Beyond Relativity and Evolution

Note: This article is meant for intellectuals only

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,

[This topic is for scientists, philosophers and intellectuals for whom a slow patient reading is recommended. Swami jokes that this topic is hard topic for digestion and can be considered as a costly vegetarian dish for the rich intellectuals. The other easy topics are like easily digestible cheap vegetarian dishes meant for common man!]

Q.What is the difficulty in explaining the process of creation?

[Mr. Anil Antony asked: Swami, a scientist says, “What is the difficulty in explaining the process of creation? The evolution theory proposed by Darwin explains it very well.”]

Swami replied: The main aspect in the theory of evolution proposed by Darwin is that any organ is developed to meet a need. Similarly, any organ is suppressed when the need disappears. In the case of a man, the tail disappeared since its use was not there due to the efficiency improved in the hands in driving away the flies. Therefore, evolution based on need is the real guiding factor in the case of living beings. Even in the spiritual field, the same basic concept is maintained. When some people found out that the happiness could be obtained through their own materialistic effects, the need for God disappears and therefore, the concept of devotion is suppressed. Such people have become atheists. The so called theists exhibit overdevelopment of devotion related to the existence of God, basically due to the same requirement of need to take the help of God in their materialistic efforts to derive happiness in the world. Such need-based devotion is spontaneous and natural. Spiritual preachers based on such need-based devotion can enjoy the spontaneous propagation of their knowledge and fame. But such need-based devotion is not true love to God and therefore, God is displeased with it. The real devotion, which pleases God, is only reverse of this, which is the development of devotion in absence of any need from God. Such type of true devotion is opposite to the above spontaneous and natural devotion and therefore, a special hectic effort (sadhana) is needed. Only a qualitative minority in the world can appreciate the spiritual preachers based on such devlopment of true devotion. Therefore, a true spiritual preacher will not aspire for fame of the majority, which is not actually possible. The natural tendency existing in the theory of evolution is inherent to the living beings and hence, need based devotion appeared in the spiritual field also without any effort.

The theory of evolution proposed by Darwin is confined to living beings only. If you consider the evolution of the entire cosmos, Einstein’s theories are also to be considered. The science says that the cosmic energy in the state of invisible waves of high frequency is in space itself. The special theory of relativity proves that the space bends around the object and this shows that the space is nothing but finest form of energy. Hence, there is nothing like nothing (vacuum) even according to the latest science. Such space is the first primordial energy in the subtlest form and this is called as akasha. The visible effects of the primordial energy like light etc., are denoted by the word Agni. Vayu (air), apah (liquid) and prithvi (solid) represent the matter in the three states. From these five elements, the life is evolved, which is the plant kingdom (Prithivyah oshadhayah… Veda). Gradually, the animal kingdom with the latest human being is evolved. This represents the energy, matter and awareness, which are gradually evolved one after the other. Such evolution is mentioned in the Vedas (Akashat vayuh). Since the visible energy like light is produced after the existence of atoms only, the primordial energy, the gaseous state in which the atoms and molecules move freely and the visible energy like light are produced in sequence as per the Veda (Vayoragnih). The final conclusion is that energy (primordial), matter and awareness are produced in sequence. Since the nervous energy or awareness is produced from the inert energy functioning in the nervous system by oxidation of oxygen gas, the gradual production of awareness from energy and matter is justified in the Veda as well as in the theory of evolution in science. The formation of matter from energy is clearly proved by Einstein through the law of equivalence of mass and energy. Therefore, the theory of evolution proposed by Darwin associated with the Einstein’s theories will certainly prove the evolution of universe from the energy or space in sequential manner. But, the Veda mentions one more item indicated by the word Atman as the ultimate cause from which the primordial energy or space was generated (Atmana akashah… Veda). You cannot say that the word Atman means awareness here, because, awareness (purushah) is mentioned as the third generated product in the chain of evolution. A generated product in the chain cannot be the first ultimate cause.

The scientist may say that there is no necessity of the word Atman as the ultimate cause because the meaning of the word Atman can neither be energy, nor matter, and nor the awareness because these three items are already existing in the world. Moreover, energy, matter and awareness are visible items in the light of development of advanced electronic equipments. Even the awareness is visible, which is in the form of waves propagating in the nerves found by the latest instruments. Even the Gita says this that awareness or soul can be seen by scholars (pashyanti jnanachakshushah). Therefore, the meaning of the word Atman must be unimaginable item, which is not the object of senses, mind, intelligence and even sharp logical analysis (Na chakshushah, aprapya manasa, na medhaya, naisha tarkena… Veda). The best word that can be used to mean such unimaginable object is “wordless” (Ashabda mavyayam… Veda). A negative word like Parabrahman can also be used, which means that which is not Brahman. But the word Atman is used, which means the awareness that is pervading all over the human body (sarvam shariram atati iti atma). This word means awareness along with its property of pervasion. An independent existence of awareness pervading the space is not available and hence, the awareness pervading in a human body alone should be taken. If you take simply the awareness pervading all over a human body as Atman mentioned here, such a possibility is negated because the awareness in the human body is not an unimaginable object, which exists in the beginning of the chain since such awareness already appeared in the end of the chain as the normal awareness or life (purusha). Therefore, the word Atman here means a human being, which is completely different from any other human being, which appeared in the end of the chain of evolution. Such a special human being is the superman or human incarnation like Krishna in whom the existence of the special unimaginable item is inferred.

The Veda says that the existence of such superman is the basis of the inference of the unimaginable item called as God. But, mere the Veda cannot stand as an authority because it can be disposed as poetic imagination of some selfish priests to exploit the society in the name of God. Therefore, mere scripture (Shabdapramanam) cannot be the authority. All the authorities (pramanams) are based on perception (pratyaksham) only. In Shabda pramanam, a well-wisher says that the Benaras city exists. The faith in his words is based on his personal visit to Benaras and also on your possible personal visit to Benaras. Even the inference (anumana pramanam) becomes the authority only when it is based on perception. You are inferring fire on seeing the smoke from a mountain. You already perceive the relation between the smoke and fire in the kitchen. Therefore, when the Veda said that such unimaginable item, God, should be inferred (Astiityevopalabdhavyah…). The Veda is supported by the human incarnation only, which exhibits the existence of unimaginable God through an unimaginable act. Due to such practical exhibition, the perception is established as the basis of inference. Lord Krishna said that He, the human incarnation, alone is the ultimate goal of the Veda to be known (Vedayischa sarvaih… Gita). The unimaginable God is inferred from the unimaginable activity of lifting the huge Govardhana hill by His tender finger. The reason for such lift of the hill cannot be explained by the power of the finger (energy), finger (matter) and the soul that wished to do such act (awareness). None of these three and even the composite of these three are responsible for such lift because no similar human being, which is an exact duplicate composite of these three items can do that. Among these three i.e., soul or awareness, inert energy of the human body assumed to be concentrated in the finger and the finger or even the entire human body (matter), the status of the awareness alone in this activity is almost nothing because the awareness in a human being cannot lift even a cup by itself without the help of the inert energy existing in the human body. The awareness of the soul wishes to lift the cup and subsequently the inert energy in the human body does the work. In this light, to speak that the awareness or soul alone is God is a matter of joke. Among these three, awareness by itself is the weakest. Except the specialty of will and design, the awareness by itself is considered to be almost of no importance at all. This unimaginable activity or miracle indicates the existence of unimaginable God in Krishna and such indication is called as inference. Such unimaginable acts or miracles are exhibited even by demons by the grace of God because such miracles indicate the existence of unimaginable God. To propagate this fundamental concept, God gives the miraculous powers to demons so that the work of God is also done through them, though their aim is only ego. The action of God is always multi-dimensional and cannot be understood easily.

God pervaded all over the human body of Krishna similar to the soul that pervaded the same human body. Therefore, God can be called as Purusha here, since Purusha means that which pervades all over the human body. Shankara preferred to call God here as Purusha because He preferred the existence of two categories only viz, Purusha and Prakruti (Prakrutim purushamchaiva… Gita). In this classification, the soul that pervaded all over the human body along with God comes as a sub-category under the Prakruti itself and is called as para prakruti. Ramanuja preferred to call God here as Purushottama, based on the classification of three cateogories viz, purusha, prakruti and purushottama (Yasmatksharamatitoham… Gita). In this classification, purusha means the soul, prakruti means the human body alone and purushottama means God. People of common sense can easily understand that there is no difference between these two classifications, and hence, there is no difference between Shankara and Ramanuja.

God pervades all over the human body of the human incarnation and hence, the human incarnation can be the real address of God directly. Even the human body can be called as Atman according to the Sanskrit dictionary. The reason for this is that the human body also pervades a part of the space and can be considered as pervading the space. Hence, in the case of human incarnation - the human body, the soul and God put together can be denoted by the word Atman. Even in ordinary human beings since the human body pervades some space, it can be called as Atman. Hence, in ordinary human beings, both the human body and soul can be denoted by the word Atman. Externally, there is no difference between the human being and the human incarnation because Atman denoting the human body and the soul is common in both. The third item in human incarnation, God, is invisible and also unimaginable. You can call the electric live wire also as wire because the current is invisible in it. Hence, Atman or Purusha denote even the human incarnation. This led to the confusion to think that there is no difference between human beings and human incarnation. As long as the current in the live wire is not experienced, nobody will differentiate the live wire and ordinary wire. But once the current is experienced in the live wire, it is distinguished from ordinary wire. Similarly, when God is experienced in human incarnation, it is distinguished from the ordinary human beings and the word Purushottama is used. Otherwise, even the human incarnation can be called as Atman or Purusha denoting the ordinary human being.

You may say that the Brahmasutras say that God can be inferred from the universe, which has a wonderful design demanding the existence of a designer through inference because the requirement of a designer for the construction of a house etc., is experienced in perception (Janmadyasya yatah… second sutra). We have no objection if you are satisfied by such inference. But scientists say that several items in the creation are formed by natural processes also even in the absence of a designer. They say that a hill on the earth or a crystal in a solution is formed on its own accord without any designer. Moreover, this context does not establish the unimaginable nature of God because it establishes only God as mere designer and, in this way, the awareness can be fitted in the place of God. However, the absence of the capacity to create or control or destroy this real world or even any part of it clearly proves that mere awareness cannot be placed in the position of God even in this context. This is the reason for the appearance of the Gita in which the human incarnation like Krishna clearly established the unimaginable nature of God through the unimaginable acts called as miracles.

Just like the human incarnation is God (because of all over pervasion of God throughout the human being), can we also call this entire universe as God assuming that God pervaded all over the universe? In support of such all over pervasion, quotations like Sarvam khalu idam Brahma, Vishwam Vishnuh, etc., can be referred here. But such concept is not acceptable because if God pervades all over the universe, the universe is not existing separately from God to become the object of entertainment like the cinema. If you pervade all over the cinema, there is no difference between seer (drashta) and the seen (drishyam). Then, how to interpret the above quotations, since the whole world is under the control of God? The whole world can be called as God in a special way. The statement that a kingdom is Kalinga (kalingoyamdeshah) can be explained like this: Kalinga is the name of the king but the kingdom is called as Kalinga because the king everywhere controls the kingdom. Ramanuja has given this interpretation. Once the address of the unimaginable God is obtained, it hardly matters whether God is in the human incarnation or in the world. Since the human incarnation is in the world, you can say that God is in the world also. However, the human incarnation is God but the universe cannot be so, due to the above-mentioned objection. The present context is about the inference of the existence of unimaginable God as the ultimate cause of this whole universe and whether the address of God is direct as in the case of human incarnation or indirect as in the case of universe, it makes no difference. The advantage of the direct address over the indirect address is that the human incarnation (direct address) establishes the unimaginable nature of God through miracles. If you are already convinced with the unimaginable nature of God through the miracles seen elsewhere, the indirect address is sufficient. In the human incarnation only, God can receive your service directly, but this is a different context.

In the chain of evolution, the theory of relativity exists everywhere between the cause and effect. Science takes the absolute primordial energy as the ultimate cause and matter and life can be treated as relatively true products of the absolute primordial energy. The ultimate primordial energy is the direct cause of the matter and is the indirect cause of awareness. The theory of relativity applies between primordial energy and awareness also because the intermediate matter is only a relative truth in which the absolute truth is only the primordial energy. Now that we have established that the ultimate cause is God and the primordial energy is His immediate, relatively true effect, the entire universe becomes a relative product of God only. The rope gave an illusion of stick and the stick gave an illusion of serpent. Now, both the stick and serpent are relative illusions of the absolute primary rope only. The dream is a relative effect of the soul, which is the absolute cause. Similarly, the entire universe is a relative effect (mithya) of the absolute God. Mithya is neither the independently existing truth (sat) nor the non-existing total unreality (asat). The dream does not exist independently without the awareness. You cannot also say the dream is non-existing unreality because it masks the reality and appears to exist as a separate entity other than the soul. Shankara says that mithya means neither existing nor non-existing (sadasat vilakshana mithya). This means that you cannot even define the relative effect of the unimaginable God. If you analyze, the relative effect vanishes on realization of the cause. If the rope is seen, the serpent disappears. If the pearl shell is seen, the silver disappears. But here God is not only invisible but also even unimaginable for us. In such a case, how the world, which is His relative effect, can disappear in our eyes? If you say that the world vanished in your eyes, it means that your eyes see God. At least if God is imagined by our intelligence, this world can at least disappear in our imagination. Neither the world disappears from our eyes nor it disappears in our imagination. This means neither God is seen nor even imagined. The defect in the above simile is that you (observer) are different from the serpent and silver. But here you are part and parcel of the world and when the world disappears, you will also disappear. Even God is managing His continuous entertainment by seeing the world constantly and the advaitin, who is part and parcel of the world, boasts that the world is not existing. The world is relatively true with respect to God and not with respect to an advaitin or any soul. If it is relatively true with respect to yourself, it means that the world is relatively true with respect to itself. It is relatively true with respect to God only. In fact, with respect to the world, you are a tiny particle and you are almost non-existent. You are just reversing the truth. Even God enjoys continuously maintaining His ignorance experiencing the world as absolute truth. Only in certain special pressing occasions, He realizes the world as relative truth and then does the necessary modifications or violations of nature, which are called as miracles.

The pot generated from mud and the chain generated from the gold are the examples given in the generation of the universe. In these examples, both the cause (mud or gold) and the effect (pot or chain) are knowable items and cannot be applied to God (cause) and universe (effect) because God is unknown or unimaginable and the universe is known or imaginable. The generation of world from God cannot be explained by any example in this world because there is no unimaginable item in this world, which can stand as a simile for God. Every item in the world including the soul (awareness) is imaginable only. Therefore, all these examples are applicable only to the generation of the universe from the imaginable primordial energy, which is the first created item of the universe from God. The generation of primordial energy from God cannot have a simile in this world. The process of generation of knowable primordial energy from the unknowable God is unknowable because any process of generation of any effect from its cause in this world is knowable since both the cause and the effect are always knowable items. This primordial energy is called as Sat (Sadevasomya… Veda), which exists as the first effect with respect to God but it is the first cause with respect to all other items of the world. Since the process of generation of the primordial energy is unknown, it is always taken as the primary cause of the world. It becomes the absolute reality for all the other relative effects (matter and awareness) and hence, is called as Sat. It is also called as the relative reality (Asat) as the effect of God, which exists in the beginning of the world (Asadvaidamagraasit… Veda). Thus, the primordial energy is both Sat and Asat, which exists in the beginning of the creation.

This primordial energy being the greatest item is called as Brahman. God who is indicated by silence only is called as Parabrahman by Shankara Himself. Shankara said that the awareness becomes Brahman in the deep sleep because the awareness is transformed into the primary energy due to the resting nervous system. Such primary inert energy in the cosmos is called as Brahman and the same primary energy in the human being in deep sleep is called as Atman. Shankara told that Brahman and Atman are devoid of any quality that characterizes awareness and it is called as Nirguna. The functions of awareness cease and hence, the activities like thinking (manas), decision (buddhi) and experiencing itself (ahankara) also vanish. Such primary inert energy, which simply stores the information in the deep sleep, is called as chit or chittam or para prakruti. Such primary energy called as Atman functions with qualities in the awakened and dream states as Jiiva. Such soul is unknown to ordinary human beings and is known to scholars (Drushyatetvagraya… Veda, Pashyanti Jnanachakshushah… Gita) and thus, it is not unknowable forever to all. Such soul cannot be the God who is unknowable forever to all. Advaitins are confused in this point and say that God is unknown to ordinary human beings and is known to scholars. The Veda says that even angels like Yama is unable to know God (Kathametat vijaniyam…) and does this mean that the scholars are greater than Yama? The Gita says that nobody knows God and the Veda says that the knower of God is God alone (Brahmavit Brahmaiva…). People misinterpret the Gita that nobody among the ordinary people can know God and they misinterpret the Veda also by saying that the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. If you accept such interpretation, you must say that the scholar who knows Brahman is greater than Yama who declares that even He cannot know God. The Advaita scholar who claims that he knows Brahman shivers even by seeing the messengers of Yama! The Advaita scholar who became Brahman by knowing Brahman must be greater than Hanuman, who does not say that He is Brahman (since he does not know Brahman) and who says that He is only servant of Brahman (Dasoham)!

Without touching the unknowable God, Shankara has taken the primordial energy as the meaning of Brahman, which is the primary cause of this world. The primordial energy creates the rest world by the will of the God only because any cause in this world generating the effect is by the will of the God only. Even a pot cannot be produced from the mud if God’s will is against to it. Hence, in every generation process, the real cause is only God even though the apparent cause can be any item of this world. In this sense, the creation of the rest world from the primordial energy can be treated as the creation of the world from God Himself. The word ‘Sat’ denotes the existence of the primordial energy in the deep sleep storing the information. The word ‘chit’ denotes the awareness functioning in the states of awakening and dream. The word ‘Ananda’ is intensive happiness received at the end of the deep sleep and in the beginning of the awakened state. Thus, Sat-chit-ananda are the characteristics of the primordial energy only called as Atman or Brahman and not the characteristics of the original unimaginable God because the characteristics of the unimaginable God are also unimaginable.

For theist scholars, the unimaginable events in the life indicate the unimaginable God. For devotees, the miracles performed by the human incarnations indicate the unimaginable God. For ignorant theists, the devilish people who perform black magic indicate the unimaginable God. For scientists, the unimaginable concepts in the deeper planes of nature indicate the unimaginable God. God created the nature, which is partly and superficially imaginable. In the absence of imaginable nature, the very contrast concept of unimaginable nature disappears. If there is no darkness, light will lose its sense. Atheists interpret all the above unimaginable items in other way. The unimaginable events in the life are interpreted as incidents of probable coincidence. The miracles and black magic are interpreted as the usual magic based on the illusion of eyes. The unimaginable concepts in the deeper nature are said to have the future explanations because the unimaginable concepts of yesterday are explained today. Therefore, God established one unimaginable item, which is witnessed by every human being at any time. That is the unimaginable infinite boundary of the universe. Scientists accept that the universe is infinite forever. This indicates the unimaginable God, who is beyond the limits of the universe since He is the cause of the universe. This point is focused in the cosmic vision given by the Lord to Arjuna (Nantostimama… Gita).

Advaitins say that awareness (Brahman) under the superimposition due to complete ignorance becomes the soul (Jiiva) whereas the same awareness under realization becomes Ishwara. Krishna remained as Ishwara due to full realization whereas Rama remained as Jiiva due to ignorance and became Ishwara when reminded by Yama at the end. This means that it is the will of God to maintain the realization to preach others or to maintain complete ignorance to enjoy fully. But you cannot compare the case of Rama to every human being because Rama also behaved as the same human being under ignorance. A lion is under the illusion that it is a fox. A dog is also under the same illusion that it is a fox. The final effect of illusion is one and the same in both the cases. Similarly, Rama is under the illusion of human body. A soul is also under the illusion of the human body. In both the cases, the final effect of the illusion is one and the same, which is the human body. In the case of Rama, when the illusion is removed, Rama became Ishwara by going to the divine abode. But in the case of an ordinary human being, when the illusion is removed, the soul became the soul only and not Ishwara. The commonness in the process of illusion and in the final effect of illusion cannot bring commonness in the original objects also. Meanwhile, Rama might have been advised by sage Vashishta that He is the soul and not the human body. This is transformation of one superimposition to another superimposition. The lion might have been reminded that it is not fox but it is dog. The lion might have thought itself as dog also for some time. Neither the lion became fox nor the dog at any time. Similarly, the sage Vashishta might have advised some human being that he is the soul and not the human body. In his case, the illusion is truly removed because the soul remained as soul after the removal of the illusion. Similarly, the dog became dog on being relieved from the illusion of a fox.

Shankara told that awareness is Brahman. We are not at all objecting this because the awareness is the greatest item in the creation because of its specific characteristic of knowledge. Any greatest item in a category can be called as Brahman. The word Brahman is not fixed to God only. God being greater than the greatest item of any category, becomes the overall greatest and hence, God can also be called as Brahman. Since, Shankara fixed the word Brahman to awareness (soul) only, God is indicated by another word Parabrahman. Shankara Himself used this word for God (Mauna Vyakhya…). Now let us take Ishwara, who is a soul containing the three qualities charged by God existing in an external energetic form like Narayana or Shiva or Brahma. Let us take an ordinary human being who is a soul containing the three qualities in an external materialized form called as human body. If you compare Ishwara and Jiiva (human being) the external gross body is not common because one is energetic form and the other is materialized form composed by five elements. The three qualities in both the cases may also differ due to difference in the proportions. There is no point of comparison of God because God exists in Ishwara and God does not exist at all in the human being. The only common item is the awareness called as Brahman. In this explanation of Shankara, how can you say that the awareness in both the cases is God? The awareness in Ishwara is God since God charged it whereas the awareness in human being is not at all God since God did not charge it.

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