by: Professor Devimder Singh Chahal Laval Quebec Canada
The distance between stars is measured in “light years” which is the distance travelled by light in one year. Light travels at 186000 miles a second and covers some six million miles a year. The light from our sun which is 93 million miles takes 8 minutes to reach our earth. Light from the nearest star outside of our solar-system Proximal Centauri in the Southern Hemisphere takes more than 4 years to reach our earth There are some stars in our galaxy which are from 16 to 1500 or many thousands light years away from the earth. Our galaxy the Milky Way is about 100000 light years across. The nearest galaxy the Andromeda is about 2 million light years beyond our galaxy. Although these are the estimates for the nearest star and nearest galaxy it is difficult to find the limit of the Universe. Guru Nanak describe the limit of the Universe as following
“No one knows the limit of the Universe.
More we describe it (Universe) More it comes out to be.”
(AGGS M 1 P 5)
In these days with the help of most sophisticated instruments astronomers are discovering new farthest away suns and new farthest away galaxies thus adding to the already expanding list. Guru Nanak concluded in the “Asa di Var” as following:
“The Creator (the Almighty) is above all praises. Whatever He has to create He creates.”
(AGGS M 1 P 469)
Source of Energy:
There are two sources of energy in the Universe:
- Fusion: The Union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantity of energy. (The simple meanings are union of two things into one.)
Technically it is explained: Two hydrogen nuclei or protons smash into each other hard enough to fuse forming a deuterium nucleus with one proton and one neutron. As the protons fuse they release energy partly in the form of a neutrino. Neutrinos are odd particles that seem able to penetrate almost anything including us and earth as if neither existed. Next the deuterium nucleus rams another free proton and fuses with it giving off energy in the form of gamma rays. Finally this clump of three particles smashes into another clump like itself and forms a helium nucleus. In this last collusion two protons are knocked loose and the process begins again. In each step energy is given off in the form of photons. It is this energy that keeps the sun shining and earth alive. And this is how a hydrogen bomb works. The sun is an enormous hydrogen bomb that just keeps on exploding (3).
- Fission: Splitting of an atomic nucleus resulting in the release of large amount of energy. The simple meaning is splitting of a thing into two parts Atom bomb is the result of fission (splitting) of a clement to release energy.
Guru Nanak explained that the work (actions and reactions) in the Universe is carried out with the energy released either by fusion or by fission:
“The work (kar) is performed by the energy released by fusion or by fission; and. The resulting work is our blessing (bhag).”
(AGGS M 1 P 6)
Most of the interpreters (14 17 18 20) express it (sanjog vijog) either a union or separation of families or union/separation of man with/from God. Butthe above interpretation is based upon the fact that Guru Nanak is talking about the control (nathi) of all the actions and reactions i.e. the work (kar) and its control rests with the Almighty (Nath) in the preceding part of the above stanza:
“The Almighty Himself is the Controller (Nath).
He controls (nathi) everything. The self-praise and possession of miracle power divert one from realization of the Almighty.”
(AGGS M 1 P 6)
Guru Nanak in his third form (Guru Amardas) has again used fusion and fission in the same sense as explained earlier because here again it concerns the Universe and creation
“He Himself initiates the fusion
He Himself initiates the fission
He Himself creates and
He Himself reverse the creation.
His laws (hukm) and expansion of the Universe exist (sacha) and there is no other governing body
Who can issue such laws (hukm).”
(AGGS M 3 P 1044-1045) But in his fifth form (Guru Arjan) the fusion and fission has been used to explain the conception and birth of man. Here fission is splitting of pairs of chromosomes of sex cells of a man and of a woman. And fusion is the combination or pairing of one set of number of chromosomes from the man sex cell with the n-number of chromosomes of woman sex cell resulting in a zygote of 2n-chromosomes. This zygote continues to divide resulting into a multicellular organism which later develops into a new human being. This phenomenon has been described as following:
“Splitting and pairing (of chromosomes) were
performed according to the already decided law
by putting together five elements a new body was formed.
Then according to the laws of the Almighty (sahe)
Life is added into the newly formed body.”
(AGGS M 5 P 1007)
At other places in AGGS fusion (sanjog) and fission (vijog) have been used in their simple meaning of union and separation (of people or of the man with the Almighty).
Steady-state or Continuous Creation:
According to the “steady-state” or “continuous creation” theory of cosmology galaxies recede from one another but their spatial density remains constant According to this theory there is a continuous creation of new matter (hydrogen atoms) throughout space. The newly created matter subsequently condenses to form new stars and galaxies between the older galaxies and a steady state or constant spatial density with time is maintained. In the steady-state concept the universe had no beginning and has no end (21). At present it appears that the balance of the observational evidence is against the steady-state concept and in favor of relativistic theory.
Friedman showed that if the density of the gas of galaxies was below a critical value the Universe was open and would continue to expand forever. The galaxies would move further and farther apart. The best evidence that astronomers have today suggests that we are below the critical density for galactic matter and the Universe is open. The actual density would increase and then we could have a closed Universe which would expand and then contract
(10).
Guru Nanak in his third form (Guru Amardas) believes that the expanding Universe will contract into its initial primordial state and there would be another “big bang” and this sequence will continue forever:
“The Universe was created and will be destroyed by the “sabd” (voice) of the Almighty; and It would be re-created with His “sabd” (voice).”
(AGGS M 3 p.117)
Because Guru Nanak believes that the Almighty (Waheguru) existed before the big bang and He will exist even after the contraction of the Universe into its primordial state that is why he believes in “utpat-parlow-oopat” (creation destruction-re-creation) concept of the Universe
- Food Fads
Our super-active demanding world requires a healthy body and a sound mind if one wants to prosper. So good nutrition is a paramount necessity. The key of good health is eating a balanced diet. But there are many food fads in this world:
-there are people who are against eating of any type of meat;
-there are others who will eat any meat except fish on Fridays and still there are others who will not eat meat on Tuesdays or Sundays;
-there are some who will not eat pork while there are others who will not eat beef but will eat any other meat;
-and there are still others who will cat meat only if the animal is slaughtered by certain methods (slaughtered by bleeding slowly or slaughtered by one stroke of kirpan sword).
Article extracted from this publication >> December 4, 1992
