In Search of God Part 1

In Search of God

(After hearing the Discovery of God Particle)

Dr Narendra S Gangakhedkar

(Part 1)

On 4^th July 2012, Scientists at CERN Geneva declared the discovery of Higgs boson which will help us to understand how the Universe is created. CERN announced the discovery of a new subatomic particle that's consistent with the Higgs boson—a particle that's been searched for since the 1970s. Scientists at CERN believe that Higgs boson is a particle, or set of particles, that might give others mass.

Scientists talk of the Standard Model which describes three of nature's four forces: electromagnetism and the strong and weak nuclear forces. Electromagnetism has been fairly well understood for many decades. Recently, physicists have learned much more about the strong force, which binds the elements of atomic nuclei together, and the weak force, which governs radioactivity and hydrogen fusion (which generates the sun's energy).

British physicist Peter Higgs in the 1960 proposed the theory that a sort of lattice, referred to as the Higgs field, fills the universe. This is something like an electromagnetic field, in that it affects the particles that move through it, but it is also related to the physics of solid materials. Scientists know that when an electron passes through a positively charged crystal lattice of atoms (a solid), the electron's mass can increase as much as 40 times. The same might be true in the Higgs field: a particle moving through it creates a little bit of distortion and that lends mass to the particle. The experimental results at CERN indicate that Higgs boson particle is detected and theory of Higgs field or force exists.

When I read this news of God particle,  some of the stanzas  in” Geetai” struck my mind which deals with existence of God who is the creator of the  Universe.  Geetai is written by Shri Vinoba Bhave in Marathi which is a translation of “Shrimad-Bhagwad Geeta”. I also referred the   English translation by Dr. Ramanada Prasad for better understanding of the creator of the universe – God ( www.gitasociety.com). Discovery of Higgs boson, the God particle created interest in me for the search of God. Based on Shrimad-Bhagwad Geeta, I make my following observations:

 Geeta says

The one who meditates on Brahman as the omniscient, the oldest, the controller, smaller than the smallest (and bigger than the biggest), the sustainer of everything, the inconceivable, the self luminous like the sun, and as transcendental or beyond the material reality; (8.09)

Yes, Higgs boson is “smaller than the smallest particle” having mass 125.3 GeV and 133 times Proton particle. According to scientists, when Higgs force is bombarded on sub-atomic particles, the unknown energy gives rise a mass and a new particle is produced for a short time. There is some unknown, invisible energy which is the cause of getting a mass to a particle.

What is this unknown force or energy? This is inconceivable and the self luminous energy like Sun.

What a parallel thought described in Geeta. Higgs field is a fourth force found by scientists. Is Higgs Field or Force supreme? Is it responsible for creation of the Universe? If answer is yes, we are closer to understanding the God.

Jagadguru Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji’s Anugrahabhashanam stated that “God is everywhere. He is omnipresent; there is no place where He does not exist.” According to him this is the established conclusion of Hindu Sanatana Vaidika Dharma. He further said, “ The God is omnipresent - This is the Truth. God is everywhere, God exists in every particle - this is the Truth”.

The Higgs boson is called the God particle as it will help us to understand the creation of the Universe. If the Creator of the Universe is God, then we are trying to understand the God. Nuclear scientists talk of different forces such as Electromagnetic force, strong and weak forces and now Higgs talk of Higgs force which is responsible for Higgs boson particle.

Geeta mentions:  

This entire universe is pervaded by Me, the unmanifest Brahman. All beings depend on (or remain in) Me. I do not depend on them. (7.12, 9.04)

Here Me or I mean God. It is a unique force responsible for the Universe and it controls the Universe.

 And yet beings, in reality, do not remain in Me. Look at the power of My divine mystery. Though the sustainer and creator of all beings, I do not remain in them. (In reality, the chain does not depend on gold; the chain is nothing but gold. Also, matter and energy are different as well as non-different). (9.05)

It is very clearly stated that matter and energy are different as well as non-different. Higgs field is responsible for Higgs boson particle. But after a very very short time, this particle disappears and may be converted into energy.

Consider that all beings remain in Me (without any contact or without producing any effect) as the mighty wind, moving everywhere, eternally remains in space. (9.06)

 All beings merge into My Prakriti at the end of a Kalpa (or a cycle of 4.32 billion years), O Arjuna, and I create (or manifest) them again at the beginning of the next Kalpa. (9.07)

If creator of the  Universe is a force or energy, it is in some form to be seen. Higgs boson is found but not seen. We see the effect but not the existence. We are not able to see God who is everywhere. We see only the effect.

Interaction of radiation with matter is called  physics. In science, we understood atomic and nuclear particles but we have not seen them. We talk of different energies such as gravitational force, electromagnetic force, Nuclear strong and weak forces, Cosmic rays, X-rays, Gamma rays, Infrared rays, Microwave rays etc., we can’t see them. We see their effect. We understand their existence. We use WI-FI for communication . But we do not see its existence. We see pictures transmitted on our TV, but we can’t see this energy flowing from one form to another. All these forms of energy exist. But we cannot see it in physical form. Similarly, God exists in some form of invisible energy. This is what is explained in Geeta in different stanzas.

                                                                                                            ........................ contd. Part 2   

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 Contact : Dr Narendra S Gangakhedkar - narendra.gangakhedkar@gmail.com