Infinity in Life
Thursday January 20 2005 08:32 IST
By Karmayogi
In the very beginning
of creation, there was Infinity and Eternity, says the scriptures. God is
described as an infinite Being living eternally. Mathematics says that the
Infinite does not increase or decrease. The Infinite multiplied by any number,
say ten, remains Infinite. Even when the Infinite is divided by ten, it remains
Infinite. It is an important concept in mathematics.
Spiritually too, the Infinite is equally important. Infinite minus Infinite
equals Infinite is the dictum of the Upanishads. The Gita puts it as,
‘‘It moves not, but it is always ahead of you.'' Again,
the Gita says, ‘‘It is indivisible. It is there in the divisible
things undivided.'' Sri Aurobindo ascribes to Infinity, the concept
of it, the most significant value in life.
I call it the Practical Concept of Infinity. It means Infinity that is so
important to spirituality and mathematics is ever-present in life. In other
words, one who realises this truth in life will have the power to multiply
things in life infinitely, as akshayapatram produced endless quantities of
food. Kamadhenu, says the Puranas, emanated limitless objects. Krishna, who ate one little
particle of rice from Draupadi's pot, filled the stomachs of all the
sages who came to her as guests. We see the human mind possessing such a
capacity, a capacity that is infinite. From the stone tools of the primitive
man to the latest scientific gadgets, their number is countless. Out of this
Mind of ours emanated hundreds of subjects starting from the earliest poetry to
the latest demography. How many thousands of languages has this Mind given
birth to?
Someone wanted to buy a notebook. Without his expressing his desire, in a few
days he received more than eleven notebooks. In his own sphere, his mind
exhibited a capacity that is unusual. Should he realise the truth of the
Infinite in life, everything he does will so multiply. Even if he believes in
this Truth, life will give him more than he asks for. This faith in Infinity
carried to the consciousness of the body makes the body immortal. In the life
of Mother's devotees, it expresses as:
1) abridgement of Time, 2) raising the level of one's work, and 3) making
the end result available at the beginning. A bank officer received three
promotions in three years. One who unsuccessfully bid for a dealership was
awarded the Directorship of the manufacturing company. Infinity working in the
life of a finite man is abridged by his Personality. What ultimately prevails
in Man is his Personality, as the pot immersed in the sea cannot take in more
than its volume.