CREATION AND ANNIHILATION OF UNIVERSE
AS PER HINDU SCRIPTURES
ED VISWANATHAN
.........author of international best seller AM I A HINDU?
When Shoemaker-Levy - 9 comet hit Jupiter, the whole world rejoiced at it, with astronomers cheering all over the world. Little they know THAT
THERE COULD ANOTHER COMET MANY TIMES BIGGER THAN SHOEMAKER-LEVY-9, POISED TO HIT EARTH ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE. Our earth is only just a very small
planet in a world of millions of galaxies and our end as we see it can come any time in the future. IT IS A NAKED FACT, whether we want to face that or not.
If Shoemaker-Levy might have hit earth, it will be like several millions of rock in 1 to 2.5 square miles in sizes hitting earth at a speed of 134,000 miles per hour produce ing a surface impact temp. of 53,550 degrees Fahrenheit [Sun's surface temperature is 10,350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Instantly the temperature of earth will go up 30 to 40 degrees high and ice at poles will melt and flood the world; earth will be covered by 100 or 200 miles levels high dust. That dust cover will make the world in few days a piece of ice, killing all the plants and animals.
WHY I WROTE THAT???? Just to make a point that THIS EARTH AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSE HAVE BEEN CREATED AND DESTROYED MANY TIMES, according to Hindu scriptures. Hindu scriptures explain this PERPETUAL CREATION AND ANNIHILATION with the Sanskrit word, LEELA - the child-like expression of God
Indeed the beauty of Hinduism, is its constant awareness of NEVER ENDING AND PERPETUAL CREATION AND ANNIHILATION OF THE UNIVERSE, as well as LIFE as MAYA THE ILLUSION and still ASKING ASPIRANTS TO WORK DAY AND NIGHT IN THAT ILLUSION TO REALIZE THE TRUTH. Paradoxical nature of my statement itself make Hinduism the most complex and intriguing religion of the world.
THERE ARE COUNTLESS THEORIES OF CREATION FROM GREEK MYTHOLOGY TO UFO's. ALL MAKE AS MUCH SENSE AS GENESIS, theories [Gen. 1:1-2:4, Gen 2:5]. Carl Sagan, said in Cosmos video series, Hinduism has a creation theory similar to modern astronomical theory.
Hinduism states 1. EVERYTHING EMERGED FROM THAT WHICH IS SMALLER THAN THE SMALLEST FACTOR MATTER. According the BIG BANG theory, the universe came
into existence about 15 billion years ago, after the explosion of insignificantamounts of Hydrogen in gaseous format. FOR YOURS AS WELL AS OTHER KIND INFORMATION, let me post Hindu theory of creation.
1. In Hinduism, the "creation and annihilation of the universe" is a continuous, cyclical process. It never had a beginning and never will have an end. On one side creation happens in the universe and still on another side, annihilation also happens. This earth we see had been created and destroyed many times. It will never end.
We see a beginning and an end, since we are very limited in our thinking. Most of you might have seen idols of LORD NATARAJA [ dancing God of India] in many museums as well as on the desks of so many VIPs and movies like James Bond. That idol depicts with one hand PERPETUAL CREATION and by other hand PERPETUAL ANNIHILATION.
2. If we can state that Christian creation has a perfect beginning and perfect end like a straight line, Hindu creation & annihilation concept is
in the form of a circle, with no beginning and no end.
3. Reincarnation theory of Hindus tally with Darwin's theory of evolution. It is very interesting to note that 10 Avatars[ incarnations of God] Lord Vishnu comply with Darwin's theory of evolution. First Lord Vishnu came as fish, then as tortoise, then as a boar, then as a man- lion, then as a boy, man etc. Did early Hindu theologians know about Darwin's theory? Or did
Darwin was influenced by Hindu concepts, since much of Platonic thinking are of Hindu origin?
4. The Big-bang theory states that universe came into existence about 15 billion years ago. That 15 billion years in Hinduism is only `two days' to
Lord Brahma - the God of creation.
5. When modern astronomy deals with billion of years,Hindu creation concepts deal with trillions of years.
6. Astronomers say that universe came into existence as a result of violentexplosion of few infinitesimal Hydrogen molecules.Hindu scriptures say that "EVERYTHING CAME FROM BRAHMAN, WHICH IS SUBTLER THAN THE ATOM, GREATER THAN THE GREATEST" [ref: Chandogya Upanishad].
7. Stressing the cyclical nature of creation and annihilation, Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita: " I AM LIFE, CAUSE OF ALL LIFE AND I AM DEATH, DEVOURER OF ALL."
8. Hindus scriptures say that universe first emerged as casual universe, from which subtle or astral universe came, and finally material universe emerged.
9. Hinduism gives a lot of importance to earth. In fact, Hindu scriptures call earth as MOTHER EARTH. Much of what you read in green-peace movement and earth-summit in South America came from Hindu concept of earth.
10. Hindu scriptures say that we are in KALI YUGA now. About 427,000 years later this earth will be destroyed and another earth will be created. THIS CREATION AND ANNIHILATION PROCESS GOES ON FOREVER.
11. According to the Hindu law giver, Sage Manu, UNIVERSE UNDERGOES ENDLESS CYCLES OF BIRTH AND DESTRUCTION. "Creation and annihilation" are part and parcel of everything including the universe. Each insect has its own cycle of creation and annihilation. The universe we see including the `milky way' will be destroyed and created time and time again.
12. The Bhagavad Gita [8:17,18,19] states: WHEN THE GOD OF CREATION STARTS HIS DAY, ALL ENTITIES MANIFEST FROM THE UNMANIFESTED STATE, AND THERE AFTER WHEN THE HIS NIGHT FALLS, THEY GO BACK TO UNMANIFESTED STATE AGAIN. So during HIS day, the entities become alive and during HIS night entities are helplessly destroyed.
13. This whole process is known as LEELA or CHILD PLAY OF GOD in Hinduism. Everything is MAYA or illusion and just like the ON and OFF switches on a digital computer makes thousands of forms of "illusion" for all of us, LEELA is creating all this illusion again and again.
14. We are now living in KALI YUGA. The total number of years in KALI YUGA is 432000 human years. We are already 5000 years into Kali Yuga. At the end of Kali Yuga, that is about 427,000 years from today this world will be destroyed and ANOTHER PLANET EARTH will be built for creation to start again.
15. In Hinduism, time immemorial is measured in KALPAS.
1 KALPA = 8,640,000,000 years [8.64 trillion human years]
1 KALPA = 1 day and night for god of creation
1 KALPA = 2000 MAHAYUGAS
1 MAHAYUGA = 4,320,000 years
1 MAHAYUGA = sum total of 4 yugas KRITA YUGA, TRETA YUGA, DVAPARA YUGA & KALI YUGA
1 KRITA YUGA = 1,728,000 years [ 4 x size of Kali yuga]
1 TRETA YUGA = 1,296,000 years [ 3 x size of Kali yuga]
1 DVAPARA YUGA = 864,000 years [ 2 x size of Kali Yuga]
1 KALI YUGA = 432,000 years Add all those 4 yugas and you will get 4,320,000 years.
16. First comes KRITA YUGA, then it changes into TRETA YUGA, then it changes into DVAPARA YUGA and then finally it changes into KALI YUGA. After
the destruction in KALI YUGA, KRITA YUGA will start all over again...This cycle of events never stops.
17 In his very popular COSMOS video series, Carl Sagan very briefly described the Hindu concept of creation. Most probably you might have seen
that.Do you know why Carl Sagan [billions and billions!!!]was intrigued by Hindu creation and annihilation theory?Since it deals with TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS of years;
Whereas other creation theories only deal with thousands of years. Now let me write about MAYANS. I feel they have so many concepts so similar to Hindus. For example. when a Hindu say NAMASTHE he means YOU AND I ARE ONE. I SALUTE YOU AND HONOR THE GOD WITHIN YOU, WHICH IS A MIRROR IMAGE OF MYSELF.
Believe it or not A key Mayan phrase in this regard is IN LAKE'CH meaning I AM ANOTHER YOURSELF
MAYAN THEORIES
18. Like Hindu astronomers Mayans computed the length of earth revolution around Sun to within 1/1000th of a Decimal point. Their recording goes up to 400,000 years in the past. Mayan's 5125 year "GREAT CYCLE OF EVENTS" which began 3113 B.C [Hindu kali yuga started at the same time] ends in
A.D. 2012. Mayans believe that there will be great transformation to mankind by year 2012. According to Mayan's theory, by the year A.D. 2012 a global society will emerge, when all of us will be extremely closer to one another since all of us will know all about each other.
MAYAN CALENDAR ENDS on December 21, 2012
MAYAN CALENDAR ENDS on December 21, 2012
MAYAN CALENDAR ENDS on December 21, 2012
What will happen after that date?
I for one believe that all the humanity will enter into a super consciousness after that day, when all of us think alike------entering into
NIRVIKALPA SAMDHI.
19. Like Hindus, Mayans believe in a universe of infinite cycles of time. Mayans believe that our solar system is 7th of that kind. Hindus mythology
talks about 7 heavens 7 hells and 7 earths.
20. Mayans like Hindus also believed in BODY FORCES and treatment of body by properly understanding those forces and treating the body accordingly. I feel, modern science will eventually will take lessons from Mayans and
Hindus and will start treating the body just as BIO-ELECTRO MAGNETIC NET WORK and start treating it as a COMPUTER or as a ROBOT.
A day may come, when AIDS will be treated as a blockage in BIO-ELECTRIC NET WORK made by powerful negative GUILTY CONSCIOUSNESS THOUGHTS.
[ Of course thoughts are just small specs of electricity in the brain].
21. Personally, I am intrigued by the word MAYAN as well as by theories. Did they get the name from Hindus? The word Maya in Sanskrit means ILLUSION. The name of Lord Buddha's mother was MAYA.
In the epic Mahabharata, there is a description of a wandering tribe of navigators, who are called MAYA. Can that MAYA be the MAYANS of Mexico? According archaeologists, the word MAYAN came from the word MAYAB, the term usually used to describe YUCATAN PENINSULA. Can the name originate from the Roman goddess MAIA??? I am puzzled. There is so much to learn about MAYANS.
22.HOW CAN WE DISREGARD MAYAN or HINDU CONCEPTS OF CREATION IF WE DECIDE TO TEACH CHILDREN ALL CREATION THEORIES?
I am an engineer and author of an international best seller on Hinduism by name AM I A HINDU? [HALO BOOKS, SAN FRANCISCO ISBN 1-879904-06-3
800-723-4508 415-892-0649- please read at
www.amazon.com about this book---which lists this book as the 3rd most popular book in Hinduism] which sold MANY MANY copies around the globe.
This book is one of a kind with 90 chapters and hundreds of questions and answers. It is in the form of thought provoking dialogue between 14 year old American born Indian teenager and his middle aged father on all aspects of Hinduism.
Almost all the papers and magazines in India have written excellent reviews on this book. In USA many magazines [LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST etc] have recommended this book for all libraries . At least one community college in California is using this book as a medium of instruction to teach students about Hinduism.
PLEASE WRITE FOR FREE EDUCATIONAL FLOW CHARTS ON HINDU CULTURE WITH YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS since these are very unique and never published in any book before.I have sent these charts to thousands around the globe. Every one of them are startled to find the depth of Hindu culture. Personally, I am amazed to see the greatness of the vast ocean of Hinduism----There is no subject on earth not touched by the authors of Hindu scriptures----I write about Hinduism out of admiration than any fanaticism. Please print this article and pass on to friends.
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CREATION AND ANNIHILATION OF UNIVERSE -
07-24-2005, 01:04 AM
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