Bīja literally means ‘seed’, in the sense of ‘germ of life’. Thus this law of Bīja Niyāma, is essentially the law that governs the growth of organic life…from the smallest germ to the birth and growth of higher beings.
When some small particle of matter, surrounded by a medium of water which is neither too hot nor too cold and neither too stagnant nor too fast moving, is itself coming to a condition wherein earth, water, movement and temperature are so highly balanced, that they form a unified whole capable to resist the surrounding elements, a new variety of matter arises.
This new matter, although being able to resist the surrounding matter, exists yet entirely in dependence of it. Thus, it gets continuously moved by the forces that surround it.
Yet, slowly, as this matter adopts or imitates those movements, those movements too begin to function for an increasing momentum of time, more and more independently. And with that certain internal mechanisms evolve, which with time begin to function longer and longer by themselves. This becomes the first living matter, that is matter, which possess a certain self-initiation
Now initially these internal movements will be only short lasting and then a further external impulse will be needed again, which is bringing with it also, new material needed to maintain its stability. Yet, slowly even that becomes an acquisition of the new matter, that it acquires the capacity to use its own movement to draw in new material as its energy source, only when needed.
In a stable environment, myriad of such particles may form. And as the forces of the environment are more hostile than those particles of a like kind, being in contact with those other particles works itself out as a more preferable condition. Thus being not anymore surrounded on all sides by forces that quickly can turn into a threat, allows for further improvement of stability of all the particles connected. Slowly there arise particle groups that more and more function as a singular entity. Now energy is not just drawn in and kept in each particle, but is exchanged and moved around within the group. Thus cell colonies form and with time become the first tissue like matters.
Gradually, not only do particles attract each other, but equally so develop these tissues mutual interactions and thus relations with each other. By that slowly, ever more complex entities develop. Cells develop into cell-colonies, cell colonies into tissues, tissues into plants and as plants are becoming ever more elaborate and lasting, they reach such a stage of aliveness and complexity that entirely new faculties develop in them. Thus, certain such entities develop more complex forms of sensing material that they with equally growing skill learn to draw in, transform into energy and assimilate into their bodily structure.
Then also, with the increase in energy in each particle, the internal life (and movement) increases too. And as that life starts overflowing, when its own limit of growth is for the most part reached, it brings forth another life akin to itself. This then becomes the way, not only of individual particles, but equally so of the steadily complex growing structures.
The growth of energy and stability slowly also allows for making faster and further movements in order to seek beyond the mere immediate surrounding matter for sources of nutriment. Thus develop worms, sea-stars, the first simple insects and various other simple build animals, whose internals are often made up of hardly more than a simple digestive tract and some muscle like structures to move.
With time, new organs form. A heart allows energy to be moved around the whole body, although some species living in water may be able to entirely rely on the tides of sea water to both move themselves as well as to move food and energy around in their body. An evolving nervous system allows for more complex movements and sense-reactions. And an evolving brain allows for better control and coordination of the senses, more complex behaviour patterns towards what is perceived by the senses and the management of the organism as a whole. Then also other organs evolve, such as liver and lungs, which allow for a much greater refinement of the bodily energy and the transformation of more varying material into such refined energy. This more refined energy then in turn allows for even greater refinement of the bodily organs especially the brain, as well as for greater skills and capacities of the organism or entity as a whole. Thus a mechanism of mutuality assures a generally continuous forward movement in the direction of improvement. Wherein greater skill of the entity to acquire food and security assures a better working of the internal organs, which in turn allows for further improvements of its skills.
Then, as the brain becomes more elaborate, the evolving entity not only becomes better in assuring its own immediate survival, but learns to coordinate its actions with beings of the same species, both to assure greater levels of security, as well as to easier follow its instinct of reproduction. Thus evolves another type of entity, that is, a herd or family or tribe.
Similar to the cells of a cell-colony or tissue, or the organs making up a body, the members of a herd, family or tribe are sharing material, exchange energy, as well as develop more specialised tasks which get divided amongst the members.
With time, most of the members of the group are becoming specialized in some particular field. So will, similar to the brain in the body or even the nucleus in a cell, some entity become established as the ruling or governing entity. Other parts will have to fulfill tasks related to supplying the whole group with nutriment. Again others will be charged with seeing to it, that the group or body is kept clean from things that endanger its continuation or wellfare.
Yet, usually in a well governed body or group, there then evolves anther type of entity, which is fulfilling a task, that in itself is quite unrelated to the physical functions of the body or group. It is an entity which has become specially charged (that is, temporarily synchronized) by something altogether outside of the group (and the groups interests). And indeed outside the whole law of organic life as a whole. Their activity and function will only become clear when treating a further law later on.
Families grow into tribes, tribes grow into states, states grow into countries, and so there arise more and more complex entities out of simpler entities
Therein too, (it is usually that) some family or tribe is developing some specialized support (upa-nissaya), that is, some skill or technology which also is of use to the members of other groups. Thus may some village or tribe, develop some way to form out of lumbs of clay, a vessel which allows for a much longer storage of food, or out of some long poles of wood, some structure, which can protect the whole family or tribe from rain or wind. While some other village or tribe develops some tool for digging up eatable plant roots or some skill to knit dried grass into a mat or basket…and the two tribes seeing the benefit for each other, develop close relations, which with time, too make two or more entities slowly function as one.
Yet, while beings or groups of beings, similar to the more simple entities, may easily become attracted towards whatever supports or affirms their life and identity, they may equally easily become repelled or repelling towards what does not. Thus develop bonds and friendships as well as enemies and animosities. And thus it also comes about, that complex or simple entities not only develop skills and technologies that support their own life, but also such as can repel what is a threat to it.
But however well even a civilization can both support itself, as well as repel what is a threat to it, although it will survive an almost infinite amount of cells, a great many generations of people, and may see the rise and fall of many cities, its vitality will in the end equally fade and dissipate, becoming the nourishing ground for what comes after.
However, while civilization advances, there comes into play more and more a yet other law.
