By Anuradha Azeemi
An interesting article caught my attention. Our body, about 99 percent of it is made up of atoms of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Yet, findings pointed out to the fact that empty space was the largest composition inside these atoms. As I delved a little deeper on this topic, I found that the scientists, physicists, mathematicians and other enthusiasts were talking about some baffling facts about human existence as body. These scientific findings were validating what our beloved Murshid Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi has been driving into the consciousness of mankind around Him for over the last 6 decades! “Our physical existence is false and only an illusion. Our existence is only as a soul (Divine energy/light)
ATOM
Join me on this fascinating inward journey. Let us start with the atom. The size of an atom is so minuscule that the gaze of a naked eye cannot take notice of it. But the enormity of the volume with which it occupies our body, will surely get us sitting up and taking notice of them. Studies have documented that an average adult is made up of around 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (7 octillion) atoms! As Octillion is not a count that I can easily take off my mind, I made it a mandate upon me that I understand this vast majority that seemed to occupy my body. And here was the starting point from where I would stumble upon more facts that would push me into deep contemplation. The article talked about one percent of every atom being composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The other 99% was empty space! So the 7 octillion atoms were 99 percent empty space! In other words, my entire existence as a physical body was empty space. The story had just begun. I now could not focus on anything but the empty space now. A random thought sprung up. So what if we reduced all the space in an adult body? What size would it shrink down to? Looks like the curiosity was not just mine. There it was, an answer that would render me speechless for over a good hour. My body as per study presented, would shrink down to fit into a mere particle of dust and the whole human race of over seven billion people could be shrunk to fit into a sugar cube! We are not just inflated egos, but our so-called physical solid body was also inflated by emptiness & space.
NUCLEUS
It was time to move one more step inward. The atom comprises of an even smaller matter called nucleus. And this central nucleus has electrons orbiting it constantly. Let us first understand the nucleus. A nucleus is measured 100,000 times smaller than the size of an atom. The size of a nucleus to an atom could be compared to a peanut placed in the middle of a large cricket stadium. By now I was getting used to the uniqueness in which these facts were being presented. The second question popped into my mind at this juncture. So what was it then that kept the space within an atom intact? And here came in the twist to the tale. It is now time to introduce you to the electron, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the space.
ELECTRON
Facts supported that the space within the atom is not always empty, as it is filled with invisible waves and quantum fields due to the constant motion of the electron. To elaborate this, let me take you through an example of a table fan. When the fan is not operative, you can clearly see the space in between the blades of the fan and even move your fingers in between them. But when the fan is switched on and the blades are in constant movement, you cannot touch or see the space in between the blades as they are constantly occupying these spaces. Technically, electrons are not fixed to any one atom or nuclei at one point and move freely from one point to another. Their movement is so fast that is it impossible to track where exactly they are located at any given point of time. This fast paced movement creates a wave format that occupies the space within the atom. We could conclude that the blades of the fan represent the electrons zipping around the atoms and the waves formed during their movement, occupies the space creating an illusion that the empty space within an atom is solid. Does this phenomenon of constant movement, not bring us to the fact that the whole world is unfolding space from one point of time? Is it not what we know as “Kun Faya Kun”? Does it not justify that we are constantly appearing and disappearing in one point of existence?
In the 1800s after the X-rays that could pass through human flesh and other solid objects was discovered; Ernest Rutherford, a young physicist was conducting an experiment in his laboratory in the year 1909. He fired a beam of Alpha radiation through a foil of gold. Whilst many alpha particles passed through the sheet of gold, he found that there were a few particles that had bounced back. He began researching the why of this phenomenon and proposed the idea of an atom. He concluded that most part of an atom is empty space and hence most alpha particles passed through and those that bounced back had hit the only solid part of an atom, the nucleus. Considering the fact that everything in the universe is atomic particle, is it not mind boggling that our empty body comprising of empty atoms, resides on this empty planet, which is part of an empty universe? It is constant movement within the emptiness that creates an illusion of everything around us being in solid existence. A renowned Physicist has concluded that, “There is so much more to learn about our Universe by simply delving deeper into the empty space in the atoms. This may eventually reveal the true secrets of the Universe and provide a better understanding of the laws of physics.”
Let us hear it from Max Planck, the Nobel Prize winner in Physics. He said, “As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force, which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter”
Was he saying that there is no such thing as matter; that matter existed only because of a force and it is this force that holds this whole universe together? Is he not talking about God and that God is the only existence in every atom that holds this universe together as a force? God is the only existence. Was this not what we have heard over and over from our beloved Murshid all through these years?
WHAT MAKES EMPTINESS AN ILLUSORY SOLID?
Since we have now concluded that everything in this Universe is empty space, be it rock, tree, mountain, furniture, building and so forth; let us understand how these objects project themselves as illusory solids! If I am empty space and everything else is too, then why am I not able to pass through anything in front of me, for instance why can I not walk through a door or a wall? The electrons with their constant movement, creates an electro magnetic field. It is this field that is responsible for creating an illusion of everything being solid. As example, my body has equal number of negatively charged electrons and positively charged protons. The wall has the same. The electrons in my body repel the electrons in the wall, while the protons in my body are attracted to the protons in the wall.
This means that as long as I am not in contact with the wall, I will feel no push from the wall. However, when I try to push my body into the wall, the electrons of my body come in contact with the electrons in the wall. This results in a massive repulsion and we both push away from each other. The reason that the attraction of protons, do not over power the repulsion caused by the electron is because the atoms keep the electrons on its outside and keep the protons deeper at the center. Therefore no matter how hard one tries the first particle that interacts is always the electrons in everything. The repelling electromagnetic force field created by the electrons in my body and the wall will never allow us to merge inside each other. This creates an illusion of the wall and my body being solid even when both are nothing but empty space. The force that keeps us apart makes us believe we are solid in nature!
Here I became even more intrigued as I remembered the teachings of our Murshid one more time. “Until one is completely absorbed in the essences of what we see, we do not see it.” So if by nature of the electrons, we are in constant repel with everything and everyone, are we able to completely absorb or allow anything around us to completely absorb us? No! So then technically we do not see anything. If we do not see anything and yet we believe we are seeing, we are indeed living in an illusion. What else can be concluded from this?
My dearest beloved Divine,
You have left so many clues for me to wake up to reality.
Yet it is true,
I live in a waking dream everyday.
I also dream in this dream!
I know not when the alarm will go off.
But, until then I console myself,
That as this dream has my beloved Murshid in it,
I am sure I will finally wake up,
To my reality, with YOU.