GOD, SCIENCE and THE UNIVERSE - A Comment on ND TV Big Fight - DT 07 07 2012

GOD, SCIENCE & THE UNIVERSE

(A Comment on ND TV Big Fight)

CAN SCIENCE DEFINE GOD?

CONFLICT BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION

ND TV  conducts its BIG FIGHT PROGRAM very interestingly – and I do love the program - but then, it often ends up with either NO ANSWERS or HALF ANSWERS or more confusion – because of  TIME SCARCITY – and of course, scarcity of the totality that is required for the right answers to emerge. 

What is of interest in these programs is - the sparks of info which come from the speakers (or fighters!) - though without conclusions - and the way, ND TV steers the BIG FIGHT beautifully.

The same was true of the BIG FIGHT PROGRAM on the 7^th July night. Very respected names were there to bring their views on the subject to the fore. Christianity was there. Different branches of modern sciences were there. A Scientist turned Swamiji was there from the Ramakrishna Mutt. And, there was the re-doubtable Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. A Buddhist Monk would have added some more meaning to the discussion. But there wasn’t any. 

Others who could have added more confusion – were not there. It was therefore a Big Fight among small numbers – with limited time – and a deep unwillingness – sorry to say this – to arrive at TRUTH. Everybody wanted to make his point – not to KNOW something more. 

I AM RIGHT. All of you ARE WRONG. That was the under current.

What took Buddha several decades of search – was sought to be debated and finalized in about 40 minutes. What the Great ancient Rishis sought to understand in thousands of years – was sought to be understood in an instant. And, it was bound to end in failure. Yes. It predictably did.

Who said, the ancient Rishis were not scientists? Each one of them was a Scientist. India had great sciences – right from the beginning. Many of these sciences are not available to us today. Not that they are not available at all on earth. Just a few like Yoga and Ayurveda survive to some extent today.

Christianity rejects Yoga – without even trying and without even understanding. It thinks Yoga is another religion. But, many in western countries are taking up Yoga, at least the physical part of it – in a Big way. Many Indian sciences having nothing to do with RELIGION. But, their originators were GREAT RISHIS. 

What is absolute scientific knowledge in the hands of a Scientist (or RISHI)– becomes a mere belief system in the hands of the average non-scientist (NON-RISHI) – and then, becomes an absolute superstition in the hands of a fool. But, the thing works for all three at their respective levels in different ways.

I have commented on the Higgs Boson Particle in my earlier Blog Post. While commending the huge success of the scientists involved in this discovery – I have also said a few of the following things.

Higgs Boson is not the ultimate, tiniest particle. Any particle is invariably made up of tinier parts – it has to be so by the very nature of matter or even energy - and one day, we will discover tinier particles in the Higgs Boson too. This search into the micro level is as endless as the search into the macro level. There are  bigger units than Galaxies at the macro level and tinier units within the Higgs Boson particles.

The five senses – coordinated by the mind – can only see or experience within their competence level – and nothing beyond that. If you put on spectacles, your eye can see better. See through a microscope – your eye can see even better. There is no end to this ‘even better’. At some point, your eye doesn’t see the darned thing at all. In the eye of the small ant – you will now see the Higgs boson particle. Extend your reach better – you will see a huge world within the Boson particle too. Yet, what sees it - is not the instrument – it is still your eye and who perceives it is YOU. If these don’t work – you see nothing at all.

What makes them work – what makes YOU perceive is – intelligence. Find out where that intelligence resides? It would be absolute stupidity to say that it resides in the human brain only. It resides in the tiny seed, which knows how to suck water, nutrients etc, grow into a plant, and then, into a tree, and then make flowers and fruits. It resides in the tiniest insect, which reproduces its community from itself in much the same way –as the human being does. 

Copulation is not what we have discovered – it is what we are induced into – by an intelligence which is all around us. Who ensures that there is a reasonable balance in the proportion of men and women on earth? Why not produce only men? Why not only women? Why not?

We know how a sperm and egg unite. But why? Do we know THAT? 

Science answers always HOW. But, beyond the most superficial level – it cannot answer WHY? Why does BOSON particle do what it does? It gives Mass. Fine. But, why?

There is a huge intelligence all around us – and within us – that ensures matters such as this. We do not know yet how this cosmic intelligence functions.

Much of the creation on earth depends on Sun light. Much of the activity on earth depends on moon light and star light too. Without Sun and Moon, there can be no human life on earth. Nor, any other life.

The whole solar family along with other stars in the Milky way – is on a endless cosmic journey – and none of us have an iota of an idea – to where! So, the scientists’ Journey into the outer cosmos – will be an endless, exasperating journey. We will be discovering things like an unknown star or a huge star disappearing into nothingness. This scientific Journey will lead humanity nowhere – despite all discoveries.

It is the same thing in our scientific travel into the Micro level Universe – into the molecules, into the atom, into the sub-atomic particles, into the sub-sub atomic particles, into the sub-sub-sub atomic particles and so on.

At any point of time – even after a billion years of human existence from now – we will not be knowing 100 percent - either about one single atom or one single sub atomic particle at the Micro level or about a galaxy at the Macro level. We will never know hundred percent about anything!

This knowledge acquisition is no different from acquisition of wealth. You won’t be satisfied with any amount of wealth – or any amount of knowledge. But, there is something which is hugely satisfying to us. That, unfortunately - is beyond the modern method of scientific exploration.

Now, the question is – is the scientific exploration the purpose of life? Or is at least a useful hobby? 

Some say – there is no purpose to LIFE  at all. It was said so, by some in the BIG FIGHT. Life is a chance, they say. So, there is no purpose. If human being is purposeless – why scientific exploration at all? Is it also not purposeless?

I will acquire lot of knowledge – and then I will die! Why? Instead, why should I not enjoy the whole life – and then die? It is more satisfying. An Einstein or Freud lived purposeless lives – by the above definitions – if life itself is purposeless. The Boson Particle must also be equally purposeless! If Life is purposeless and is happening by just chance, everything else is happening by sheer chance! The Boson happened to be there by sheer chance!

It is time – that we all accept that LIFE and CREATION did not possibly happen the way these are mentioned in Vedas or Bible or other religious Books. It also did not happen by the BIG BANG. This theory is unscientific and meaningless. Kindly see the blog post on Boson particle – why this is so.

I am curious to see the Swamiji from Ramakrishna Mutt mentioning about RIGVEDA being 6000 years old. Lord Krishna lived about 5500 years ago. The Gita is there as proof. Lord Rama must have lived much earlier. The Saptarshis must have originated much, much earlier. Why does the Mutt buy the western argument that Vedas are only 6000 years Old? 6000 years before, there was no need to write anything on paper. That was why they were called Sruthis. But why not 60,000 years or 6,00,000 years – as their age? Our past is mysterious and hoary. We are not even trying to find what is there in the Dwaraka remains under water. So, how do we find the vedic days? 

Later came the Upanishads – which are extraordinary pieces of scientific enquiry into the nature of man, life, creation, and God. The Mahavakyas from Vedas from the basis for Upanishads – but that’s all. The Upanishads lead us into a highly scientific enquiry. They contain all streams of modern religious and irreligious thought and then arrive at startling findings. If Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jain and other religious philosophies existed at that time, they too would have been examined, at length before arriving at these findings. They were the men with the best scientific spirit of all time. They did examine all possible angles in matters relating to the self, wisdom, God, creation and so on.

At the end – what do they say – 

Aham  Brahma asmi - I am the Brahman. (For You – You are)-yajurveda -  Brihadaranyaka upanishad

Ayam atma Brahma – The self is Brahman – from athrava veda – Mandukya upanishad

Prajnanaam Brahma -wisdom is Brahman – from Rigveda-Aitherya upanishad

Thath thvam asi (That thou art) – meaning - what you seek is Your self – sama veda – Chandogya Upanishad

Where is God anywhere in these Mahavakyas? It is I, or YOU who is the focus. Know Yourself. This is of utmost importance. Much more important than knowing God. 

Hinduism, if you want to give it such a name – is this. But exploring the self is a difficult process for one strong reason. All of our five senses and our Mind are turned towards the outer world by their very nature – and,  we can’t easily redirect them inward. But there are ways. We must adopt those ways. When you find yourself in that way – somewhere on the way – you would have found God too – but he is not important – YOU ARE.

For people not capable of this exploration, God will help. The God can be Siva, Vishnu, Ehova or give him any name. It is for you to name him. God never said, this is my name. It is another path. It is also fine. Now – why do you worship a thousand weird Idols? Why not? Why not see the God everywhere? Some people need to see God in all weird shapes – before they can accept all creation as embodiment of the same creator. So, why not? 

At the end – let us see where we stand. All these discussions (like the 40 minute one in Big Fight) have happened among Rishis for hundreds of years with EXTREME HONESTY, from all possible angles. So, we don’t need to re-invent the wheel. Study them. If you don’t want to,  it is your choice. If you are on the wrong train – you don’t reach your destination. You reach some other. If you want to reach the right destination, follow the right path. The Yogic and the upanishadic path is for seekers of truth – not for mere believers. Yes. Some amount of belief is needed – as starting point.  But, all the way – especially in the yogic way – you will find proof of everything that you want to know. It takes you on an absolutely logical, but, difficult path. And, there are great REWARDS all the way.

If you want to experience GOD right here on earth – You can. But, if you are content to see him after death in heaven (or Hell), it is entirely up to you. Just as you can’t drink water with your skin or eyes and you have to drink with your mouth – you can define and experience GOD in the yogic or upanishadic way – but not in modern scientific way – which can define matter and nothing else.

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