Unanswered Inner Questions

Introduction

No single individual holds all knowledge, and I am certainly no exception. It is precisely from the bounds of my own understanding that a profound curiosity emerges, fueling an endless stream of questions: why, what, how, and when?

Among these, one of the most compelling and enduring questions revolves around the journey between birth and death. While countless religions offer diverse explanations, a deeper observation into the scientific perspective often reveals underlying commonalities, hinting at a shared core truth.

Birth: The Assembly of Existence

At its most fundamental, birth represents the complex formation of particles into a living entity, typically initiated through the process of reproduction. When we dissect the ‘ingredients’ of this formation, we arrive at the subatomic realm: protons (positive charge), neutrons (neutral), and electrons (negative charge). It’s crucial to note that electrons are considered fundamental particles, not composed of smaller units. Protons and neutrons, however, are composite particles, themselves built from even smaller entities called quarks. As we delve further and further into the substratum of reality, we begin to encounter the realm of fundamental forces and the energetic fluctuations often conceptualized as ‘vibrations’ or fields.

Death: The Unraveling of Form

Just as birth is a complex process of formation, death marks a similarly intricate process of deformation and rearrangement. Yet, at their core, both phenomena underscore a fundamental truth: the constituent particles themselves remain indestructible. They merely shift from one configuration to another, dissolving the complex structure of a living being back into its fundamental components. And once again, when we trace these particles to their deepest essence, we ultimately arrive at the same energetic substratum – the realm of fundamental vibrations.

This profound continuity, the endless cycle of assembly and disassembly at the particle level, powerfully suggests that in their foundational essence, everything and everyone is fundamentally equal. Our temporary forms may differ, but our underlying building blocks are universally shared.

The Journey In Between

It is within this fleeting, temporary journey between birth and death that the richness of experience unfolds. This is where the profound complexities of human existence arise: the bonds of connection, the pain of separation, the depth of emotions, the triumphs and the struggles. And it is here, amidst this vibrant, messy, and deeply personal experience, that countless new questions inevitably surface.

The Human Journey: Duality and Distinction

While the fundamental commonality of existence lies in our shared particulate essence – a universal equality at the deepest quantum level – the human journey, at the macro level, presents a striking contrast. We possess the same organs and bodily structures, yet what truly distinguishes us are our unique thoughts, intricate thinking processes, and individual perceptions. These are, arguably, the only true possessions we cultivate, though even these might dissolve or transform when we transcend our limited self-awareness and truly grasp our underlying nature.

This life between birth and death is, then, a profound tapestry woven with inherent dualities: the ups and downs, the good and the bad, the cruel and the empathetic, the ideal of equality and the reality of discrimination, the states of health and sickness.

The question then shifts: Why must we navigate such a tumultuous journey? Science, in its current scope, primarily describes how these processes occur, but largely remains silent on the why of our experience. It is here that spiritual traditions often step in, offering frameworks to understand the purpose and meaning behind this intricate human drama.

Karma and Fate: The Spiritual Lens

When we seek answers to life’s inherent complexities through the lens of spirituality, the concepts of Karma and Fate frequently emerge. Within many traditions, these are understood as integral to the purification and evolution of the soul.

One might logically ask: How can this be? Consider the common scenario of two individuals, A and B. B is a non-smoker, fully aware of smoking’s health risks and consciously avoiding it. A, on the other hand, is a smoker. It’s not that A is ignorant of the dangers; they likely know the health implications just as well as B. Yet, despite B’s advice or even their own rational understanding, A continues to smoke. A will only truly cease smoking when a profound internal shift occurs – a moment of self-realization that transcends mere intellectual knowledge. This internal ‘drama’ of knowing but not doing, of resistance versus transformation, illustrates precisely why our life journeys are filled with such varied experiences and challenges.

Fate: The Pre-Written Script?

Before delving into the intricate concept of Karma, let me first share my understanding of Fate. To me, it resembles a pre-existing script upon which our lives are enacted. Each birth, I believe, unfolds a new script. You might find this notion amusing, perhaps even superstitious, but consider a profound implication from physics: if time travel or the phenomenon of time dilation is truly possible, then it strongly suggests that all moments of time, past, present, and future, already exist in a unified block universe. If this is true, then our ability to “go” to any point in time implies that those points are already there – not something yet to be created.

Further, consider the analogy of a spinning dice. While it’s in motion, the outcome is undetermined to an observer, yet its trajectory and eventual landing are governed by physics. Similarly, in our lives, it’s perhaps only the definitive points of birth and death that carve out our perception of linear past, present, and future. From a deeper perspective, the “life happening” is a continuous state, much like the dice must spin once set in motion.

This deterministic view inevitably raises a critical challenge: Do we truly possess free will? And if our actions are merely following a script, how then can Karma, which implies consequences for choices, possibly exist?

My observation is that our actions, like a butterfly effect, are deeply interconnected, and at their ultimate source, stem from our thoughts. Have you ever pondered why a particular thought or idea suddenly “pops” into your mind at a specific moment? What if even these spontaneous thoughts, the very wellspring of our perceived agency, are themselves part of this larger, pre-determined script? If our thoughts are scripted, then our belief in free will might simply be another elaborate part of the play.

Karma: The Role Within the Script

I won’t rehash the general definitions of Karma; they are readily available online. Instead, I want to share my own understanding: If Fate is the script, then Karma is the unique role we embody within it.

To illustrate, let’s revisit our example of A, the smoker, and B, the non-smoker. In this particular life, A’s role, as shaped by Karma, might be to experience smoking until a profound moment of self-realization. This experience might span his entire life. Perhaps in a future existence, having integrated that realization, he is then born as a non-smoker like B. Conversely, B, the current non-smoker, may have been the 'A' (a smoker) in a previous life, having already achieved that crucial self-realization through his own past experiences. This entire process, for both A and B, is utterly dependent on the lessons gained through lived experience and the eventual dawn of self-realization.

It’s akin to how we learn to ride a bicycle – not in a single day, but through a process of trial, error, and gradual understanding. Similarly, one cannot simply jump from first grade to tenth grade; each stage requires its own time and experience. We might be born into a role of cruelty, only to discover by the end of that life that cruelty ultimately yields no true gain, causing only harm to oneself and others. In the next cycle, that realization might manifest as being born an empathetic person. This cycle of experience and realization, of playing different roles, continues until the grand realization of everything – a complete understanding that transcends individual roles and perceived limitations.

It’s true that some might not agree with my interpretation of Karma, especially when compared to its more common, conventional meaning. If one adheres to the widely held notion that Karma is purely about accruing good or bad ‘points’ based on every single action, then it becomes incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to maintain any semblance of balance. Consider this: simply by eating, we participate in the ‘killing’ of plants and, for many, animals. We also, often without a second thought or conscious agitation, inadvertently or knowingly eliminate countless creatures like mosquitoes, ants, or flies in our daily lives. Under a strict, conventional karmic ledger, these actions—whether conscious or unconscious—would constantly tip the scales. In such a rigid system, even a divine being or a messiah, whose very existence might necessitate the consumption of resources or indirect impact on other life forms, would struggle to maintain perfect karmic equilibrium. It would seem that creation itself, with its inherent cycle of life and death, would be built on an imbalance of Karma, if interpreted in this traditional ‘tallying’ sense.

The Extremes: Violence and the Paradox of Love

Even after contemplating the cycles of Karma and the potential scripts of Fate, the fundamental question persists: Why do we experience extremes, such as profound violence or intense love? Are these truly necessary components of the journey?

One might logically ask: What could possibly be wrong with extreme love? My observation suggests a paradoxical truth: Extreme love is often the underlying impetus for extreme violation. When love becomes possessive, obsessive, or unconditional to the point of overriding all other considerations, it can tragically manifest through actions that are inherently violent or harmful. This isn’t love expressed as violence, but rather a distorted, often pathological, expression of love through violation or control. This destructive force isn’t limited to our relationships with others; it can be directed inwards, as extreme self-love leading to destructive narcissism, or outwards, as obsessive love for an object, ideology, or group leading to fanaticism and conflict.

The Question of Complexity

Seeing the rich biodiversity, from bacteria and fungi to the largest living creatures, I am struck by examples like a certain fungus. This fungus emerges from bird droppings, which are then eaten by snails. The fungus lives inside the snail, consuming everything within it. At its final stage, it goes up to the tree, glows, and tries to attract a bird to eat it. The bird then poops, the snails eat it, and the cycle continues. Furthermore, some creatures don’t need both male and female partners; they reproduce on their own. These are just two unique varieties among numerous and countless species, each with their own endless complexities. This leads me to ask: why, why are such complexities needed?