Why Does the Universe Seem Fine-Tuned for Life? This age-old question has puzzled scientists, philosophers, and seekers alike. Is it mere chance that the laws of nature appear so perfectly aligned to support life or is there a deeper design at play? In this Divine Talk article, we explore this cosmic curiosity through the timeless wisdom of Shirdi Sai Baba, whose parables gently dissolve illusions and point toward a greater understanding of existence, perception, and the nature of truth.
The Unseen Laws of the Universe
The night air was cool, carrying the scent of burning incense nearby. A lone traveller sat in deep thought inside the sacred Dwarakmai, his heart restless. The question weighed heavily on his mind.
“Are there universal truths beyond what we can perceive?” he whispered, staring at the flickering flame of the Dhuni a little far away in front of him.
A gentle voice, filled with warmth and knowing, broke the silence.
“Tell Me, child, do you believe the sky disappears when you close your eyes?”
The traveller turned quickly. Sitting beside him was none other than Shirdi Sai Baba, His gaze deep and kind, His presence as soothing as a river’s flow.
The traveller, overcome with devotion, folded his hands. “Baba… I have searched for answers, but my mind is clouded. How do I know if there are truths beyond my senses?”
Baba chuckled softly.
“Then let us take a journey, my child. But first, tell me, how much do you trust your senses?”
The Illusion of Perception
The traveller hesitated. “I trust them, Baba. After all, my senses help me understand the world.”
Baba smiled knowingly.
“And yet, child, tell me, does a blind man deny the sun’s existence because he cannot see it?”
The traveller shook his head.
“Good,” Baba said. “A dog hears sounds that escape human ears. Bees see colors that remain invisible to you. Your senses do not show you everything; they show you only what your mind can grasp. So if your perception is already incomplete in the physical world, how can it ever hope to measure the infinite?”
The traveller’s heart pounded. “Then… are you saying there are truths I cannot perceive?”
Baba nodded.
“Not only truths, My child, but unchanging laws, hidden yet present, like the wind that moves the trees. Would you like to see them?”
The Unseen Order
Baba reached down and drew a spiral in the sand.
“Have you seen this shape before?”
The traveller nodded. “Yes, Baba. In the spirals of seashells… in the way galaxies form… even in the petals of flowers.”
“Ah,” Baba said. “You see, but do you understand? This pattern is not random, it follows a sequence, one that appears again and again, from the smallest seed to the largest star. It is the hidden order of the universe, a law that existed before you, before Me, before even time itself.”
The traveller gasped. “Mathematics?”
Baba nodded.
“Numbers like π (Pi) and the Fibonacci sequence are not inventions, they are discoveries. They exist whether or not man perceives them. Just like gravity. Just like time. Whether you believe in them or not, they continue to govern existence.”
The traveller sat in stunned silence.
The Flatlander’s Dilemma
Baba picked up a small wooden plank and placed a stone upon it.
“Now, child, imagine a world where only two dimensions exist, a world like this wooden board. The beings in this world, let’s call them Flatlanders, can move forward, backwards, left, and right. But they have no concept of ‘up’ or ‘down.’ To them, those directions do not exist.”
“I understand, Baba,” the traveller said.
“Good. Now, imagine a sphere passing through their world. What will the Flatlanders see?”
The traveller thought for a moment. “Not a sphere… they will only see a dot, then a growing circle, then a shrinking one, and finally, nothing.”
Baba clapped His hands joyfully. “Exactly! They cannot perceive the full sphere, only the part that intersects their world. To them, a sphere is an impossible thing. But the truth is not that the sphere does not exist, the truth is that they lack the senses to perceive it.”
The traveller’s mind reeled. “Baba… are we like the Flatlanders?”
Baba’s eyes shone with wisdom.
“Yes, My child. You experience only a sliver of reality, mistaking it for the whole. You call it truth because it is all you have ever known. But what if there is more?”
The Wisdom of the Saints
The traveller’s heart swelled with devotion.
“Then how do we see beyond, Baba?”
Baba’s voice softened.
“Through inner experience, child. The Upanishads say, ‘That which cannot be seen, but by which the eye sees, know That alone as Brahman.’ And Rumi tells us, ‘The truth was a mirror in the hands of God. It fell and broke into pieces. Everyone took a piece and thought they had the whole.’”
“The world is like that shattered mirror. Each person holds a fragment, believing it to be complete. But the truth is whole, beyond fragments. And to see it, one must go beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond even the self.”
The traveller’s eyes filled with tears. “Then what should I do, Baba?”
Baba gazed at him with infinite compassion.
“Do not seek truth as if it is outside of you. It is not hidden, it is only veiled. When the dust settles, the mirror shines. Still, your mind, open your heart, and the truth will reveal itself.”
The Answer
The traveller sat in silence, absorbing Baba’s words.
The truth is not bound by senses, it is beyond them. Like the Flatlanders who cannot perceive the full sphere, we, too, only see a fragment of reality. Mathematics, physics, and ancient wisdom all point to the existence of higher laws, unchanging and eternal. The way to understand them is not by looking outward, but by looking within, beyond perception, beyond thought, beyond self.
A Final Thought
If everything you have ever known is only a fraction of a greater truth…
Would you dare to awaken?
Source: Sai Tatva E-Magazine Authored by Murali P K
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