What is Shoonya?

Since my childhood, I always tend to find answers within me. I also didn’t know where those answers came from, but I do get solutions to problems. I was curious about how we get solutions from within; As a science graduate, I wanted to know the scientific explanation of it. So, I was referring to many scientific topics and found some interesting observations in Nuclear Physics. Nuclear Physics deals with study of inside world of an atom. The world there is very different from what we see at the gross physical level. We see all matter as a solid non-penetrating medium. If we zoom in to matter, it is nothing but a series of atoms bonded together. Atoms are bonded between themselves through many forces. We may tend to think that since matter is solid in nature, it could be because the atoms are like solid balls linked to each other. But it is far from the truth. If we look inside an atom, it is all empty space. At the centre is a tiny nucleus, less than ten-thousandth of an atom. This nucleus consists of protons and neutrons. These are not solid as, well. It consists of tiny quarks, an energy field held together by fundamental forces like gravity, electromagnetism etc. The forces between quarks are what manifest themselves at a cosmic level as well. If we think of an atom as the size of a football field, the nucleus in it is the size of a football and in that, quarks are the size of a sand grain. The matter may feel solid at the physical level, but it’s all empty space at atomic and sub-atomic scales. So technically, the entire universe is largely empty space. The world is nothing but interactions between atomic particles with fundamental forces. The study of matter at such small scales is called Quantum Physics.

Now coming to Spiritual Science, here also we learn that there is something in us beyond the physical body. Beyond the physicality lies the ‘Mind’ consisting of emotions. These are subtle. Just like the nucleus is the entire weight of an atom, the ‘Mind’ is the most important element in humans. Just like the nucleus is formed out of binding forces between quark fields, we see that all emotions are formed by the combination of individual thoughts. And thought is formed out of memory and sensation. The sensation can only happen with the presence of awareness, which is an omnipresent field which has come from ‘Emptiness’. How physical matter is engulfed in empty space, similarly subtle matter (Mind) is engulfed in ‘Emptiness’. We can draw a lot of parallels between Quantum Physics and Spiritual Science. Both point towards ‘Emptiness’ as the fundamental basis of existence.

One day a group of Sadhakas (spiritual seekers) came to our ashram. The leader of the group had stayed in the Himalayas for more than a decade. He was elderly and quite learned. I escorted them through the campus and explained in detail about the activities and daily chores. I explained my vision and my work behind establishing the ashram. He asked me why I named the ashram ‘Shoonya’? He said that ‘Brahman’ (not ‘Brahmin’) is the highest of all; why did you not name your institute under these lines? I explained to him that ‘Brahman’ is the highest embodiment of existence, but beyond that, there lies the Emptiness which I refer to as ‘Shoonya’. It also means zero in Sanskrit. He mockingly said, with this name, you will really become zero; you will lose everything. I said, ‘What else to loose for the one who established himself in that vast Emptiness, the ‘Nirakara Brahma’, the timeless and formless’. I put my life itself on this path; if I were to lose everything, let it be. Considering the ‘Brahman’ as the highest itself is ignorance. One classic example is the story of Daksha Prajapati. He, being the ruler of the world, was filled with pride. He ignored the fact that the world is happening and governed by ‘Emptiness’. He started a Yajna (a ritual of offerings to Gods), excluding the nature of Emptiness. This is called a ‘Nireeshwara Yajna’. All the sages and seers warned him that it was technically not the right thing to do and so not good for the world. But he disregarded their advice and wisdom. As it is an unnatural act from the king, if it is successful, the entire world has to bear the negative results of it. So, Shiva, an embodiment of Emptiness, out of compassion for the world, had sent ‘Veerabhadra’, one of his energy forms, to destroy the Yajna and save the world from its consequences. This story teaches us that one should not conduct life discarding Emptiness under any circumstances. If you do so, you will be punished by the nature. In life, there is always a possibility for ignorance. When ignorance grows beyond a point, life will be choked. So the Emptiness, which is always witnessing with awareness, will come and reset life and remove ignorance so it can restart and flourish again. So ‘Drive in Emptiness’ is not an option or a recommendation, but mandatory. One who does not realize this ultimately has to suffer.

We have seen how ignoring Emptiness in our life can lead to painful consequences. Now we will see one more good reason why we have to drive in Emptiness. Many people say they are happy about their life and why they should bother about Emptiness at all. The happiness that everyone refers to is nothing but a sense of satisfaction in their life. As long as their requirements are met, they are happy and satisfied. Where as, fulfillment is a feeling when you are abundant. For that to happen, you need to be very resourceful. Here we can think of resources as energy. The more energy we have, the more resourceful we are. If we look at physical energy, we get them from natural sources like coal, oil, gas, wind, hydro etc. But from Nuclear Physics, we understand that a single atom can hold unimaginable energy in its nucleus. So, an atomic bomb has more power than any other. But in a nuclear reactor, we explode atomic bombs in a controlled environment and extract energy in a usable format. One inch of uranium pellet contains equivalent energy to one ton of coal. Such is the energy density at the atomic scale. As abundance is there at atomic level, in order to be fulfilled, we need to go deeper than physical level. We need to explore Emptiness to access abundant energy within us for fulfillment in life.

Existence is derived out of Emptiness. Emptiness is a volatile high-energy state, whereas Existence is a solidified low-energy state. Emptiness is formless, timeless and eternal. Existence is space and time-bound, holds weight and changes in form, referred to as a state of inertia. Being in Existence and trying to hold the characteristics of Emptiness is a gigantic task. Walking in Emptiness is like walking in uncharted unknown terrain. Not easy for everyone to tread this path. For so many people, this is next to impossible and so they choose to lead a mundane, mediocre life. Knowing well the nature of life that it will not make any effort to pursue Emptiness, the Emptiness has made a forceful connection between life and Emptiness, not in a painful but a pleasant way. This is what we enjoy every day as ‘Sleep’. Sleep is nothing but a process of getting in touch with that Emptiness as a natural process where we forget everything. Emptiness is the real recharger of our systems. Sleep is direct proof that life has emerged from Emptiness and will go back to Emptiness. If any land animal enters into water, it cannot stay in water for long. Once in a while, it has to stick its head out of the water in order to take a breath. Similarly, the entire existence is in the lap of Emptiness. Even if we come into existence and start being here, once in a while, we need to get back to Emptiness and take a breath there. Without such intermittent breaks, one cannot continuously engage in existence. A fully functioning, active and outwardly looking senses demand a lot of energy. As senses are the most energy demanding faculties, they drain out one’s energy quickly. So, to refuel the body, energy from food is required. But that alone is not enough. To fully recharge ones system, a touch of emptiness is required. So, nature has mandated this connect in the form of sleep. So an active person would need atleast 6-8 hours of sleep. In sleep, the senses and the body are withdrawn where in the body does not need to spend energy to sense, process and interpret the data. A lot of energy is saved and the body gets rejuvenated. Sleep is the common way in which everyone get in touch with Emptiness. But there are other ways to do so, ‘Meditation’. In sleep there is no awareness while in meditation one is fully awake and aware. Lord Vishnu is said to be in meditative state called as ‘Yoga Nidra’ (Yogic sleep), in which he is awake and watching all the worlds. In meditative condition, the body can sustain itself for a very long time without food or water. This has been proved by many yogis from India. The famous author of the epic Ramayana, Sage ‘Valmiki’, is a great example. He engrossed into deep meditation to such an extent that in the place where he sat ants formed ant hill around him. Ant hill is called ‘Valmik’ in Sanskrit. That is how he got his name. Time and again, many sages of India have proved this point that withdrawal of senses is possible and one can sit still for a long time without any external input. The same energy withdrawn from the senses transforms itself into awareness which operates with super efficiency. To draw an analogy in the physical world, a common man is like a normal train, whereas a yogi who can withdraw his senses at his will, is like a magnetic levitating train. In the case of a yogi, the energy efficiency is far higher because he is not in contact with the world but just gliding on it. In a normal worldly person, as there is a lot of contact with the world, goes through lot of friction and inefficiency. Where as for a yogi, there is no friction.

Moving from a low-energy state of Existence to a high-energy state of Emptiness requires a great deal of excitation. This transformation involves tremendous energy. But our life energy is very limited. With this limited energy, trying to understand and hold Emptiness in our life is like trying to hold an entire ocean in a spoon. How can one drive consciously, willingly and experientially in Emptiness? It is only possible by the grace and guidance of a Guru. In your day-to-day life, you face challenges in your job, marriage, family and relations. Imagine yourself not having any challenges in life. You may feel bored and become passive and lifeless. So, challenges help us explore our energies and empower others. We can draw the analogy of this process to that of a thermal power plant. The normal life challenges that you face are like heating the coal and thereby generating energy out of it. As you are driving your life based on physical, the challenges you face in that process generate limited energy like in thermal power. If you give your life to a Guru, he will take charge to steer and drive it towards Emptiness. He may subject you to more challenging situations than what you face in your regular life, with an intention to break your limitations and empower you. We refer to this process as ‘Sadhana’. Many people generally think that waking up early in the morning and doing yoga and Pranayam itself is Sadhana, it is only a small part. Sadhana implies offering oneself to Guru, being with him and taking up the challenges in the process. We can draw an analogy to that of a Nuclear power plant. Challenges one has to face are analogous to breaking the nucleus. The amount of energy generated in this process is enormous. As earlier referred, a one-inch Uranium pellet in a Nuclear plant can generate energy equivalent to one ton of coal in a thermal power plant.

Similarly, when the ego is, broken, enormous energy is generated within us. This is what we refer to as ‘Abundance’. Such an abundance is possible to be generated only by a Guru. He will know how to utilize the limited life energy in you to generate abundant energy and thereby empower and transform you. This can happen only with one’s willingness. So, in Indian culture, Guru is given the highest place in one’s life. In respect of this Guru parampara, ‘Guru Purnima’ is celebrated. A Guru is the embodiment of Emptiness. So a Guru always drives you towards Emptiness.

By listening to the word ‘Shoonya’, most of them get an image of a empty vessel or a hollow space equating it to ‘Emptiness’. But it is not so. It is not equivalanet to not containing or holding anything in its physical sense. It would be an injustice to the word ‘Shoonya’, to confine it to such ideas. It is such a refined state which the gross thought cannot grasp. It is infact a state of experience which is not bound or limited by anything. So, the state of Shoonya truely cannot be put it to words or thoughts. One has to get on the path of self experience, by unifying ones body and mind and entering the subtle dimensions of energy and witnessing the them. As one witness one will experience them and it becomes more intense and stable. As it intensifies, it enters in to our reality and creates a confusion as one can feel it is real and also as unreal. For many people, their experiences stop at this confusion of real vs unreal. Such a confusion is called as a Stithi (or state). When such Stithi (or state) is combined with our consciousness, then it leads to a state of completeness. Up on experiencing the completeness, one would get to ultimate bliss, and fearlessness and boundlessness. Then it leads to a state of oneness. The basis of this oneness, is nothing but infinite energy which is the highest of all, and is timeless, limitless and formless. It is this energy, that we refer to as ‘Shoonya’.

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