The Enigma of Creation and Destruction

© 2011 by Arijit Roy. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 10/14/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4670-0734-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-0735-1 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

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Contents

Explanation

Chapter—1

Chapter—2

Chapter—3

Chapter—4

Chapter—5

Chapter—6

Chapter—7

Chapter—8

Chapter—9

Chapter—10

Chapter—11

Chapter—12

Chapter—13

Chapter—14

Chapter—15

Chapter—16

Chapter—17

Chapter—18

Chapter—19

References :

God of Truth to Thee I bow

This little book with Truth endow,

Truth may reign supreme on earth

Bliss and joy in every hearth.

This book is dedicated

to the people

who are in search of

TRUTH.

Explanation

I really do not know, why I have written this book. Practically, I am neither a knowledgeable person nor a story writer. I don’t know whether this book will be published or not. If at all it is published, who will read this book? Still, some times people do something that is beyond their capacity and prove to all that he is an ‘idiot’.

However, while you read this book, please be kind enough to forgive me because you have spent your valued money and time for this book and which you may find has been wasted.

I completed my school in science stream with flying colours and joined college with physics honors. From a very early age peculiar questions would haunt my mind. To general people these questions might be viewed as idiotic. I had asked these questions to my teachers. They advised me to concentrate and continue with my studies and that gradually with time I would be able to understand and get the answers of those queries. I was not satisfied with what they had said. I thought that if I don’t start from the root of the subject then the present studies will be futile. I have already confessed that I am an idiot so I left college in the final year and started yet another futile effort to earn money.

But irrespective of the subject I had a habit of reading. Whatever may be the subject and whenever I got a chance to read I used to try and go through different books and articles. Surprisingly, I found the silly questions that used to strike my mind, were being answered. It was as if some great scientists could read my mind and sympathetically worked on it to answer my questions, and their answers matched with my ideas. Perhaps this gave me the motivation to write this book.

Recently I was sitting idle as I did not have any work in hand. Suddenly I thought, what’s wrong if I try to write a book? No one may read it, but for my own satisfaction I could try.

I went to consult with one of my uncles. When I briefed him with my idea and about the subject in about 10/15 minutes, he encouraged me and cautioned me about the rules of the copyright.

I was very much surprised to hear this. I don’t know what exactly is copyright? My opinion was that ‘knowledge’ is Universal, it can never be a personal property. For example in the court, when an advocate defends his client and refers to some previous judgment, does he have to take permission from the previous judge, or the advocate or the concerned party?

In our country, Bharat or India, there were so many schools or educational institutions in ancient days. People used to come from different parts of the world to gain wisdom, learn, discuss or to exchange views. All were warmly welcomed and there was no discrimination.

I read different subjects or topics from different places and tried to express it in my language while writing this book, but some places may have some impression of the main text from where I have gathered information which is not intentional.

I am grateful to my uncle, Prof. Nikhil Barat, who is about 88 years old, for his precious advice and guidance. He held various responsible positions in government and in public and private sectors. He was a pioneer and Professor Emeritus in the subject of Management, and has immense knowledge in every subject.

I thank my wife, Ranjana Roy, for helping me in writing this book. I always miss the link while I sit for typing. She is a psychologist and is attached to a school as a counselor. After her school she devoted her time regularly and helped me in completing this book. She took the entire responsibility on her shoulder just for my satisfaction.

I thank my family members—aunty Smt Padma Roy, my brother Mr. Subhajit Roy, my sister-in-law Mrs Ajanta Roy, my nephew Master Dibyo Roy for rendering their support. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay homage to my parents and uncle who have passed away but whose blessings are still with me.

I would like to extend my gratitude to my sister-in-law Dr. Anjana Pramanik and her husband Dr. Snehansu Sekhar Pramanik for their valuable guidance and support.

I thank Ms. Ruma Chakraborty for helping me with the translations from the writings of Sri Rabindranath Tagore despite her busy schedule.

I thank the Publisher and all their associates for publishing this book.

Now about the book, there are three characters mentioned here. Swapno meaning dream or desire, Abinash meaning imperishable and Rishi means a person to whom truth reveals.

Last but not the least, the life of Sri Upendra Mohan Sengupta has influenced and inspired me greatly towards my studies in the quest for TRUTH. He also changed my views towards life.

I render my humble prostrated salutation to him.

Chapter—1

What and Why? . . .

28th May 4:30 pm—distressed Swapno reached home. The outside temperature was very high all through the day—around 42 degree centigrade. Swapno looked through the window and saw a black cloud. Hoping for a norwester, he entered the bathroom for a good shower. When he came out of his bathroom, he saw the entire sky covered with black clouds. Within 5 minutes storm began. There was a storm in his mind too.

His childhood friend Abhinash had died today. Abhinash was of his age and they had known each other since they were in class 1. They had studied together till they graduated and though they were in service in different firms, there was no gap in their friendship during the last 35 years. Swapno started thinking—why, why Abhinash died so early? The doctors said that it was a case of cardiac arrest. It was difficult for Swapno to accept that his friend was no longer there…

He had not eaten anything since morning, so he made himself a cup of tea and sat on his arm chair thinking about his dear friend. He recollected his past days but intermittently he was reminded of the fact that his friend is no more. He was remembering his first day in school when Abhinash too had come for admission. The teacher had spoken to them and was pleased with their reply, after which they were admitted to the school. Abhinash was an average student academically but he excelled in sports and physical activities. On the other hand Swapno excelled in studies but was sickly—he would fall ill frequently and suffered from minor ailments. Despite this difference, they were very good friends and were always together.

Having known Abhinash for the past few decades, he failed to see how a healthy, physically fit person could have suddenly died. Swapno was engrossed in his thoughts when he suddenly realized that the storm had stopped, there were stars twinkling in the clear sky. He dragged his chair to the adjacent balcony, settled on it and looked at the sky pondering as to why even after knowing his friend for so many years he had failed to see that he would lose his dear friend. Suddenly he felt that his observation of his friend was of no value. Like any lay person, he too started looking for a rationale behind his friend’s death from different angles…

Throughout the day many people had come to console, sympathize with Abhinash’s family—some said that he has completed his life time, others said that it is God’s will. No one can predict exactly and tell what can happen the next minute. Swapno pondered on the limitations of human beings.

Suddenly he remembered his uncle Rishi who is a voracious reader of diverse topics and has immense information and knowledge. Uncle Rishi is a vegetarian and lives a strict controlled life of a saint. He spends his time either by reading books or by being engrossed in thoughts related to diverse topics. Swapno thought of meeting uncle Rishi and asking him about the cause of creation and destruction of all things.

What is the reason ?

The very next day Swapno went to his uncle’s house and in his excitement, threw innumerable queries—

Can you tell me the reason behind birth and death?

Not just human being, but every living and non-living being on this planet?

Why do matters change all the time?

Why we are here and where have we come from?

What is our destination?

Is it God’s wish? If so, then where is He?

Is everything in this universe under His control?

Can He do everything that He wants to? What does He look like?

Can God create so big a stone that he cannot lift it himself?

Is it nature and if so, what is the reason behind it?

Is it time?

Science has advanced, uncle, can you give me the answers to all these questions? asked Swapno.

Wait, wait my son, what is the matter? asked uncle. why are you so impatient? I understand that something has happened and you are upset. Calm down first. These questions cannot be answered so easily. Let us have breakfast and thereafter we can discuss these questions.

Breakfast over, both sat face to face with their cup of coffee. Uncle Rishi summed up Swapno’s questions by saying that though he had asked many questions, the main query was the reason behind creation and destruction.

Since long these questions are being asked by many people, research in every field is going on. You want your answers to be given from a scientific angle, but there are many streams in science like physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology etc.

Earlier, say around 18th century, it was possible for a person who was educated to have a broad idea of the entire science discovered by that time. With time, this became impossible as science developed at a rapid pace and new observations gave rise to new theories. It is difficult for the common people to keep themselves updated as the field of science has became so vast and advancements are rapid. What is discovered today, within a few years it becomes out of date. If any person devotes his whole time, only then he will be able to keep up with the advancements and that too in a specialized area.

In every field scientists feel that the axiom behind creation and destruction can be worked out. The scientists also unanimously argue that there should be one single point solution which will satisfy all the problems behind creation and destruction.

Not a single subject like language, history, geography, philosophy etc. can be ignored to find the axiom, still common men mainly take the subject physics and mathematics in to confidence for their answers. But to start our discussion let us look how life was created and how we are made.

I am neither a philosopher nor a scientist, said Rishi. I have read some books which might be irrelevant to the subject hence, the information that I will give you are the views of various wise, knowledgeable people. Naturally, the language and the description will not be my own at all time.

Uncle Rishi suddenly stopped and looked at Swapno in an apologetic manner and said, I have to give you some information, but each topic individually would need detailed study. This will be necessary not just for the discussion now, but it will help you understand and relate better when I refer to other topics. To answer your main question and keeping in mind the time constraint, I am compelled to tell you in a nutshell. If you wish to explore the topic in depth, you will have to go into further reading of the related material.

Firstly let us see how life began

Chapter—2

The Evolutionary theory

Abiogenesis or biopoesis, in natural science, is the study of how from inorganic matter, biological life started through natural processes and the method by which life on Earth began. Most amino acids are called the building blocks of life and can form through natural chemical reactions that are in no way related to life. This has been demonstrated in the Miller-Urey experiment and similar experiments that involved simulating some of the conditions of the early Earth in a laboratory. In the case of all living things, these amino acids are organized into proteins, and the construction of these proteins is mediated by nucleic acids. The nuclei acids are themselves synthesized through biochemical pathways catalysed by proteins. The focus of abiogenesis is mainly on which of these organic molecules first arose and how they formed the first life.

Two aspects of life have to be accounted for in all theories of abiogenesis. They are replication and metabolism. Different types of theories came up while trying to find out whether replication came first or metabolism. Initially, metabolism-first theories were proposed, but later theories gave rise to the modern, replication-first approach.

In modern still somewhat limited understanding, the first living things on Earth are thought to be single cell prokaryotes which lack a cell nucleus, perhaps evolved from organic molecules surrounded by a membrane-like structure called protobionts. The oldest ancient fossil microbe-like objects are dated to be 3.5 billion years old, which was almost one billion years after the formation of the Earth itself. By 2.4 billion years, the ratio of stable isotopes of carbon, iron and sulfur shows the action of living things on inorganic minerals and sediments and molecular biomarkers indicate photosynthesis, thereby demonstrating that life on Earth was widespread by this time.

The sequence of chemical events that led to the first nucleic acids is unknown. Several hypotheses have been proposed about early life, namely the iron-sulfur world theory that is metabolism without genetics and the RNA world hypothesis that is RNA life-forms.

Rishi said that, according to the scientists, life started with single cell prokaryotes. But now we need to take a look at the history of the evolution of life as described by Charles Darwin.

Charles Darwin who lived from 1809 to 1882, did not at first appear to have extraordinary talents. From an early age he liked to watch birds and collect insects to study. He was interested in attending classes or lectures on natural history. Darwin agreed to the idea of studying for the clergy and got admission in the university at Cambridge, England, in the year 1827. At the University also, Darwin did not like studying subjects related to academics but he found that his friendship with John S. Henslow, professor of botany, made life in Cambridge extremely worthwhile. Through his interactions with Henslow, Darwin’s knowledge of the natural world increased phenomenally. Henslow encouraged Darwin in his studies of natural history.

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds, the bananas, the fishes and the flowers all are related. Darwin’s general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic descent with modification. That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism’s genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival—a process known as natural selection. These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism, not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature.

Uncle Rishi said that although it is asserted that