On meticulously examining a Sine/cosine graph, one realizes how it just
carries on from one crest to trough and then to subsequent crest, rising from
the abscissa (x-axis) to its highest point, and then descending to its nadir,
intersecting abscissa in between. This pattern goes on. The highest and lowest
points have a limit but there is no such condition on X-axis. Similar patterns
are observed in the physical world too. The hot air, upon heating, rises from
the equator and reaches the tropopause. It then starts to cool and sink down at
the tropics, only to rise again from the sub-tropical region and finally sink
at the polar region, thereby regulating the temperature of earth.
The theory of Geographical Cycle of Erosion propounded by
W.M. Davis and later tweaked by Walther Penck, presents a similar
viewpoint for land forms existing on earth. It is hard to believe that the
formation and destruction of such huge land forms is also a function of
structure, process and time. They emanate from mother earth due to internal
tectonic disturbances and keep uplifting till the highest point. Once the
highest point is reached then denudation starts. No matter how humongous the
structure is, it gets converted into a peneplain, though it takes millions of
years.
There are many such examples apart from the ones above. Now this brings
to central idea of this blog. Do life and death also follow a similar
pattern? Our sages have been talking about the cycle of reincarnation
since ages. We take birth as a little child who struggles to learn and adapt to
this world. Then we reach the best phase of our life, the youth. We are young,
active and all ready to face myriad challenges of this world. Gradually we
again start losing strength and turn senile. We struggle again to adapt with
the world. And then one fine day we depart leaving all the sorrows behind. Is
it not similar to the Sine graph? Rising from a given point to achieve great
heights, and then again falling to the same point later in time? The only thing
that is not certain is - do we rise again?
Let's assume the theory of reincarnation to be true and that we return
to this world (may be in a different form), to again live yet another life
cycle. But why do people talk of getting rid of this cycle? Why do they want
their soul to finally coalesce into the soul of the almighty? Is it not like
desiring the whole earth to turn into a featureless peneplain? Come on I want
to see the mountains too. The Sine graph doesn't stop. The air doesn't stop its
continuous process of rising and sinking. Yes, I agree, there are hitches and
glitches at times, but then who wants to shut the whole process?
What happens when your soul meets the soul of the creator? I mean,
what's next? Is it the end? There has to be another task. There is no point in
ending your cycle of life if you don't have anything else to do? One cannot
just wait till eternity (after submitting his soul) for time to end, not
knowing, whether time actually ends. Is it not scary? I don't want to get rid
of this cycle, if there is nothing else to do after that. I rather prefer
taking birth again and again without breaking this continuum to perform my
tasks in every birth.
On the other hand, there has to be an end as well. Till how long can we
keep taking birth to struggle again at the same place? If the non-monotonic
Sine graph keeps repeating the same unhindered cycles over and over again,
isn't that in itself the monotony of the graph? What is the culmination point?
What is the ultimate end? Is there an end? After we have performed all the
performable tasks (in millions of births), are we to repeat them? Is there any
answer to these questions?
I don't know whether I'll ever find answers on the cyclicity of life and death. But one thing that I am sure about is that nature is certainly based on a lot of patterns. If you still don't believe me, start from observing days and nights, the pattern of seasons and then move on to moon and its changing shapes. Even answers to many complex questions of mathematics can be easily found out just by observing the number patterns. You will soon start believing my idea of cyclicity. But the fundamental question still remains- Can the cyclicity of life and death be proved?
Remember one of my geography teacher used to say that the final stage of the evolution of a personality is where when he finds the same patterns and rules in different areas of life. Seems like its just what you have pulled off . a graph that is applicable in physics, geography ,life and death. Nice thought.
ReplyDeleteI remember that class and we just cannot forget that teacher. His inter and multidisciplinary approach has definitely some role here.
DeleteRemember one of my geography teacher used to say that the final stage of the evolution of a personality is where when he finds the same patterns and rules in different areas of life. Seems like its just what you have pulled off . a graph that is applicable in physics, geography ,life and death. Nice thought.
ReplyDelete