 17. Atom |
The atomic structure of matter was well known to the ancient Hindus. One of the six systems of East Indian philosophy is "vaissika" from the Sanskrit root word "visesas" or "atomic individuality." One of the foremost vaissika expounders was "Auluka," also called "Kanada the atom eater, " was born about 2800 years ago.
East-West magazine, April 1934 though the modern "atomic theory" is considered a new advance in science. It was previously expounded long ago by Kanada, the "atom-eater."
The Sanskrit name "Anu" can be properly translated to mean "atom" in the literal sense from the Greek of "uncut" or indivisible. Other scientific expositions of "vaisesika" treatises of the BC era include:
- The movement of needles toward magnets.
- The circulation of water in plants.
- Akash or ether, inert and structureless, as a basis for transmitting subtle forces.
- The solar fire as the cause of all other forms of heat.
- Heat as the cause of molecular change.
- The law of gravit ation as caused by the quality that is inherent in earth atoms to give them their attractive power or downward pull.
- The kinetic nature of all energy; causation as always rooted in any expenditure of energy or a redistribution of motion.
- Universal dissolution through the dis-integration of atoms.
- The radiation of heat and light rays, infinitely small particles darting forth in all directions with inconceivable speed (the modern "cosmic ray" theory).
- The relativity of time and space.
Vaisesika assigned the origin of the world to atoms eternal in their nature, i.e., their ultimate peculiarities. These atoms or "Anu" were regarded as possessing an incessant vibratory motion. The recent discovery that the atom (Anu) is a miniature solar system would be no news to the old "vaisesika" philosophers who reduced time to its furthest mathematical concept by describing the smallest unit of time (kala) as the period taken by an atom (Anu) to traverse its own unit of space.
-Yogananda
Lifetron prana, the different sensory stimuli to which human beings react to tactual, visual, gustatory, auditory and olfactory, are produced and/or created by the vibratory variations in the electrons and protons. These vibrations in turn are regulated by what is called "prana," i.e., lifetrons, the subtle life forces or much finer than atomic energies intelligently charged with the five distinctive sensory idea substances of God.
-Yogananda
Lifetron which means "prana" the ancient Hindu scriptures, refers not only to the atom (Anu) and to the paramanu "beyond the atom," i.e., finer electronic energies, but also to prana as "creative lifetronic force." Atoms and electrons are "blind" forces; prana is inherently intelligent. The pranic lifetrons in the male spermatozoa and female ova, for example, guide the development of the embryo according to karmic design.
-Yogananda
The Greek philosophers, LEUCIPPUS and DEMOCRITUS spoke of "atoms" in 440B.C. Democritus describing the structure of the matter came to the conclusion that the smallest element was the atom. "Atom" in Greek means that it can't be cut or divided more. Describing the centre of the atom, he named it 'pirin.' The meaning in Greek comes from two words: pyr (fire) and ein (is)! He found a very interesting way to describe what could be found inside the atom if anyone dared divide it!
