This satsang is about Darwin's Theory at Kuala Lumpur some time in the 70's
The youngsters are perplexed at what appears to them as unscientific actions of their parents in the prayer room. The procedures of Poojas and other religious rites - such as the lighting of camphor, breaking of coconuts, the application of kumkum, the recitation of Mantras without knowing their meaning and the Worshipping of pictures and idols of many gods, etc. -seem irrational and an insult to their scientific minds.
The parents, though full of religious fervour, are, however, unable to give the kind of answers their offspring need.And what these youngsters demand is not just any silly answer, but rational explanations consistent with their upbringing.
The dilemma of the parents is that they had been faithfully, but blindly, following a way of life propounded by God-men from time unknown in their homelands, without caring to understand why they did and said certain things, and are now faced with the problem of being unable to explain the significances underlying these religious practices.
Well then, we must concede to the youngsters that if what their elders do and say in the prayer room
is not something based on the pursuit of Truth, which is a science, they have every reason for their grouse.
But, on the other hand, if what was said and done by the parents, had in them a deep meaning - a meaning based on the Truth, then they should abide by them.
Before we come to the question of whether religion is a science or not, we must make sure as to what we mean by science .....
Science is the outward expression of the unshakable inner urge to know. It is the unquenchable thirst and unappeasable appetite for knowledge. Science is observation, attention, concentration, objectivity, penetration, and above all, detachment and relaxed awareness. To such a trained and disciplined mind,
nature reveals herself spontaneously.
The study of the OUTER experience - what we experience as this Universe around us - is what science is concerned with .With this knowledge, we have been able to considerably control nature and natural forces.
Technological advances of science have provided us with a variety of comforts and conveniences.
Quite a few scientific theories have also been formulated in the past couple of centuries. One among these is the theory of evolution .....
To explain this theory in a simple way, Darwin conceived that life evolves perpetually from inorganic to organic forms, from organic to sentient forms; or, to put it in another way - from mineral to vegetable, vegetable to animal, and animal to human. He said that in the course of millions of years, nature has brought forth so many changes in the environment. These changes in turn have brought about changes in the various living forms to adapt themselves to the changing environment as otherwise, they would perish.
He called this process 'the struggle for existence' and 'the survival of the fittest'.
We find that a Coherent Principle, a Guiding Force, is working behind these forces, and this decides their nature and characteristics. There is a reason for the various types of existing living forms.
But, unfortunately, Darwin's theory remained a half-truth. He (Darwin) did recognise the existence of various intelligent living forms, but he did not think from where these living forms originated.
From the elementary form of life evolves the biological kingdom. The various forms develop, stage by stage,
from a single cell to complicated multicellular organisms with feelings, intelligence and consciousness .....
If we accept this theory that life and living forms are a matter of chance, how can we explain why the same basic material should produce such different forms? How can the same protein molecules evolve
into a Buddha on one side and a bandit on the other or a Saint instead of a sex maniac?
How can we explain the presence of love in some of these forms while we find hate in others?
How can there be good in one and bad in the other?
When we look around us, we find an ordered Universe. Could all these have come about by mere chance
and random combination of chemicals?
The biologist is unable to answer this question satisfactorily.
The Rishis of India - Men who were great Thinkers, Men of Wisdom, Men with a heart to Love and a heart to Give. They were rightly known as Seers for They were able to See ahead. They pondered deeply over the questions which today puzzle science - the Origin and Purpose of life .....
They searched for answers with single-minded concentration .....
Their findings were revealed. But, even these, They did not consider as Their own discoveries. They did not consider them Their private property. What We found - They said - has always been there and will always be there. Such was the simplicity and humility of these Great Souls - the Mahanubhavas!
All these Revelations in the hearts of the Sages were passed on by word of mouth, generation after generation, through all these centuries - from Teacher to Disciple, from Guru to Sishya.
These findings are known as the Shastras - the Sacred Scriptures.
The Shastras are classified into 4 main types, namely,
the Srutis (the Revealed),
Smritis (the Remembered),
Ithihasas (the Epics), and
Puranas (the Mythologies).
The Srutis are the primary Scriptures and are known as the Vedas which are Direct Revelations from Divinity Itself which were Intuitively Heard and Experienced by the Seers.
From the 'experiments' and 'investigations' performed in the 'laboratories' of Their own Consciousness,
the Rishis found and declared that life is not a by-product of matter; but an independent Principle which uses matter as a medium to express Itself.
They claimed that more and more complex forms were there only to allow this Principle greater and greater expression.
Each form, They said, was given experiences and stimuli so that it progresses gradually from one stage to another, each form better than the one before, each form a greater tribute to the indwelling Divinity
as They called this Principle.
And that was not all. They did not stop at a theory of meaningless panorama of evolving physical forms
with no ultimate end or purpose. They Visualised a greater significance in this seemingly purposeless variety of forms. They said it was all not just a change of physical form but a gradual unfoldment of the hidden Perfection of Divinity or the Creator, the ultimate aim being - that these forms become as perfect as the Creator Himself.
In this evolutionary ladder, man occupied the top rung, and to him alone was given the additional power of Realizing this ('the hidden Perfection of Divinity') and choosing his progress - at free will.
He could - if he chooses - rapidly progress from a simple human being leading an animalistic life to a Perfect person possessing all the attributes of the Divinity, and would then become one with that Divinity.
Thus, it was the Sages who Realized the full implication of Darwin's theory of evolution.
The Universe was not created by a careless combination of chemicals with no aim, order or harmony. It is an extraordinarily intelligent and meaningful process. There is a great Cosmic plan - the Rishis declared emphatically.
Not only is the process of evolution Intelligently Guided, it is also Lovingly Guided.
Divinity is like a brilliant chess player making His moves on the giant-chessboard of life, unseen and intangible, stimulating man to respond to all His moves. If we make a wrong move, He will not hesitate to counter it. Many times we are perplexed by His manoeuvres but as Albert Einstein puts it - GOD may be cunning but not malicious. All His moves are only to make us as perfect as He Himself is.
Accordingly Jesus said - Ye shall be Perfect as thy Father in Heaven is Perfect.
The Rishis gave us the rules and method of 'playing the game', not the theory alone.They said that it was not impossible to 'Win' because They had 'Won' already.
Hindu Mythology talks about the progress to Perfection in an allegorical way, as shown by the 10 Great Incarnations of GOD - the Dasa (10) Avataras (Incarnations).
Superficially, this may sound like some fairy tale, but a more detailed study will reveal it to be nothing other than the Darwin's theory; but in a more complete and comprehensive sense, expounding the full significance of evolution.
Lord Narayana descends and assumes various forms such as -
a Fish (MATSYA),
a Tortoise (KURMA),
a Wild Boar (VARAHA),
a form with a Human body and Lion's head (NARASIMHA),
a Short-statured Man (VAMANA),
a Man of Brutish-strength (PARASURAMA),
a Refined Man (RAMA),
a Spiritually Enlightened Man (BUDDHA), and
a Divine Man (KRISHNA).
Finally comes the end of this cycle, whereby Narayana in the form of KALKI (the 10th Avatar) reabsorbs the manifested Universe unto Himself.
On one side, science queries - What is this all about?
And on the other, religion asks - What is That by Knowing which everything else is Known?
Therefore, the quest for the Ultimate Truth, which is now called science, was then called religion by the Hindus.
The term given by the Rishis for this search for Truth is Sanaathana Dharma, meaning the Eternal Path,
or Vaitheega Dharma, meaning the Path of Wisdom. The search for this Great Truth is an eternal quest
and not the monopoly of any one person or nation.
Hinduism is not, therefore, a sect. There are no founders for it. It was segregated and defined as a religion only by outsiders. It is essentially only a scientific view and way of life for man to achieve That which he truly is - a spark of the Divine.
Up to the stage of human evolution, the Rishis say, the evolving process is automatic. The vegetable and animal have no conscious choice or free will to evolve but follow a set or natural pattern.
When the human stage is achieved, there is self-awareness. There is an awareness of both the inner and outer worlds.
Moreover, we find that the human being is a miniature replica of the Universe and its Creator.
The body represents mineral life - vegetable,
mind - animal,
intelligence - human,
Spirit - Creator.
Therefore, the Bible says - Man is made in the image of GOD;
The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.
The human being, therefore, has a choice by which he can make or mar his existence.This is a law of Karma.
Man, therefore, is the master of his destiny -he can dispense happiness OR misery to himself, create heaven OR hell, upgrade OR degrade the process of his evolution.
Science ..... has brought in a technological revolution OUTSIDE, by giving us the knowledge to control external forces of nature; but alas, the tool is in the hands of a 'monkey'!
The human beings who are the leaders of the world today, in whose hands depends the destiny of the whole world and its future, are men who lack Wisdom about the forces which are working WITHIN themselves.
Science has ushered in an age in which knowledge, constructively used, will bring in a Paradise on earth,
or abused,can bring in total annihilation.
Modern man has conquered and has control over external nature, but alas, he has neither the knowledge nor the control of his INNER nature. He knows what is happening a million light years away, but he does not know what is happening in his OWN heart.
Racial prejudices, economic exploitation, political perfidy, class and caste distinction, lust for power, position and money are the order of the day.
Modern man is the only species who kills his own kind. Modern man, though intellectually evolved, behaves like a brute. Science boasts of a scientific way of life but its ways are all unscientific.
Religion scores, for it gives both the scientific view and the scientific way of life.
Religion recognises an Inner world apart from an outer world.
Sages proclaim that conquest of Inner nature is the Real Victory and not the conquest of external forces.
Religion should not be confused with magic and witchcraft, quackery and superstition. It is not a cult, dogma or a mere theory.
Religion starts with reason and inquiry and ends in Love and Service for all beings.
LOKA SAMASTHA SUKINO BHAVANTHU
- MAY ALL THE WORLD BE HAPPY -
is the aim, aspiration, prayer and fulfilment of every Religious person.
If Hindu youngsters can understand Religion in this way, with their scientific background, they can appreciate and recognise the greatness of their heritage.
They can, then, feel proud to follow the religion of their forefathers and also pass on this heritage to their children. Then, it would not matter where a Hindu lives.
The modern educated Hindu, instead of finding himself embarrassed and ignorant, as we have seen in the beginning, will develop the audacity to reject the bogus scientific way of life, the outdated superstitions and religious dogmas, and accept what is rational in BOTH, and thereby transform himself into an ideal blend
of all that is best in modern and ancient culture and all that is best in East and West.
May the Divine which Guides Lovingly the destinies of individuals and nations Enlighten our Understanding.
