A photon is full of infinite possibilities. It may become a part of the food produced by the chlorophyll present in the cells of a plant. It may be absorbed by the solar panel on a home's roof, illuminating the home at night. It may be absorbed by the ocean, helping a water molecule rise to the ocean's surface and form a cloud. It may also reach the Moon's surface, helping illuminate the night of Purnima and inspiring poets to compose poems praising the Moon's beauty. It may also come out of the atoms in abundance when an atomic bomb is thrown on a city and may devastate the whole of the city.
Would the photon ever feel pain or pleasure in any of the situations? No. But the same consciousness, when it takes the form of an atom or molecule? Probably there is no pain or pleasure even then. Integration and disintegration occur either randomly or cyclically. Stardust keeps forming new stars, and the old stars disintegrate. We see it in objects rusting, which means that iron atoms form bonds with oxygen atoms. Every day when we eat food, the molecules in the food break down and are converted into water and CO2. The process appears to be quite devoid of pain or pleasure.
Then, why do we experience pain and pleasure? All the atoms and molecules in our bodies share the same genesis, too. Then why do we feel pain when part of our body is injured? Why do we feel pain when somebody hurts our self-respect? Why do we feel pain when there is a break-up in a relationship? Probably because the body is designed genetically to maintain its equilibrium, and the feeling of pain is nothing but a warning signal. When we get a cut on a body part, the neurons in that part of the skin send warning signals to the brain so that we can take action and get it stitched. When we get a bad viral infection, we get a headache and body aches, so we attend to it and get rid of it by taking medicine. We feel pain when somebody hurts our self-respect because we feel vulnerable. We feel that someone has entered our very personal space and crossed the line, and that's tantamount to a verbal attack. We feel pained in a broken relationship because that relationship made us feel secure earlier. The pain stems from the realisation that the same security no longer exists.
But the fundamental question still remains unanswered. Why does the photon not feel pain and pleasure, while we do? We used to play Ludo in our childhood. We would be happy when we were winning and sad when we were losing. Sometimes, suddenly, our parents would come, and we would finish the game in a hurry. In a minute or so, the pain or pleasure that existed while we were playing the game would disappear. We have regained awareness of being a player. While playing the game, we also had that awareness, but we were so lost in it that the pleasure or pain of winning or losing overpowered that realisation. Probably we took joy in winning, and that's why the pain of losing came naturally. We created one artificial division to get the thrill of winning, and the pain of losing followed. What if we had been enjoying the similar thrill of "becoming", "achieving", and "enjoying"? It's just a matter of time before we "fail to become", "fail to achieve", or "feel bored". Naturally, the opposite will be painful. The degree of pain will depend upon the intensity of pleasure. But the awareness of being a player can stay with us all the time, and we may play the game, not for winning or losing, but to explore our potential, to play to the best of our capacity, with no expectation of winning and no fear of losing.
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