A lyric from Tagore’s Geetibitan declares that a person does not cease to exist after death. He/ she keeps on reappearing with a new name, new face, new identity., oblivious to the attention of persons around. This is an expression of our aspiration of universal existence (immortality). The same lyric identifies person in the surroundings.

I have been exposed to diverse influences at various stages during the course of my living. These influences have shaped me. One cannot say as to which influence started when and ceased at what stage. I wonder if any of them has ceased or each of them, acquired at different times, is still operative subtly.

I learnt that life has a material basis It is sustained by constant input and transformation of energy. Protoplasm is the physical basis of life. Life cannot exist independent of it. I learnt that life originated on the earth from inanimate particles and energy by a process known as abiogenesis. during the gradual chemical evolution, of particles that contain carbon in the primordial soup. When matter attained a unique organised state, configuration and orientation, it acquired the characteristics which are identified as living features. That signalled the birth of Life.

I learnt that a living cell is a miniscule structure which is in reality a complex and intricate network of a number of organelles.. It has a structured membrane which separates and connects it at the same time from its surroundings. Each of the organelles are also bound by a similar membrane.

A visit to the inside of a living cell reminds one of the mythical battlefield of Kurukshetra. In the battlefield Arjun was blessed with the darshan of the universe in the oral cavity of Shree Krishna. He was dumbfounded. It was described by the sage Vyas as the darshan of VIRAT in Sukshma. (Cosmos in miniscule).

A living cell functions as a complex and autonomous network of self driven organelles. Living state is such a delicate organization that it is maintained by a constant and uninterrupted intake of energy combined with exchange of matter from its environment. There are several chains of chemical transformations in specific cell organelles which are coordinated in a way so that the intermediate and end products of an organelle serves as raw materials of another organelle Simultaneously it has to be in sync with its environment. The living body modifies its environment and is modified by its environment. The two have a mutual relationship. I have come to believe in the doctrine of evolution of species. Man has appeared on the planet in the latest stage of this phenomenon. Diverse animals and plants, as manifested in the Biological kingdom, have appeared by the process of evolution over a long period.

The interaction between organism and its environment may cause competition or cooperation between organisms leading to evolution of species. Widely accepted Charles Darwin’s theory of “Natural Selection” emphasizes competition whereas Lamarckism stresses the importance of cooperation among the various components of the ecosystem. His theory is understood in the backdrop of the harmonious relationship prevailing in the ecosystem. Recent advances in the field of quantum physics corroborate the role of environmental inputs on the functioning of genes. Our genes are constantly being remodeled in response to life experiences. This implies that our perception of life shape our biology.

Organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on earth to form a synergistic self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.The whole planet is considered to be one living, breathing organism, which needs to be protected from human greed, ignorance and poor planning.

I learnt that organisms can not be considered without their environment. From a formal point of view the two may be regarded as equivalent phases between which dynamic contact is maintained by the membranes that separate and link them.There is a continuum between living and nonliving and it is pointless to draw a line across it.

The Continuum has been a mystery. Remaining aware of it together with being respectful to it is sprituality. Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all. It has a omnipotent presence. It is a song with rhythm that connects you with eternity. Mystics, Scientists and others have been trying to interpret and understand the music since the dawn of civilization.