Srimad Bhagavatam and Evolution, Inquiries Into the Absolute, Digest 397
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Feb 19, 2013, 11:25:02 PM2/19/13
to Inquiries Into the Absolute
Digest 397, February 23rd, 2013. Answers by His Holiness Romapada
Swami Maharaja
You are invited to send your questions to His Holiness Romapada Swami
at ma...@iita.info with the word "Question" included in the subject
line or submit your question at http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=feedback/Question.
Srimad Bhagavatam and Evolution
```````````````````````````````
779) I just wanted to know about evolution. What does the Srimad
Bhagavatam say and how does it work or not work? Are WE miracles? Or
just logical next steps? Or both? And why does it matter?
Answer: Leaving aside the entire question of the origin of life
itself, the Srimad Bhagavatam has some very unique and profound things
to say about the origins of species aspect of evolution. One of the
key differences between the Bhagavatam model and the Darwinian model
is on the point of ‘who does the selection’. According to Darwin,
selection is driven by unguided natural forces; but according to
Srimad Bhagavatam, it is the conscious self (soul) that selects a
particular bodily form, while material nature (under the
superintendence of the supreme intelligent being, Krishna) simply
provides bodily forms - taking in to consideration two factors, 1) the
desire of the soul and 2) its karma (or what the soul deserves). Thus,
Darwin’s theory is known as natural selection, while the Bhagavatam’s
theory may be more aptly called ‘conscious selection and natural
provision’. Mother Nature has all the bodily forms in her warehouse,
which she provides with customized features and details, based on the
aforementioned two factors.
The Darwinian model is defective because it doesn’t account for
consciousness. Because the materialists cannot perceive consciousness,
they either deny its existence or claim that it is simply a by-product
of material interactions. The Bhagavatam says that consciousness is
the active principle of life and is non-material in nature or does not
have material origins.
To understand this better, let’s take the example of cars. For
example, Ford brought out several models in the last 50-60 years –
Falcon, Fiesta, Escort, Focus etc. Now, fast forward by a 1000 years.
Let us say, an archaeologist finds a car from each model in
dilapidated condition in different parts of the world – if he is a
Darwinist looking to explain the origin of life, he would theorize
that through unguided natural forces Falcon became Fiesta which in
turn became Escort which in turn became Focus! That’s not a very good
and convincing theory. Is it?
Looking at the same evidence, a Bhagavatam-trained archaeologist would
rightly conclude that it is not that one model of car changes to
another, but, each car is provided by the manufacturer (nature)
according to the desire and deserve of the customer (soul). He
wouldn’t make the error of theorizing that humans came from apes!
Darwinists are saying YOU ARE Ford Focus, but, the Bhagavatam is
saying YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER OR DRIVER who received Ford Focus to
fulfill a purpose in this Universe.
Our activities and happiness in this material realm are based on our
conceptions of our identities. This is why it matters.
780) After reading your reply, some doubts still remain in my mind.
Srila Prabhupada quoted the Padma Purana which says that the soul
transmigrates from aquatics to plant life to animal life to human life
to demigods; this is the progression. How does this play into
conscious selection and natural provision?
As animals, are we made to suffer through the chain of the animal
kingdom (i.e. its hard to get out of the animal kingdom once you are
in it)?
I just want to be able to answer the doubts of others (including my
mind) truthfully and not mislead them further.
Answer: Yes, the Padma Purana verse you are referring to that Srila
Prabhupada often quoted talks about various categories of species that
make up the 8.4 million forms of life. Isn’t it amazing that this
ancient text gives such a precise figure of forms of life which are
available for living entities in this world to journey through!
To understand how this works as per the Bhagavatam model, let’s take
the case of a soul in a human body which through ‘conscious selection
and natural provision’ achieves one of the lower forms of life. The
author of Forbidden Archeology, Michael Cremo calls this human
devolution. Once devolution happens the soul’s freedom is very much
constrained but, at the same time, the soul doesn’t accrue new karma
while in the lower forms; for example, a tiger does not get negative
karmic reaction for killing its prey, because he is forced to act this
way by laws of nature. He has no options, like we do. The living
entities in these forms simply follow their instincts. And, by natural
arrangement, through the process of transmigration or re-incarnation,
the soul simply evolves up the ladder from the lower form of life to
higher and higher forms until it reaches the human form again – where
there is opportunity once again awarded to awaken God consciousness.
We are NOT made to suffer indefinitely through the chain of animal
kingdom – we keep getting opportunities until we learn that being in
this endless cycle of birth and death is not a good program.
According to Darwin, a simple bodily form changes to another more
complex form but, as per the Bhagavatam, the forms are already
available in the warehouse of material nature and the soul simply
evolves or devolves from one form to another depending on its desires,
karma and by natural arrangement - just like we may move from one
apartment to another driven by our preferences, credit record and laws
of the state.
*Note: the term ‘lower’ is used only to indicate that such a form
constrains expression of soul’s consciousness, and in turn the range
of free-will options; it is not meant to minimize non-human life.
*************************
Previous questions and answers are available with subject
classification at http://www.romapadaswami.com/inquiries
Digests 1-242 are included as a PDF file at:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/Inquiries/IITA_full.pdf
Lectures: http://www.romapadaswami.com/audio
Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/HHRPS_bio
**************************
To (un)subscribe please email ma...@iita.info with the word (un)
subscribe in the subject.
Swami Maharaja
You are invited to send your questions to His Holiness Romapada Swami
at ma...@iita.info with the word "Question" included in the subject
line or submit your question at http://www.romapadaswami.com/?q=feedback/Question.
Srimad Bhagavatam and Evolution
```````````````````````````````
779) I just wanted to know about evolution. What does the Srimad
Bhagavatam say and how does it work or not work? Are WE miracles? Or
just logical next steps? Or both? And why does it matter?
Answer: Leaving aside the entire question of the origin of life
itself, the Srimad Bhagavatam has some very unique and profound things
to say about the origins of species aspect of evolution. One of the
key differences between the Bhagavatam model and the Darwinian model
is on the point of ‘who does the selection’. According to Darwin,
selection is driven by unguided natural forces; but according to
Srimad Bhagavatam, it is the conscious self (soul) that selects a
particular bodily form, while material nature (under the
superintendence of the supreme intelligent being, Krishna) simply
provides bodily forms - taking in to consideration two factors, 1) the
desire of the soul and 2) its karma (or what the soul deserves). Thus,
Darwin’s theory is known as natural selection, while the Bhagavatam’s
theory may be more aptly called ‘conscious selection and natural
provision’. Mother Nature has all the bodily forms in her warehouse,
which she provides with customized features and details, based on the
aforementioned two factors.
The Darwinian model is defective because it doesn’t account for
consciousness. Because the materialists cannot perceive consciousness,
they either deny its existence or claim that it is simply a by-product
of material interactions. The Bhagavatam says that consciousness is
the active principle of life and is non-material in nature or does not
have material origins.
To understand this better, let’s take the example of cars. For
example, Ford brought out several models in the last 50-60 years –
Falcon, Fiesta, Escort, Focus etc. Now, fast forward by a 1000 years.
Let us say, an archaeologist finds a car from each model in
dilapidated condition in different parts of the world – if he is a
Darwinist looking to explain the origin of life, he would theorize
that through unguided natural forces Falcon became Fiesta which in
turn became Escort which in turn became Focus! That’s not a very good
and convincing theory. Is it?
Looking at the same evidence, a Bhagavatam-trained archaeologist would
rightly conclude that it is not that one model of car changes to
another, but, each car is provided by the manufacturer (nature)
according to the desire and deserve of the customer (soul). He
wouldn’t make the error of theorizing that humans came from apes!
Darwinists are saying YOU ARE Ford Focus, but, the Bhagavatam is
saying YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER OR DRIVER who received Ford Focus to
fulfill a purpose in this Universe.
Our activities and happiness in this material realm are based on our
conceptions of our identities. This is why it matters.
780) After reading your reply, some doubts still remain in my mind.
Srila Prabhupada quoted the Padma Purana which says that the soul
transmigrates from aquatics to plant life to animal life to human life
to demigods; this is the progression. How does this play into
conscious selection and natural provision?
As animals, are we made to suffer through the chain of the animal
kingdom (i.e. its hard to get out of the animal kingdom once you are
in it)?
I just want to be able to answer the doubts of others (including my
mind) truthfully and not mislead them further.
Answer: Yes, the Padma Purana verse you are referring to that Srila
Prabhupada often quoted talks about various categories of species that
make up the 8.4 million forms of life. Isn’t it amazing that this
ancient text gives such a precise figure of forms of life which are
available for living entities in this world to journey through!
To understand how this works as per the Bhagavatam model, let’s take
the case of a soul in a human body which through ‘conscious selection
and natural provision’ achieves one of the lower forms of life. The
author of Forbidden Archeology, Michael Cremo calls this human
devolution. Once devolution happens the soul’s freedom is very much
constrained but, at the same time, the soul doesn’t accrue new karma
while in the lower forms; for example, a tiger does not get negative
karmic reaction for killing its prey, because he is forced to act this
way by laws of nature. He has no options, like we do. The living
entities in these forms simply follow their instincts. And, by natural
arrangement, through the process of transmigration or re-incarnation,
the soul simply evolves up the ladder from the lower form of life to
higher and higher forms until it reaches the human form again – where
there is opportunity once again awarded to awaken God consciousness.
We are NOT made to suffer indefinitely through the chain of animal
kingdom – we keep getting opportunities until we learn that being in
this endless cycle of birth and death is not a good program.
According to Darwin, a simple bodily form changes to another more
complex form but, as per the Bhagavatam, the forms are already
available in the warehouse of material nature and the soul simply
evolves or devolves from one form to another depending on its desires,
karma and by natural arrangement - just like we may move from one
apartment to another driven by our preferences, credit record and laws
of the state.
*Note: the term ‘lower’ is used only to indicate that such a form
constrains expression of soul’s consciousness, and in turn the range
of free-will options; it is not meant to minimize non-human life.
*************************
Previous questions and answers are available with subject
classification at http://www.romapadaswami.com/inquiries
Digests 1-242 are included as a PDF file at:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/Inquiries/IITA_full.pdf
Lectures: http://www.romapadaswami.com/audio
Brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami:
http://www.romapadaswami.com/HHRPS_bio
**************************
To (un)subscribe please email ma...@iita.info with the word (un)
subscribe in the subject.
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