Gurbani and Cosmology

Introduction.

Cosmology is the study of the origin of the universe, its structure, and the laws governing it. This study has been carried out in two fields – religious and scientific, the latter as part of astrophysics.

Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with physical properties of the universe, how it came into existence, its hypothesized history and structure. The religious studies are scripture based and hence there are a variety of views. However all religions see the Creator’s hand in creation of the universe and are also conscious of the place of human beings in it.

Both approaches agree that the universe is governed by certain laws. The scientist calls them the laws of science; religions take them as the Creator’s commands or laws of nature. The scientist treats the latter as superstition. The religion-science debate started during the scientific and industrial revolution of the 15th to 18th centuries CE. The West has led rest of the world in this field and since the predominant religion in the West is Christianity, the religious view has been represented by the contents of the Bible.

The Old Testament starts with the story of creation in six days mentioning only the earth and its sky[1]. The earth is believed to be at the center of the solar system and not moving[2]. The New Testament shows angels standing on four corners of the earth thus considering it to be flat[3].

The Polish priest and astronomer Copernicus (1473 -1543) proposed a cosmological model with the sun and not the earth is at the center of the solar system. But the Roman Catholic Church would have none of it as it went against the Biblical text. He therefore did not publish it for fear of the Church and circulated it anonymously. It took almost a century before the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilee (1564 -1642) verified Copernicus’ theory using his telescope. Galileo was hauled up, made to retract from the theory but was still imprisoned for life. The Church later realized the error and Galileo was pardoned by the Pope in 1992. This incidence shows that religious zealots are partly responsible for the gulf between science and religion. The gulf continues.

Copernicus’s theory was modified by the German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571 – 1630) who proposed that the planets moved in elliptical orbits. This was explained later by Sir Isaac Newton (1643 – 1727) in 1687 as being due to gravity when he published his famous work Philosophiae Naturalis Mathematica.

Almost coincident with the scientific revolution, a spiritual revolution took place with the advent and development of the Sikh religion during the 15th to 17th centuries. It is a religion of the modern period and has done away with superstitions and dogmas. It believes that every thing exists and functions according to the laws of nature. These laws are called Hukam or the Creator’s commands. The Creator is not a person but the Spirit that is behind these laws and guides every thing in nature.

It is interesting to see how the universe has been looked at over time.

The Hindu religion is the oldest and its adherents believe that their scriptures the Vedas have come from the Divine. The Rig Veda says:

None can know from where creation has arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone knows-or perhaps does not know (Rig Veda 10. 129. 7) [4].

The latest Hindu scripture the Bhagwad Gita states, as do their many other texts, that creation is cyclic i.e. it is created and destroyed again and again:

O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium every material manifestation enters into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency I again create (Gita 9:7)[5].

The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end (Gita 9:8).

The Jews, Christians and Muslims believe in the Old Testament. It describes creation of the earth, sky, sun, moon and the stars by God in six days (Genesis 1: 1-31). When the scientists questioned this it was argued that the concept of six days is metaphorical and each day means a long period of time. The scripture has thus been reinterpreted to show compatibility with science.

The Muslim scripture the Quran also says likewise a number of times e.g.:

Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six periods[6].

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) the scripture of the Sikh religion mentions the total universe:

The individual planets, the galaxies and the universe acknowledge the Creator (M: 1, SGGS, p 6) [7].

The contents of SGGS are also referred to as Gurbani, the Guru’s word. The above Gurbani statement made in the 15th century and the current scientific knowledge are compatible.

The universe displays definite order. All component of it are mutually supporting and function without defect, failure or interference. There must therefore have been planning and some one to plan it. Gurbani describes it thus:

The universe is the work of the Creator.

The whole world play shows the powers of the creator;

One authority has overall control which the Creator exercises (M: 4, SGGS, p 507)[8].

It is customary to refer to the Creator as ‘He’ i.e. of male gender. However Spirit does not have any gender, which Gurbani specifically recognizes. The gender-neutral pronoun ‘It’ has therefore been used for the Creator in this study.

As we proceed it would become apparent that Science and the Sikh religion are not opposed to each other. The issue of dogmas generally connected with the subject will also be addressed. The study has been laid out as follows.

Overview.
The Purpose of creation.
Conditions before Creation, and planning.
Structure of the universe.
The basic elements of all existence.
Age of the Universe
The sequence of creation.
The process of creation.
Phenomena in nature.
The place of humans in the world.
Conclusion.

Overview.

Watching from the earth Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539), the founder of the Sikh Religion saw:

Separated from the earth, the sky is spread as a canopy;

The planets are held without physical support, a sign of the laws;

The sun and the moon provide light;

Day and night enable the world’s activities (M: 1, SGGS, p 1279)[9] .

Fascinated by the signs but not seeing the Creator the Guru exclaims:

Your creation fascinates me;

You are the Lord of spiritual and physical existence but remain detached (M: 5, p 724)[10].

The Purpose of Creation.

What is the purpose of creation? The Creator alone knows says the Guru:

All creation is by Hukam, the Creator’s will;

But no one knows about the Hukam (M: 1, SGGS, p 1)[11].

It is enough for man to understand that the universe was created by God’s Hukam or command but not the why of it:

The multifaceted universe has been created according to Your Hukam,

O unfathomable Creator no one knows the purpose of Your Hukam (M: 3, p 786)[12].

Gurbani does not pursue this subject further.

Conditions before Creation, and Planning.

There was a period when nothing existed and then –

The Creator created Itself alone and none else;

It made plans with Its own counsel and was also to be the executor (M; 3, p 509)[13].

Planning for the universe was done over myriad ages. During that period there was stillness, nothing else existed:

The Infinite Creator is the beginning of time;

The beginning of every thing;

It sat in deep concentration making out plans;

Innumerable ages passed in utter darkness,

with the Creator remaining absorbed in contemplation (M: 5, p 1023)[14].

The lone presence of God has a lesson for mankind. In that state there were no superstitions and other problems mankind faces today:

When the manifest existence was not yet there –

Who acted in virtue or sin?

Who was the enemy or opponent?

Who had joy or sorrow?

Where could be attachment or doubt?

The Creator conducted its own play,

None else was there to do any thing (M: 5, p 290-91)[15].

The above is only a sample. There are other factors like different religions, scriptures and conflicts, deities, rituals, attachment, jealousy and so on. The lesson is that even now it is possible to do away with them if mankind gives up ego and focuses on the Creator alone.

The situation before creation is summarized thus:

For myriad ages there was utter darkness;

There was no earth or sky, only the Creator;

There were no days, nights, sun or moon, the Creator sat in deep contemplation alone;

There was no life, speech, air or water;

There was no creation, destruction, birth, death;

There were no planets, lower regions, the seven seas or the flowing rivers;

There were no higher, middle or lower regions,

The Semitic concept of hell, heaven or destruction did not exist;

Nor was there the Eastern concept of hell, heaven, birth, death and reincarnation (M: 1, SGGS, p 1035-36)[16].

Structure of the Universe.

The universe is described thus:

There are millions of –

Life forms and galaxies, skies and universes;

Millions are born and evolved in many ways;

Evolution has taken place many times, but the Creator has remained one (M: 5, SGGS, p 276)[17].

Further:

There are millions of planets below and above each other,

Repeated efforts to find them do not succeed say the Hindu Vedas;

The Semitic scriptures say there are 18000 planets but their source is one;

However counting is not possible as we can count only if the number is finite,

The Great Creator alone knows (M: 1, SGGS, p 5)[18].

Reference to 18000 planets is not found either in the Semitic scriptures the Bible or the Quran. It however exists in the Talmud, a record of oral discussions pertaining to the Jewish Law between the Rabbis, the Jewish clergy, and is considered authoritative. It says God flies through 18000 worlds or planets (Talmud – Aveda Zara 3b). Guru Nanak’s knowledge of this shows he had interacted with the Jews, although there is no historical record available.

Creation has a hierarchical structure organized into khands (individual planets), Mandals (galaxies), and Brahmands or Varbhands (universes). There are numerousuniverses, as mentioned above. In this study henceforth the singular ‘universe’ has been used to represent the total creation for convenience.

A Galaxy is a large system of stars held together by mutual gravitation and isolated from similar systems by vast regions of space. Each galaxy has a solar system like ours. Our Galaxy is called the Milky Way.

The entire universe has a central control and harmony between its components as is clear from the relationship between the sun, the moon and the earth. Guru Nanak likens this harmony to that in a musical group where one director directs players of different musical instruments and many singers together sing to the same tune. The Guru addresses the Creator:

What is that place from where You direct all activity and watch?

There are innumerable sounds of the musical instruments, and their players;

There are numerous melodies, their tunes and the singers (M: 1, SGGS, p 6)[19].

The planets are held in space without any physical support. Then what supports the planets? In this regard Guru Nanak refers to the dogma in Hindu mythology that the earth is supported by a white bull (according to Greek mythology the heavens are supported by Atlas), and does not agree with it. He says they are held in space according to cosmic laws:

The conceptual bull represents the laws given by the benevolent Creator,

These laws have been put in place and are obeyed; —-

And asks as a scientist would –

If any one believes in the bull, let him say:

How much weight can a bull bear?

There are planets beyond the earth and farther away,

What supports them? (M: 1, SGGS, p 3)[20].

It is the study of these laws that has enabled the scientists to launch satellites that stay in orbit round the earth. However there is a difference. Whereas man-made satellites need power and make use of solar energy the planets have no such need. The satellites have limited life unlike the planets.

The Basic Elements of All Existence.

Five elements namely air (gases), water (liquids), earth (solids – soil and minerals), fire (heat and light energy) and sky (space) make creation:

Air, water, fire, earth and sky;

The universe comprises of these five elements and has their characteristics (M: 1, p 1031)[21].

These characteristics are described later.

Nothing has any thing beyond these five:

The Creator created the universe with the five elements;

If any one can show a sixth element let him show (M: 4, p 736)[22].

What is the source of these elements quizzes Gurbani and answers:

The body comprises of the five elements; what were the elements created from? (Kabir, SGGS, p 870)[23].

The creator created the five elements and gave them their characteristics (M: 4, p 720)[24].

Age of the Universe.

There is wide variation in the estimates of life of the universe and the earth. According to the Hindu view no date or time of creation can be stated because of the cyclic nature of creation. According to their scriptures the present universe was formed at the beginning of Satyug and may be 4.32 billion years old[25]. The Christian view, accepted by St. Augustine (354 -430), based on the story of creation given in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, is that the universe was formed around 5000 BC[26].

Newton also made a Bible based estimate of a few thousand years. Einstein (1879-1955) through his General Theory of Relativity estimated that the universe was ageless and eternal. The Big Bang theory about the creation of the universe enunciated in the 20th century places its life at about 13.73 billion years. The scientists estimate the age of the earth to be about one third of this, at 4.54 billion years.

Guru Nanak says it is not possible for the humans to know when the universe came into being. But people will still say, one trying to outdo another in assumed wisdom. He first asks:

What was the time, phase of the day or of the lunar cycle or day of the week,

What was the season or the month when the creation came into being? —

And replies:

The Brahmins do not know the time as it is not there in their scriptures,

It is also not known to the Qazis since it is not written the Quran;

The phase of the lunar cycle or the day of the week is not known to the Yogis,

No one knows the season or month. —-

He says further:

The Creator who created the universe alone knows;

How can any one know or describe this?

But people will still say, one trying to outdo the other in wisdom (M: 1, SGGS, p 4-5)[27].

The Sequence of Creation.

It seems planning for creation was based on three principles. Firstly that the whole universe was to be started at one time:

Only rare people have received the Divine word of revelation;

That the creator created, watches and Its writ runs all over;

The individual planets and the whole universe were all started together,

as the unseen Creator’s manifestation (M: 1, SGGS, p 1036)[28].

Secondly resources for life to sustain were to be provided before life was created. The Creator has arranged for these in mind-boggling detail. For example food is available for creatures born under the rocks. It is also there for those created in water. Before a mother gives birth to her baby she gets milk in her breasts. At the very early stage of creation requirement was for air, water and food. The earth has these resources available and it was so planned that the earth was nominated for life to exist. Gurbani praises the Creator:

O Creator You first created the wherewithal.

And the living beings after that;

There is no benefactor equal to you, nay no one comes close (M: 5, SGGS, 130)[29].

Thirdly a core was to be made first which was to expand later.

The Process of Creation.

A controversy on whether the present existence is a result of creation by a Creator or by the process of evolution has been raging for a long time. However protagonists of evolution are not able deny the requirement for some thing to exist before evolution can take place. Gurbani takes this into account and says the two are complementary. The following process of creation-cum- evolution brings this out.

The Creator started the process of creation with a view to fulfill its purpose which no one else knows. Guru Nanak likens it to Chaupar, a game of dice played on a cloth board with two strips crossing at right angles to make four segments. Pieces move on the board according to throw of dice:

The Creator started the world play with the four ages as the Chaupar board;

The creatures were to be the pieces with the Creator throwing the dice (M: 1, SGGS, p 433-34)[30].

The throw of dice by the Creator represents Hukam or commands which the creatures carry out.

The Creator’s action did not end with creation. Every thing is under Its control by way of the laws of nature. The Creator is also present every where which again means the laws of nature are applicable every where:

The Creator is present every where and in every one in the multifaceted creation;

It directs all actions; none else can do this (M: 3, SGGS, p 427)[31].

We can identify the following stages in creation.

Stage 1, The Creator Creates Itself.

This has been discussed under ‘Conditions before Creation. The concept of the eternal Creator being the source of the laws of nature acknowledges that the laws are also eternal.

Stage 2, The Creator Creates Air, Water and Molds the Planets.

The Creator next created air and water and then the planets were molded using dust and heat. Guru Nanak says:

The eternal Creator created air from Itself and from air was formed water;

The universe was molded with water; the Creator pervades all existence (M: 1, SGGS, p 19)[32].

Spirit was infused into dust to create the universe including the world;

The sky, the earth, water, plants were created by the Creator (M: 5, SGGS, p 723)[33].

After creating the air the creator molded all the planets making use of water and heat (M: 1, SGGS, p 350)[34].

This is based on revelation. The scientific explanation for formation of water is that hydrogen and oxygen gases in the air chemically reacted to form water.

The process of making the core was thus complete. The next step was to let the core expand and the components take their respective places in space.

Stage 3. Expansion.

After all things were given shape they were enclosed in a shell like that of an egg and allowed to incubate. When the incubation period was over the shell was opened, put together again, and later

finally opened:

The Creator enclosed all things in a shell like that of an egg;

The shell was opened, put together again and later finally separated;

The earth and its sky were nominated for life to exist;

Day and night were to guide activities of the creatures;

The One who created also watches;

None else can play that role (M: 1, SGGS, p 839)[35].

The sun and moon were introduced after the first opening:

After the shell was put together and then split into two, there was utter darkness;

The sun and moon were created for the world play in day and night (M: 1, SGGS, p 580)[36].

When the contents of the shell were finally released they expanded:

A single command was given and expansion took place in millions of streams (M: 1, SGGS, p 3)[37].

The creation is not finite:

There are no limits to creation; it has no boundaries (M: 1, SGGS, p 5)[38].

The above was revealed to Guru Nanak in the 15th century CE. However science seriously addressed the issue of the process of creation only in the 20th century. A Belgian physicist and Roman Catholic priest Georges Lemaitre relying on Albert Einstein’s General Relativity put forward a hypothesis in 1927 that the universe came into existence as a result of an explosion. This was later confirmed by observations made by Edwin Hubble in 1929. This hypothesis came to be called the Big Bang Theory, the term coined by Fred Hoyle in 1949. The mathematical equations of Einstein showed that the universe is ever expanding. These aspects have been confirmed by observations from the data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990. It was discovered that galaxies are moving away from each other continuously. Like all scientific theories further studies continue[39].

It has been stated above that the earth and its sky were nominated for life to exist. This is interesting because science has been making efforts for many decades to find life on other planets but without success. Gurbani view is that life is not likely to be found any where else.

How was life created?

The Creator created the earth and with it pleasure and pain;

Woman and man were created along with sense of attachment, and emotions;

All life forms and their forms of speech were created, as also support for them all;

The laws of nature determine what is right or wrong (M: 1, p 580)[40].

Charles Darwin in his book ‘The Origin of Species’[41], Chapter VI – Difficulties on Theory, has spent considerable effort to show that different organs of the body evolved gradually. He also says that if it can be shown that any organ has irreducible complexity his theory fails. But then says even though the eye is complex it could have evolved. However the concept of gradual evolution of the organs does not seem reasonable because a body could not have existed with partial organs. Then there is the interconnection between organs. For example in the human body the heart, lungs and the kidneys are all associated with purification of blood and disposal of waste. Who designed this and the other systems like the digestive and respiratory systems involving multiple organs? This is a major point of contention in the Evolution – Intelligent Design debate. Gurbani had rejected the view about development of individual organs more than five centuries ago saying the body was created whole:

We were given the soul, body, mouth, nose and water for use;

Food to eat, clothes to wear as well as avenues of enjoyment are given;

Caught in ego the animal-like mind does not acknowledge the Creator (M: 4, SGGS, p 167)[42].

Phenomena in nature.

Scientific cosmology is based on hypotheses which are later confirmed by actual observation. Religious cosmology on the other hand is based either on dogma or revelation. Gurbani does not rely on dogma and part of what it said was discovered by science centuries later. Given below are a few more phenomena

As discussed earlier the Bible states that the earth, and not the sun, is at the center of the solar system. This was proved wrong by Copernicus and Galileo. However Guru Nanak had stated a century before Galileo that there is one sun and many seasons which means the earth revolves round the sun:

There is one sun that creates many seasons

It is the many sided manifestation of the Creator (M: 1, SGGS, p 12-13[43]).

Another natural phenomenon that preceded scientific knowledge by centuries is that the moon draws its light from the sun. Guru Nanak uses this as a metaphor to say that the creatures should acknowledge and identify the Divine Spirit in the self the way the moon owes its light to the sun:

How does one know one’s roots and the self; how does the moon get light from the sun?

Be Guru oriented, shed ego and you will get this enlightenment in mind (M: 5, p 945)[44].

The earth has water in and on it but the soil still requires to be irrigated to be productive. Evaporation of water from the sea to form clouds and travel to drop rain ensures this:

It rains on the earth, is water not there on the earth?

The water present on the earth travels as clouds to drop rain;

O creator this is Your way of clearing doubts;

Every thing is done by It alone and It pervades every where (M: 3, SGGS, p 162)[45].

There is a message in this for mankind that although the Creator is present in the mind the latter needs to be refreshed, with remembrance and listening, like dropping of the rain or methods of irrigation. It is also an example of the Creator looking after what has been created.

Gurbani also refers to the phenomenon of meteors. One can see them but not their origin. Similarly we can see the creation but not the Creator:

One can see a meteor but how do we understand this phenomenon?

An accomplished devotee sees this through the guru’s teachings (M: 1, SGG, p 1110)[46].

Gurbani taking note of further development of some life forms and extinction of others says;

There is development after creation or extinction as the Creator wills (M: 5, SGGS, p 294)[47].

Darwin calls this natural selection.

The Place of Humans in the world.

Since the earth alone has life it is here that humans play their role to fulfill the purpose of the Creator. Necessary environment for this has been provided:

In the environment provided by day and night, seasons, the moon and days of the week,

And provided with air, water, energy, and the lower regions;

The earth has been nominated for all to play their role in life (M: 1, SGGS, p 7)[48].

The Creator has also provided the resources for humans to work and live. Every thing needed is present in the earth:

Air is the essence of life and water creates it;

The earth is the storehouse where to find what is needed,

Night and day acting as nannies to guide human activities (M: 1, SGGS, p 1021)[49].

Of all the life forms humans alone have intellect and the ability to decide their way of working. Wherever possible humans put other life forms to work for their own benefit:

All other life forms are there to serve the humans;

This world is their dominion (M: 5, SGGS, p 374)[50].

Humans are therefore expected to use their intellect and be discerning:

We should use our intellect to play our role in life and receive honor;

Understand what we read and be discriminating while giving charity;

If intellect is not used one goes the devil’s way (M: 1, p 1245)[51].

With intellect granted to them the humans are expected to understand the purpose of their birth. If necessary they should seek the help of the guru as Bhagat Kabir does:

Paying obeisance to the Guru, I beseech, why are living beings created?

Pray teach me; why are the creatures born and then die? (Kabir, SGGS, p 475)[52].

This way one understands one’s role in service of the Creator and acknowledges:

All life and body has been given and role to perform allotted by You;

Every one acts according to Your pre-ordained command(M: 5, SGGS, p 736)[53].

The concept of preordained commands is that we must act sincerely in the environment in which we are placed, be it the faith, family, country, job or profession.

What humans need to do is to obey Hukam; this leads one nearer the Truth, the Creator:

How can the obstacle be broken so that we get to the Truth?

Live by the preordained Divine commands (M: 1, SGGS, p 1)[54].

Various life forms have certain instinctive characteristics like their love for certain things. Similarly if humans act naturally, i.e. obey Hukam without qualification theydevelop natural devotion to the Creator instinctively:

The way fish cannot survive without water,

The rain bird is not satisfied except by the rain drop,

The deer runs to where it hears music,

The bumble bee craves for the flower scent and gets caught there,

Similarly the saints love and are satisfied to have vision of the Creator (M: 5, SGGS, p 708)[55].

Like the rest of the universe the human body also comprises of the same five elements each with its characteristics. A man of God molds his life according to them:

A man of God –

Remains untouched by evil the way the lotus flower remains above water;

Vanquishes all evil the way the sun dries up every thing;

Treats all equally like the air makes no distinction between a king and a pauper;

Has patience the way the earth does not care whether it is decorated or dug up;

Does what he is supposed to do naturally the way fire does;

Remains unstained by evil the way dirt does not stick to water (M: 5, SGGS, p 272)[56].

Conclusion.

Gurbani is not a dedicated statement on cosmology. It deals in general terms with all aspects that interest human beings. Accordingly it provides considerable information about most aspects of the universe. The process of creation is particularly noteworthy because it provides answers to what science has been exploring for long. The description of what happened before expansion, called the Big Bang in scientific parlance, should particularly interest the scientist.

Gurbani has been the fore- runner of science in many aspects; the science- oriented statements it made were discovered by science centuries later. It should be expected that other issues, like the Gurbani assertion that no life exists on other planets, will be confirmed in due course.

Gurbani also provides a soul to physical existence which is all that science pursues. It does this by using the physical phenomena as metaphors for spiritual understanding and explaining the place of human beings in the world.

It may reasonably be expected that the Gurbani concept of creation and evolution being complementary, rather than being mutually exclusive, will be accepted by science in course of time.

Gurbani provides a confluence of spirituality and science.Overall, taking Gurbani as the reference for religion in the religion–science debate would reduce hostility and bring the two sides closer. This will result in a better and more congenial world to live in.

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