electro-magnetic waves. The fact as to whether it is intense or weak depends on
its measure but yet its overall effect is singular. It moves at a terrific speed
of 1 lakh 86 thousand miles/hour (I mile=1.61 km). Light rays have 7 colors.
Various types of admixtures of these 7 colors give other resultant colors.

AUTHOR: Shriram Sharma Acharya founder of the International Gayatri Family was a
great Yogi seer and incarnation of God who wrote volumes of scientific literature
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