The Universe, a vacuum of infinite space; no dimensions: no breadth, length, width, and therefore, no distances within itself. But it has mass, consisting of what only mankind, as far is known on our planet, has attempted to measure: what he has named 'elements', of which he has kept a record, and named the "periodic table", wherein he makes corrections, additions, subtractions, as at different times, he discovers, rediscovers, or if his understanding demands, alters.
An infinite number of atoms move randomly, both in the vacant space as well as the moving structured masses which come together or spread asunder, get farther and farther away, till the source of their energy expires by burning, by atomizing, or perishing of any other sort, from any other source or sources. This is a ceaseless process of creation and destruction, almost definitely devoid of conscious life. One exception, though: us. Mankind. The only other forms of life that we, Mankind, know, despite our countless attempts to discover, in this vast arena of colliding atoms forming bodies which form larger bodies, which form galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and endless other names which we, Mankind, have given to these objects, often altered as often as obliterated, and again re-invented anew, are plants and animals, which are not conscious of their existence. Therefore, although they are life forms, even if the only other life-forms that we know, apart from ourselves, as they are not aware that they are life-forms, and that they are born, and that they exist, and they will die, essentially, the dissertation has to be on what man knows, ignorantly thought he knew, till he knew better, and continued this process of knowing, negating, reinventing.
So, coming back to the stuff of the universe, in an infinite space, it has an infinite number of atoms moving randomly, till they collide, fall apart, disintegrate into many other parts, but at no time backward or forward, remaining constant, neither diminishing nor increasing. The universe, therefore, is a constant, and the mass in it, no matter how scattered or assembled, is also another constant. This is a ceaseless process of creation and destruction, colliding, hooking together, forming complex structures, breaking apart again. The important thing here is, that this scheme of things under which this entire process processes itself, is not pre-ordained or consciously planned by some creature, some authority (most human beings have found a convenient word for this non-existent authority: creator, god, of one kind or another; totally inconsistent, unruly, without justification for being the object of worship that would stand the course of litigation in the tiniest court).
As far as our knowledge goes, so far, we are the only conscious creatures who can look up at the day/night sky (both being relative concepts, and not actual reality, as in the universe there is neither day nor night).
We marvel, given the scientific mind that we are endowed with, perhaps even cursed with, as perhaps blessed with, relatively speaking, we are not seeing the handiwork of gods in the zillions of dots, spheres, twinkling, disappearing, re-appearing, from our transient world; we are part of the same material, from the elements of which we are also made.
There is no master-plan, no divine architect, no intelligent design; all things, including the spaces to which we belong, have evolved over vast stretches of time and space. This evolution is not part of a design, but completely, totally, absolutely, random, although, in the case of living organisms on our home planet, we have discovered a principal of natural selection; that, zillions of species are only suited to survive and reproduce successfully, and endure on our home planet. Within varying limits of time; those that are not so well-suited, perish rapidly and progressively, or mutate. Nothing from our own species to the planet on which we live to the sun that lights our days or when not, nights, lasts forever, or will. Only the atoms will, with or without the aid of the substance which produces life: DNA, Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
Having described the universe as above, and the way it is constituted, there is no reason to think that Earth or its inhabitants occupy a central place, no reason to set humans apart from all other animals, (except in the matter of consciousness in man that he exists, that he was born, and that he would die, which knowledge the other life-forms that we know of, plant and animal, are blissfully deprived of).
In a universe so constituted, there are no gods to bribe or appease, no place for religious fanaticism, no justification for dreams of limitless power or perfect security, no rationale for wars of conquest or self-aggrandizement, no possibility of triumphing over nature, no escape from the constant making and unmaking and remaking of forms.
This is what human beings should grasp, but will not, because they cannot divest themselves of the vanity of their own existence, and therefore, again, they would pursue incrementally, whatever they are pursuing, even in their own aggrandizement, believing that they would continue to last, survive, because they invent and they are ingenious, they will always find a way, by hook or by crook, murder, war, strife, and untruths.
It is not easy to carry the burden of this knowledge; it is far easier to believe and to conform to the ignorance that you encounter, and which surrounds you, socially, amicably or inimically. Is it any wonder that I am very tired?
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