Guru Granth Sahib on the Universe: Difference between revisions
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This is not to criticise Carl Sagan but to bring home the point that most people have not studied religious text with any real seriousness and that the many fascinating ideas within our religious texts are unknown to most of the world. | This is not to criticise Carl Sagan but to bring home the point that most people have not studied religious text with any real seriousness and that the many fascinating ideas within our religious texts are unknown to most of the world. | ||
[[Guru Granth Sahib]] states that, “There are planets, solar systems and galaxies. If one speaks of them, '''there is no limit, no end'''. There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches over all, and contemplating the creation, He rejoices. Nanak says, to describe this is as hard as steel!” | [[Guru Granth Sahib]] states that, “There are planets, solar systems and galaxies. If one speaks of them, '''there is no limit, no end'''. There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches over all, and contemplating the creation, He rejoices. Nanak says, to describe this is as hard as steel!” {{sggs-ref|8|367}}. The scriptures say that the universe consists many different bodies including planets, solar systems galaxies, stars, etc and that the extent of the limit of these is unknown and that there is no end to their number. It is clear from this that probably the size of the universe is beyond an exact evaluation by the human mind. The holy text continues to state: "The limits of the created universe cannot be perceived. Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. Many struggle to know His limits, but His limits cannot be found. No one can know these limits. The more you say about them, the more there still remains to be said. " {{sggs-ref|5|213}. So it appears that as we get a better estimate of the size of the universe, the more we will find remain outside our knowledge. | ||
Furthermore, it is stated that God created the whole universe including the earth. “You Yourself created the earth, and the two lamps of the sun and the moon” {{sggs-ref|83|3339}}. And, “Many millions are the moons, suns and stars” {{sggs-ref|275|12384}}. | |||
==More Gurbani quotations== | ==More Gurbani quotations== | ||
--- | * {{gb|3|127|You created the vast expanse of the Universe with One Word!}} - Could the word have been "Bang!" - just joking! | ||
===Beginning of the Universe=== | |||
* {{gb|555|24566|For thirty-six ages, He created the darkness, abiding in the void. There were no Vedas, Puraanas or Shaastras there; only the Lord Himself existed. He Himself sat in the absolute trance, withdrawn from everything. Only He Himself knows His state; He Himself is the unfathomable ocean.(18)}} | |||
* {{gb|1023|43740|For so many ages, there was only pitch darkness; the Creator Lord was absorbed in the primal void.}} | |||
* {{gb|1035|44290|There was no day or night, no moon or sun; God sat in primal, profound Samaadhi.(1) There were no sources of creation or powers of speech, no air or water. There was no creation or destruction, no coming or going. There were no continents, nether regions, seven seas, rivers or flowing water.(2)}} | |||
* {{gb|1037|44398|From this primal void, came the moon, the sun and the earth....From this primal void, the earth and the Akaashic Ethers were created....From this primal void, came the four sources of creation, and the power of speech....They were created from the void, and they will merge into the void.....}} | |||
* {{gb|1037|44406|The Supreme Creator created the play of Nature; through the Word of His Shabad, He stages His Wondrous Show.(7)....From this primal void, He made both night and day;}} | |||
* {{gb|1038|44420|Creating the Universe, He made the expanse....The True Guru, the Primal Being, is sublime and detached....}} | |||
* {{gb| | }} | |||
* {{gb| | }} | |||
* {{wikipedia1|Sikhism and science}} | * {{wikipedia1|Sikhism and science}} | ||
Revision as of 10:46, 23 January 2009
There is very little that the world knows about what has been said within the Sikh scriptures regarding this issue or for that matter many other important issues that concern humanity. Carl Sagan (1934 – 1996) was an American astronomer, astrochemist, author, and highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics and other natural sciences. He was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He was a consultant and adviser to NASA since the 1950's and briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon.
This is what Carl Sagan, wrote in his book Pale Blue Dot:
"How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, 'This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant'? Instead they say, 'No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.' A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths."
This is not to criticise Carl Sagan but to bring home the point that most people have not studied religious text with any real seriousness and that the many fascinating ideas within our religious texts are unknown to most of the world.
Guru Granth Sahib states that, “There are planets, solar systems and galaxies. If one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end. There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches over all, and contemplating the creation, He rejoices. Nanak says, to describe this is as hard as steel!” (SGGS p8). The scriptures say that the universe consists many different bodies including planets, solar systems galaxies, stars, etc and that the extent of the limit of these is unknown and that there is no end to their number. It is clear from this that probably the size of the universe is beyond an exact evaluation by the human mind. The holy text continues to state: "The limits of the created universe cannot be perceived. Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. Many struggle to know His limits, but His limits cannot be found. No one can know these limits. The more you say about them, the more there still remains to be said. " {{sggs-ref|5|213}. So it appears that as we get a better estimate of the size of the universe, the more we will find remain outside our knowledge.
Furthermore, it is stated that God created the whole universe including the earth. “You Yourself created the earth, and the two lamps of the sun and the moon” (SGGS p83). And, “Many millions are the moons, suns and stars” (SGGS p275).
More Gurbani quotations
- "You created the vast expanse of the Universe with One Word!" (SGGS p3) - Could the word have been "Bang!" - just joking!
Beginning of the Universe
- "For thirty-six ages, He created the darkness, abiding in the void. There were no Vedas, Puraanas or Shaastras there; only the Lord Himself existed. He Himself sat in the absolute trance, withdrawn from everything. Only He Himself knows His state; He Himself is the unfathomable ocean.(18)" (SGGS p555)
- "For so many ages, there was only pitch darkness; the Creator Lord was absorbed in the primal void." (SGGS p1023)
- "There was no day or night, no moon or sun; God sat in primal, profound Samaadhi.(1) There were no sources of creation or powers of speech, no air or water. There was no creation or destruction, no coming or going. There were no continents, nether regions, seven seas, rivers or flowing water.(2)" (SGGS p1035)
- "From this primal void, came the moon, the sun and the earth....From this primal void, the earth and the Akaashic Ethers were created....From this primal void, came the four sources of creation, and the power of speech....They were created from the void, and they will merge into the void....." (SGGS p1037)
- "The Supreme Creator created the play of Nature; through the Word of His Shabad, He stages His Wondrous Show.(7)....From this primal void, He made both night and day;" (SGGS p1037)
- "Creating the Universe, He made the expanse....The True Guru, the Primal Being, is sublime and detached...." (SGGS p1038)
- "{{{3}}}" &english=t&id= #l (SGGS p )
- "{{{3}}}" &english=t&id= #l (SGGS p )
- See Wikipedia article on Sikhism and science for more information
External links
