Prabhupada: Materialistic science may one day finally discover the eternal antimaterial world which has for so long been unknown to the wranglers of gross materialism. Regarding the scientists’ present conception of antimatter, the Times of India (Oct. 27, 1959) published the following news release:
Stockholm, Oct. 26, 1959—Two American atomic scientists were awarded the 1959 Nobel Physics Prize today for the discovery of the antiproton, proving that matter exists in two forms—as particles and antiparticles. They are Italian-born Dr. Emillo Segre, 69, and Dr. Owen Chamberlain, born in San Francisco…. According to one of the fundamental assumptions of the new theory, there may exist another world, or an antiworld, built up of antimatter. This antimaterial world would consist of atomic and subatomic particles spinning in reverse orbits to those of the world we know. If these two worlds should ever clash, they would both be annihilated in one blinding flash.
In this statement, the following propositions are put forward:
1. There is an antimaterial atom or particle which is made up of the antiqualities of material atoms.
2. There is another world besides this material world of which we have only limited experience.
3. The antimaterial and material worlds may clash at a certain period and may annihilate one another.
Out of these three items, we, the students of theistic science, can fully agree with items 1 and 2, but we can agree with item 3 only within the limited scientific definition of antimatter. The difficulty lies in the fact that the scientists’ conception of antimatter extends only to another variety of material energy, whereas the real antimatter must be entirely antimaterial. Matter as it is constituted is subjected to annihilation, but antimatter—if it is to be free from all material symptoms—must also be free from annihilation, by its very nature. If matter is destructible or separable, antimatter must be indestructible and inseparable. We shall try to discuss these propositions from the angle of authentic scriptural vision.
The most widely recognized scriptures in the world are the Vedas. The Vedas have been divided into four parts: Sama, Yajur, Rg and Atharva. The subject matter of the Vedas is very difficult for a man of ordinary understanding. For elucidation, the four Vedas are explained in the historical epic called the Mahabharata and in eighteen Puranas. The Ramayana is also a historical epic which contains all the necessary information from the Vedas. So the four Vedas, the original Ramayana by Valmiki, the Mahabharata and the Puranas are classified as Vedic literatures. The Upanisads are parts of the four Vedas, and the Vedanta-sutras represent the cream of the Vedas. To summarize all these Vedic literatures, the Bhagavad-gita is accepted as the essence of all Upanisads and the preliminary explanation of the Vedanta-sutras. One may then conclude that from the Bhagavad-gita alone one can have the essence of the Vedas, for it is spoken by Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who descends upon this material world from the antimaterial world in order to give complete information of the superior form of energy.
The superior form of energy of the Personality of Godhead is described in the Bhagavad-gita as para prakrti. The scientists have recently discovered that there are two forms of perishable matter, but the Bhagavad-gita describes most perfectly the concept of matter and antimatter in terms of two forms of energy. Matter is an energy which creates the material world, and the same energy, in its superior form, also creates the antimaterial (transcendental) world. The living entities belong to the category of superior energy. The inferior energy, or material energy, is called apara prakrti. In the Bhagavad-gita the creative energy is thus presented in two forms, namely apara and para prakrti.
Matter itself has no creative power. When it is manipulated by the living energy, material things are produced. Matter in its crude form is therefore the latent energy of the Supreme Being. Whenever we think of energy, it is natural that we think of the source of energy. For example, when we think of electrical energy, we simultaneously think of the powerhouse where it is generated. Energy is not self-sufficient. It is under the control of a superior living being. For example, fire is the source of two other energies, namely light and heat. Light and heat have no independent existence outside of fire. Similarly, the inferior and superior energies are derived from a source, which one may call by any name. That source of energy must be a living being with full sense of everything. That supreme living being is the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, or the all-attractive living being.
In the Vedas the supreme living being, or the Absolute Truth, is called Bhagavan—the opulent one, the living being who is the fountainhead of all energies. The discovery of the two forms of limited energies by the modern scientists is just the beginning of the progress of science. Now they must go further to discover the source of the two particles or atoms which they term material and antimaterial.
How can the antimaterial particle be explained? We have experience with material particles or atoms, but we have no experience with antimaterial atoms. However, the Bhagavad-gita gives the following vivid description of the antimaterial particle:
This antimaterial particle is within the material body. Because of the presence of this antimaterial particle, the material body is progressively changing from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youth to old age, after which the antimaterial particle leaves the old, unworkable body and takes up another material body.
This description of a living body confirms the scientific discovery that energy exists in two forms. When one of them, the antimaterial particle, is separated from the material body, the latter becomes useless for all purposes. As such, the antimaterial particle is undoubtedly superior to the material energy.
No one, therefore, should lament for the loss of material energy. All varieties of sense perception in the categories of heat and cold, happiness and distress, are but interactions of material energy which come and go like seasonal changes. The temporary appearance and disappearance of such material interactions confirms that the material body is formed of a material energy inferior to the living force, or jiva energy.
Any intelligent man who is not disturbed by happiness and distress, understanding that they are different material phases resulting from the interactions of the inferior energy, is competent to regain the antimaterial world, where life is eternal, full of permanent knowledge and bliss.
The antimaterial world is mentioned here, and in addition information is given that in the antimaterial world there is no “seasonal” fluctuation. Everything there is permanent, blissful, and full of knowledge. But when we speak of it as a “world,” we must remember that it has forms and paraphernalia of various categories beyond our material experiences.
The material body is destructible, and as such it is changeable and temporary. So is the material world. But the antimaterial living force is nondestructible, and therefore it is permanent. Expert scientists have thus distinguished the different qualities of the material and antimaterial particles as temporary and permanent respectively.
The discoverers of the two forms of matter have yet to find out the qualities of antimatter. But a vivid description is already given in the Bhagavad-gita as follows. The scientist can make further research on the basis of this valuable information.
The antimaterial particle is finer than the finest of material particles. This living force is so powerful that it spreads its influence all over the material body. The antimaterial particle has immense potency in comparison to the material particle, and consequently it cannot be destroyed.
This is but the beginning of the description of the antimaterial particle in the Bhagavad-gita. It is further explained as follows:
The finest form of the antimaterial particle is encaged within the gross and subtle material bodies. Although the material bodies (both gross and subtle) are subject to destruction, the finer, antimaterial particle is eternal. One’s interest, therefore, should be in this eternal principle.
The perfection of science will occur when it is possible for the material scientists to know the qualities of the antimaterial particle and liberate it from the association of nonpermanent, material particles. Such liberation would mark the culmination of scientific progress.
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