Clarifying The Assumptions of Modern Scientists With Srimad Bhagavatam

(written on October 19, 2019)

(References: SB 2.9.33-36 and BG 13.21, 7.4, 14.4 and 10.8.)

The scientists' 6 assumptions are:

1. Nature is orderly and laws of nature can describe that order.

Through this point the scientists are trying to say that nature created itself, but that is incorrect. Nature is orderly, but not because of the so-called laws of nature which are actually limited. Nature is orderly because Krishna created it.

1. We can know nature through observation.

This point is incorrect. We cannot know nature through our limited observations. As Srila prabhupada explains in the introduction of Isopanisad, “Lastly, our senses are imperfect. We are very proud of our eyes. Often, someone will challenge, "Can you show me God?" But do you have the eyes to see God? You will never see if you haven't the eyes. If immediately the room becomes dark, you cannot even see your hands. So what power do you have to see? We cannot, therefore, expect knowledge (veda) with these imperfect senses. With all these deficiencies, in conditioned life we cannot give perfect knowledge to anyone. Nor are we ourselves perfect. Therefore we accept the Vedas as they are.” Since whatever we observe, we perceive incorrectly, we have to accept the Vedas because they are the bonafide knowledge. So this statement is incorrect. We can know nature truly by understanding the Vedas only.

1. All phenomena have natural causes.

All phenomena do not have natural causes because nature is not the Absolute cause. It is stated in BG 13.21, “Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects.” Nature is only the cause of everything material, not anything spiritual. The scientists are cunningly trying to say that there is no God in this statement, but they are wrong, because of proof from the Bhagavad Gita. Another reference is BG 7.4 in which Krishna says, “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego – all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.” Krishna is saying that all these material energies belong to Him, therefore He is the proprietor, not nature.

1. Nothing is self evident.

This statement is incorrect. There are some self evident truths which Srila Prabhupada explains in the introduction to Isopanisad, “If you accept the right authority, or source of knowledge, then you save much time. For example, there are two systems of knowledge in the material world: inductive and deductive. From deductive, you accept that man is mortal. Your father says man is mortal, your sister says man is mortal, everyone says man is mortal—but you do not experiment. You accept it as a fact that man is mortal. If you want to research to find out whether man is mortal, you have to study each and every man, and you may come to think that there may be some man who is not dying but you have not seen him yet. So in this way your research will never be finished.” So, it is recommended that one must accept the Vedas to save time and reach the Absolute knowledge. That is a self evident truth.

1. Knowledge is derived from acquisition of experience.

This point is very similar to point 2 which states that we can know nature through observation. This is wrong because as humans, one of our main defects in that we have imperfect senses. This means that our experiences are limited. How can we know anything through limited experience? Whatever knowledge derived will either be incomplete or incorrect. Hence we have to accept the Vedas.

1. Knowledge is superior to ignorance.

This statement is partially correct. The correct knowledge is superior to ignorance, otherwise it is no better than ignorance. The correct knowledge is the knowledge imparted from the Vedas and from the bonafide spiritual master.

The 4 facts to remember from Srimad Bhagavatam in order to defeat the modern scientists assumptions are: (SB 2.9.33-36)

1. Krishna was existing before the material creation, and therefore he is the origin of everything material and spiritual.

2. Anything that is not related to Krishna is illusory.

3. Krishna exists within everything but yet is independent of everything. (Principle of achintya-bheda-abheda-tattva, simultaneous oneness and difference).

4. If you are looking for the Supreme knowledge, you must understand Krishna through these three points:

   1. I am not the body.

   2. I am the soul and within this body is also paramatma.

   3. The soul, paramatma, and the body all come from Krishna.