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Easy Journey to Other Planets
Nonbelievers put forward their own theories of the creation which usually result in statements such as, “It’s hard to understand.” “Our imagination cannot conceive it, but it’s quite possible.” “It’s incomprehensible,” and so forth. This only means that their information has no authoritative basis and is not backed by scientific data. They simply speculate. However, authorized information is available in the  Bhagavad-gītā . For instance, the  Gītā  informs us that within the material world there are living beings whose duration of life covers 4,300,000 x 1,000 x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years. We accept the  Gītā  as authority because this book of knowledge was so accepted by India’s great sages like Śaṅkarācārya, Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Madhvācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and so on. The  Gītā  indicates that in the material world all component forms are subject to decay and death, regardless of their duration of life.
Therefore all material shapes are subject to the law of change, although potentially the material energy is conserved. Potentially, everything is eternal, but in the material world matter takes shape, remains for some time, develops into maturity, grows old, begins to dwindle and at last disappears again. This is the case with all material objects. The materialist’s suggestion that beyond the material sky there is “some other form” which is beyond the boundary of visibility and which is strange and inconceivable is but a faint indication of the spiritual sky. However, the basic principle of spirit is much closer—for it functions within all living beings. When that spiritual principle is out of the material body, then the mate-
Anti-material Worlds
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rial body has no life. Within the body of a child, for instance, the spiritual principle is present, and therefore changes take place in the body and it develops. But if the spirit leaves the body, the development stops. This law is applicable to every material object. Matter transforms from one shape to another when it is in contact with spirit. Without spirit there is no transformation. The entire universe develops in that way. It emanates from the energy of the transcendence because of the spiritual force which is His, and it develops into gigantic forms like the sun, moon, earth, etc. There are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, and although they are all different in dimension and quality, the same principle of development holds true for all. The spiritual force is the creator, and by this spiritual principle only, transformation, transition and development take place.
Life is definitely not generated simply by a material reaction like chemical combination, as many foolish men claim. Material interaction is set in motion by a superior being who creates a favorable circumstance to accommodate the spiritual living force. The superior energy handles matter in an appropriate way—as determined by the free will of the spiritual being. For example, building materials do not automatically “react” and suddenly assume the shape of a residential house. The living spiritual being handles matter appropriately by his free will and thus constructs his house. Similarly, matter is the ingredient only, but the spirit is the creator. Only a man with a poor fund of knowledge avoids this conclusion. One should not be illusioned simply by the gigantic form