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Scientific theories- fake or fact?

Hare Krishna dear devotees,

accept my humble obeisances AGTSP AGTSG!

The scientific theories that man has evolved from monkey, how much true is this? As much I know Manu is the first man then what r all this science claim something else.

And also the fact of Bermuda Triangle, is that true? they say that it traps ships, planes etc it has sea monsters and magnets which attack people.

Are we suppose do belive in such things? What does shastras say regarding science?

Pls forgive if I have commited offense by asking this Q

Your humble sevant

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  • Volunteer

    Srila Prabhupada on Darwin and Darwinism

    In Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.24.73) we learn that Brahma, the first demigod, instructed subordinate personalities called the Prajapatis to generate the various kinds of material bodies at the beginning of creation. The Sanskrit word prajapati means “generator of population.” Srila Prabhupada comments in his purport to this text:

    In this verse we can understand that the various types of living entities were created simultaneously at the very beginning of the creation. The nonsensical Darwinian theory of evolution is not applicable here. It is not that intelligent human beings did not exist millions of years ago. On the contrary, it is understood that the most intelligent creature, Lord Brahma, was first created. Then Lord Brahma created other saintly sages like Marichi, Bhrigu, Atreya, Vasishtha, and Lord Shiva. They [the Prajapatis] in their turn created different types of bodies according to karma.

    In Srimad-Bhagavatam Lord Kapiladeva told His mother that the living entity gets a particular type of body in accordance with his work and that this body is decided upon by higher authorities. The higher authorities, as appointed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are Lord Brahma and all other Prajapatis and Manus. Thus from the beginning of creation it can be seen that the first creature is the most intelligent. It is not that so-called modern intelligence has developed by the gradual process of evolution.

    As stated in Brahma-vaivarta Purana, there is a gradual evolutionary process, but it is not the body that is evolving. All the bodily forms are already there. It is the spiritual entity, or spiritual spark within the body, that is being promoted by the laws of nature under the supervision of superior authority. We can understand from this verse that from the very beginning of creation different varieties of living entities were existing. It is not that some of them have become extinct. Everything is there; it is due to our lack of knowledge that we cannot see things in their proper perspective.

    In this verse the word dhvasta-tamasah is very important, for without being free of ignorance one cannot control the creation of different types of living entities. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.31.1), daiva-netrena—bodies are awarded under the supervision of superior powers. How can these superior powers control the evolutionary process of the living entity if they are not free from all imperfection? The followers of the Vedic instructions cannot accept the Darwinian theory of evolution, for it is marred by imperfect knowledge.

    According to Darwin, the origin of the bodies of living things occurred like this: In some warm pond, chemicals combined to produce the first single-celled organism. Once this happened, multicellular creatures arose in the water, diversifying into plants and animals. Later some of these plants and animals migrated onto the land. The first land animals were amphibians and reptiles. Later the mammals emerged, and finally humans came into existence.

    Darwin wavered about the causes of this development. Sometimes he seemed to favor a strict materialism, and sometimes he seemed to allow for a kind of theistic evolution, with God setting up the laws of nature in such a way as to allow for the development of more and more complex forms of life.

    Modern evolutionists have refined Darwin’s account of the origin of species, and most prefer to explain it strictly in terms of unguided material causes. According to them, the oldest unicellular fossils are about 2 billion years old. The first land plants and animals came into existence about 400 million years ago. The first primitive mammals came into existence about 300 million years ago. The first primates came into existence about 40 million years ago, the first hominins came into existence about 6 million years ago, and finally humans like us came into existence within the past 150,000 years.

    Today, some theologians, and many other people, explain this development in terms of theistic evolution, with God operating in such a way as to cause the generation of the first life forms and their subsequent evolution into various species without violating the laws of nature recognized by modern science. But according to Srila Prabhupada, theBhagavatam says that all the life forms, including the most intelligent, were manifested at the beginning of the day of Brahma, which occurred about 2 billion years ago. Thus the Bhagavatam view of the origin of species—the timing, order, and process—is different from that of both unguided materialistic evolution and guided theistic evolution.

    In the following excerpt from Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.29.60), Prabhupada expands upon one of the points he made in the excerpt above, namely that there is more to a living thing than the gross material body.

    The living entity has two kinds of body—the subtle body and the gross body. Actually he enjoys through the subtle body, which is composed of mind, intelligence, and ego. The gross body is the instrumental outer covering. When the gross body is lost, or when it dies, the root of the gross body—the mind, intelligence, and ego—continues and brings about another gross body. Although the gross bodies apparently change, the real root of the gross body—the subtle body of mind, intelligence, and ego—is always there. The subtle body's activities—be they pious or impious—create another situation for the living entity to enjoy or suffer in the next gross body. Thus the subtle body continues whereas the gross bodies change one after another.

    Since modern scientists and philosophers are too materialistic, and since their knowledge is taken away by the illusory energy, they cannot explain how the gross body is changing. The materialistic philosopher Darwin has tried to study the changes of the gross body, but because he had no knowledge of either the subtle body or the soul, he could not clearly explain how the evolutionary process is going on.

    According to the Bhagavatam worldview, there is a kind of evolution, but not the kind that Darwin imagined. The soul evolves through different kinds of material bodies until it comes to the human form, which offers liberation from material existence. As explained in Srila Prabhupada’s purport to text 5.14.30, some souls come to the bodies of humans from the bodies of monkeys.

    By fulfilling the process of evolution from the aquatics to the animal platform, a living entity eventually reaches the human form. The three modes [gunas] of material nature [sattva, or goodness; rajas, passion;tamas, ignorance] are always working in the evolutionary process. Those who come to the human form through the quality of sattva-guna were cows in their last animal incarnation. Those who come to the human form through the quality of rajo-guna were lions in their last animal incarnation. And those who come to the human form through the quality of tamo-gunawere monkeys in their last animal incarnation. In this age, those who come through the monkey species are considered by modern anthropologists like Darwin to be descendants of monkeys.

    According to the Bhagavatam, time goes in cycles of four yugas, or ages. We are now in the age of Kali, which is dominated by the tamo-guna, or mode of ignorance. Srila Prabhupada takes it as ironic that evolutionists falsely believe that the human body evolved from the bodies of ancient apes. In terms of the evolution of the soul, this is actually in some sense true, because in the age of Kali most souls entering human bodies are born in the mode of ignorance and came into their human bodies from the monkey or ape bodies they had in their last lives.

    The importance of the human body in the evolution of the soul through different bodies is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.13.25):

    In the course of the evolutionary process, which is caused by fruitive activities due to undesirable material sense gratification, I have received this human form of life, which can lead to the heavenly planets, to liberation, to the lower species, or to rebirth among human beings.

    Srila Prabhupada elaborates his purport to this text.

    All living entities within this material world are undergoing the cycle of birth and death according to the laws of nature. This struggle of birth and death in different species may be called the evolutionary process, but in the Western world it has been wrongly explained. Darwin's theory of evolution from animal to man is incomplete because the theory does not present the reverse condition, namely evolution from man to animal. In this verse, however, evolution has been very well explained on the strength of Vedic authority. Human life, which is obtained in the course of the evolutionary process, is a chance for elevation (svargapavarga) or for degradation (tirashcham punar asya cha). If one uses this human form of life properly, he can elevate himself to the higher planetary systems, where material happiness is many thousands of times better than on this planet, or one may cultivate knowledge by which to become free from the evolutionary process and be reinstated in one's original spiritual life. This is calledapavarga, or liberation from the punishment of material existence. . . .

    The word tirashcham refers to degraded life. Human life, of course, provides an opportunity for the best living conditions. As Western people think, from the monkeys come the human beings, who are more comfortably situated. However, if one does not utilize his human life forsvarga or apavarga, he falls again to the degraded life of animals like dogs and hogs. Therefore a sane human being must consider whether he will elevate himself to the higher planets, prepare to free himself from the evolutionary process, or travel again through the evolutionary process in higher and lower grades of life. If one works piously one may be elevated to the higher planetary systems or achieve liberation and return home, back to Godhead, but otherwise one may be degraded to a life as a dog, a hog, and so on. As explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.25), yanti deva-vrata devan. Those interested in being elevated to the higher planetary systems (Devaloka or Svargaloka) must prepare to do so. Similarly, if one wants liberation and wants to return home, back to Godhead, he should prepare himself for that purpose.

    Our Krishna consciousness movement is therefore the highest movement for the benediction of human society because this movement is teaching people how to go back home, back to Godhead.

    One reason Srila Prabhupada objected to the Darwinian theory of evolution was its compatibility with atheism and materialism, which serve to distract people from the real goal of human life, thus insuring for them continued suffering in the cycle of birth and death. In the following conversation with one of his scientifically trained disciples (biochemist Dr. Thoudam Damodar Singh, later known as Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami), Srila Prabhupada blames governments for promoting evolution. The conversation took place on February 3, 1977, in Bhubaneswar, India.

    Srila Prabhupada: So why is the government fostering this godless "evolution" science—this dishonesty? Because the government leaders are themselves dishonest. They want simply to accumulate money by inducing people to work in their big industries. So they are cheating the people out of their birthright: to live the simple, natural life, to become God conscious, and at life's end, to go back home to God. The government must make sure that people develop genuine God consciousness. That is the government leaders' actual business. They should promote genuine God consciousness, strict following of God's natural laws. Anything not genuine should be finished. Nothing bogus allowed. This is real government. This we are working for. The government leaders' business is to see that the scientific or intellectual group is giving the students a sense of the transcendent Personality of Godhead, a sense of the divine.

    Dr. Singh: Nowadays, the government leaders are seeing that the intellectuals impart a sense of all-pervasive matter, with no soul and no Supreme Soul. A sense of the demoniac, one might say. It's hard to imagine these demoniac types being convinced by godly arguments.

    Srila Prabhupada: We must push forward. Gradually the whole world will see that here are first-class gentlemen and here is first-class culture. Vedic, godly culture. Real culture. We must always remember, people are inclined to this God conscious culture. It is natural. And Lord Krishna wants it. Why should we care about some rascal's objections? Do something to spread God conscious culture. It is Krishna’s business. Print books. Travel all over the world. Challenge this godless government policy. Challenge their intellectual hirelings. "Come on, rascal scientists. You have given yourself to spreading materialism and godlessness. We shall scientifically establish the existence of the spiritual self—the soul—and God."

    Srila Prabhupada directly instructed his scientifically trained disciples to challenge the Darwinian theory of evolution. Sometimes he would refer to the supporters of the theory of evolution in strong terms (“rascals”). Some may object that not all evolutionists are godless materialists. For example, today there are some who support varieties of theistic evolution, which involve accepting as true the Darwinian picture of the development of bodies of living things. They say, “God created the bodies of plants and animals, but He did it by Darwinian evolution.” As can be seen in this selection of quotes, this idea is not compatible with the account of the origin of the bodies of living things given in the Vedic literature (defined broadly as including the Puranas).

    • Volunteer

      Hare Krishna Gourab prabhu,

      very wonderful explaination, thankyou for refering to scriptures. I could compare bothe the case (Darwinian theory and the scripture) now I got a very clear answer. Dandavats unto u.

      your servant

      • Hare Krishna Gourab Prabhu

        “God created the bodies of plants and animals, but He did it by Darwinian evolution.”


        This is also a idea of dangerous Kind ..... it apparently looks it is just twist of words spoken by some supporter of theism.

        Point we should clear in front of every one is Darwinism is not even a scientific theory. In many countries along with universities even from syllabus of high school it is been removed.(I Don't know if they have Done it but India may be removing it within coming 100 years).

        our scripture suggests a evolution model and that doesn't supports Darwin anyway.

         

        Today (promising) Theistic model of evolution is (not supported by Indian Scriptures) the 1st chromosome of 1st living being it self contained all the features today humans and other creatures are having. ( as Darwin says better qualities come out in creatures by means of natural selection. after simulation and mathematical analysis it is found to be impossible) to remove this discrepancy of Darwin model they say 1st DNA had all qualities, and they are coming out not Evolving out.

        (I didn't searched it on net (which I should have) I got it in a lecture by a Devotee student he knows a lot about this if he agrees I will ask him to join this site.)

  • Out of curiosity I am asking

    Manu was the 1st man in this 4 Yuga or he is the 1st man of this universe

    • Volunteer

      1st man in the universe. Manu in the reality is a post. Within one day of Brahma appears 14 Manus. And each of them live for 71 divya yugas. One divya yuga means one Satya, one Treta, one Dvapara and one Kali yugas. 

      At this time Lord Brahma is over 50 years old. So 7th Manu is living. And 7th Manu also in his middle ages which is his 28th divya yuga. 

      And it says that Lord Krishna appears only once in a day of Brahma. And it was nearly 5000 years ago. And Lord Krishna only followed by Lord Gouranga which comes only in the age of Kali of the 28th duvya yuga of 7th Manu.

      In this way we are very very very fortunate. If we are still not taking the Holy Names seriously it may say that we are not so intelligent :(

      Your servant,

  • Volunteer

    Hare Krishna Mataji. Dandavat Pranam. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

    /*The scientific theories that man has evolved from monkey, how much true is this?*/

    The Theory

    Darwinis credited with first proposing a plausible physical mechanism that would explain the variety of life forms we observe in the world around us. Evolution, as he explained it, is based on the twin principles of variation and natural selection. When members of a species reproduce, he reasoned, there is variation among individual representatives of the species. Some of these are better equipped to survive in their particular environment, and therefore their qualities are selected and passed on to their descendants. Over the passage of time, these changes in organisms are sufficient, according to evolutionary theory, to result in changes of species.

    Since Darwin’s time, the concept of variation has undergone some changes. Modern evolutionists believe that mutations in genes produce the variations that natural forces select for survival. (Darwindid not know about genetics.) Evolutionists have considered a number of types of genetic variations—point mutation, genetic recombination, and random genetic drift, for example—but these all fall under the broad heading of random variation. And to this day the only principle accepted as giving direction to the evolutionary process is natural selection. SoDarwin’s basic principles of random variation and natural selection are still the foundations of evolutionary thought.

    Let’s examine whether the theory of evolution is scientifically true.

    B. The Evidences

    i. Missing Fossil Evidences 

    According to Darwinists, the first undisputed fossil evidence for life on earth goes back about 2 billion years. They say the first apes and monkeys appeared about 40-50 million years ago. The first ape-men (called Australopithecus) appeared about 4 million years ago. These were followed by other apemen called Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Neanderthal man. The first human beings of modern type (Homo sapiens sapiens) appeared only 100,000 or 200,000 years ago. Civilization, according to modern scientists, is less than 10,000 years old.

    However, whatDarwinoffered was basically “one long argument” with no proof whatsoever. He attacked the fossil record as being inaccurate, to an extreme degree and prophesied that future generations of paleontologists would fill in these gaps by diligent search. But has the diligent search of modern paleontologists fulfilled his prophesy?

    Here are just a few of many quotes by eminent evoloutionists about the lack of evidence supporting evolution in the fossil record.

    1. Record proves prediction wrong

    “One hundred and twenty years of paleontological research later, it has become abundantly clear that the fossil record will not confirm this part ofDarwin's predictions. Nor is the problem a miserably poor record. The fossil record simply shows that this prediction is wrong. ...The observation that species are amazingly conservative and static entities throughout long periods of time has all the qualities of the emperor's new clothes: everyone knew it but preferred to ignore it. Paleontologists, faced with a recalcitrant record obstinately refusing to yieldDarwin's predicted pattern, simply looked the other way."

    Reference: Eldredge, N. and Tattersall, I., The Myths of Human Evolution, 1982, p. 45-46

    2. Not a single example

    "But fossil species remain unchanged throughout most of their history and the record fails to contain a single example of a significant transition."

    Reference: - Woodroff, D.S., Science, vol. 208, 1980, p. 716

    3. Links wanted; links missing

    "Links are missing just where we most fervently desire them, and it is all too probable that many 'links' will continue to be missing."

    Reference: Jepsen, L. Glenn; Mayr, Ernst; Simpson George Gaylord. Genetics, Paleontology, and Evolution,New York, Athenaeum, 1963, p. 114

    4. Consistently  missing

    "The curious thing is that there is a consistency about the fossil gaps; the fossils are missing in all the important  places."

    Reference: Hitching, Francis, Where Darwin Went Wrong, Penguin Books, 1982, p.19

    5. Cambrian explosion disproves darwinism

    (The Cambrian explosion is the rapid appearance of most major groups of complex animals around 530 million years ago, as evidenced by the fossil record. This sudden appearance of species in the fossil record has been since the time ofDarwinone of the main objections to his theory that different species evolve gradually by natural selection.)

    "Paleontologists are traditionally famous (or infamous) for reconstructing whole animals from the debris of death. Mostly they cheat. ... Baffling (and embarrassing) to Darwin, this event still dazzles us and stands as a major biological revolution on a par with the invention of self-replication and the origin of the eukaryotic cell. The animal phyla emerged out of the Precambrian mists with most of the attributes of their modern descendants."

    Reference: Bengtson, Stefan, The Solution to a Jigsaw Puzzle, Nature, vol. 345 (June 28, 1990), p. 765-766

    6. Choose – theory or evidence?

    "Paleontologists have paid an enormous price forDarwin's argument. We fancy ourselves as the only true students of life's history, yet to preserve our favored account of evolution by natural selection we view our data as so bad that we almost never see the very process we profess to study. The history of most fossil species includes two features particularly inconsistent with gradualism:

    1. Stasis.  Most species exhibit no directional change during their tenure on earth. They appear in the fossil record looking much the same as when they disappear; morphological change is usually limited and directionless.

    2. Sudden appearance. In any local area, a species does not arise gradually by the steady transformation of its ancestors; it appears all at once and 'fully formed.'"

    Reference: Gould, Stephen J. The Panda's Thumb, 1980, p. 181-182

     

    What is special about all the above quotes is that they are from evolutionists; the verdict of the fossil record is so overwhelmingly clear that even they are forced, despite their belief in evolution, to admit the utter lack of evidence for it.

    The problem is so difficult to overcome that one school of evolutionists, headed by Stephen J. Gould and Niles Eldredge, felt compelled to come up with a new evolutionary theory to account for the gaps. They propose “punctuated equilibrium” as an explanation.

    The punctuated equilibrium theory makes evolution invisible in the fossil record. A supposed change from species A to species B would take place in a small population in an isolated geographic location within a geological microsecond—a period too short to allow for fossils of intermediate forms to be deposited. Then the new species B would move from its isolated place of origin and expand throughout the entire range of the old species A. On a scale of millions of years the fossils of B would suddenly replace the fossils of A, giving the impression that B had emerged without intermediate forms. According to punctuated equilibrium advocates, this lack of transitional fossils is exactly what would be expected, and therefore they can claim that any given species has in fact evolved from an ancestral form without offering any proof from the fossil record. But a theory that allows no proving or disproving on the basis of physical evidence hardly qualifies as an adequate scientific explanation.

    Further, other evolutionists have pointed out the fallacious circular reasoning inherent in the model:

    "The Eldredge-Gould concept of punctuated equilibria has gained wide acceptance among paleontologists. It attempts to account for the following paradox: Within continuously sampled lineages, one rarely finds the gradual morphological trends predicted by Darwinian evolution; rather, change occurs with the sudden appearance of new, well-differentiated species. Eldredge and Gould equate such appearances with speciation, although the details of these events are not preserved. The punctuated equilibrium model has been widely accepted, not because it has a compelling theoretical basis but because it appears to resolve a dilemma. Apart from the obvious sampling problems inherent to the observations that stimulated the model, and apart from its intrinsic circularity (one could argue that speciation can occur only when phyletic change is rapid, not vice versa), the model is more ad hoc explanation than theory, and it rests on shaky ground."

    Reference: Ricklefs, Robert E., "Paleontologists Confronting Macroevolution,“ Science, vol. 199, 1978, p. 59

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    /*As much I know Manu is the first man then what r all this science claim something else.*/

    What you know is right. Manu is the progenitor of mankind , even the term "man" came from manu. More over krishna confirming it in BG

    BG 4.1: The Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.

    Lord Krishna is saying, we should have n o doubt in it, and vedas confirm it.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /*And also the fact of Bermuda Triangle, is that true? they say that it traps ships, planes etc it has sea monsters and magnets which attack people.*/

    Other knowledgeable can help in this regard.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /*Are we suppose do belive in such things? What does shastras say regarding science?*/

    We should have firm faith in Shastra rather than science, because science depends on ascending process, in which they do experiment by totally rely on perception through their senses , which are imperfect. Hence the conclusion of such experiment is faulty and not ultimate truth, thats why we see the theory of uncertainty. In all their theory suppose like Big Bang, they say that there might have a chunk of energy, which might have exploded..So all their theory is may be, would have been etc like. So when a new theory comes in market, it proves wrong the old theory. So in reality we can't rely on these theories.

    Instead we should depend on descending process which is coming from time immorial through Prampara. because vedas are apuruseya (divine manifestation), not a work of imperfect human being. So if we take that knowledge our knowledge becomes perfect, and it is not that it is theory, if we apply it in our life, we can see practical effect. So it is at the same time Bigyanam (science) . Beacuse the knowledge which we aquire if we practically implement it , we see results and it is reproducible , isn't what the term science is stands for ?

    exp. Like if we chant attentively and follow four regulative principle we see the change in our consciousness after few days. So this is experimental this is science.

    Hope this will help

    your aspiring servant

    Hari Bol

    • Volunteer

      Hare Krishna pr, pranam dandavat

      Thankyou for this elaborate explaination.

      your servant

       

      • Volunteer

        About Bermuda Triangle HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaj wrote in his book the spiritual warrior first part. He explains that under the Earth planet there are living entities also. And when we disturb them much by taking from the Earth gas and other things they get disturbed and they do hinder us back.

        And this triangle is a gate where they come out and get in to it.

        Your servant,

        • Volunteer

          Hare Krishna mataji,

          thankyou for ur reply.

          "under the Earth planet there are living entities also. And when we disturb them much by taking from the Earth gas and other things they get disturbed and they do hinder us back.

          And this triangle is a gate where they come out and get in to it."

          Is this information scientific or with reference to any scripture?

          your servant

           

          • I haven't read it but probably Quran says about a way to wold of JIN's through sea.

            3 years back When I was not a Devotee (had no respect for religious faith (and believed this fanatic faith is stopping society to look forward)) I talked with one of my Muslim Friend who proclaimed Barmuda Triangle is a fact and his Scripture says about it and I opposed it to be a HOAX. because 2 days back Some National Geography Guy came to give a guest lecture and said it was fake.

            to support out arguments both of us did lots of google and we found most of the trusted sources are saying it to be fake. and publications of science journals gives some explanationas about hot and cold tide that's why  weather is bad their and ships and air-crafts are lost their.

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