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Re: Wondering

From the Bhakti List Archives

Jay.Bharadwaj • October 13, 1995 


I guess we all go through the wondering process.  The questions
evolve over time and change but the wondering process probably never
ceases.

Religion and science by themselves are not incompatible.  Hindu
Dharma and the concept of Moksha take over where science leaves off.
 Science has yet to find a microscope that can show us what a soul
looks like.  If we carefully examine the evidence presented by modern
science it will be obvious that nothing is proved beyond a reasonable
doubt.  All of modern acceoted theories center around accepting
evidence that support the evidence and ignoring evidence that
contradict those theories.  Example The sphinx of Egypt is believed
to have been built around 4,500 years ago by a pharaoh of Egypt,
Howver Geologists have found that the sphinx has been eroded by
water.  The last time there was sufficient rainfall to have caused
that much of erosion was 9,000 years ago.  By this estimate the
Sphinx should be about 9,500 years old, older than the present
ancient Egyptians.  Not much is known about any civilization that
existed then and how they built such a monument or moved it to where
it is now.  But is this evidence accepted by scientists?  No, because
it raises more questions than they have answers to.  Similarly man,
by today's reckoning, has existed for about seven thousand years or
so.  But there is an entire book called Forbidden Archeology that
shows evidence of man and use of weapons between seven and 55 million
years ago.  Accepting this as evidence would mean blowing Darwin's
theory to smithereens.

On the otherhand the little research that has been done based on
religious texts has borne evidence.  Excavations in ancient Greece
has verified a lot of the details given in the Iliad.  More than one
incident in the bible has been confirmed by archeologists.  Recently
they discovered the body of Caiaphus (I am not sure of the spelling)
the man that convicted Jesus.  Most of the research done in India by
foreigners centered around trying to disprove our scriptures.
However in the last decade the ancient city of Dwaraka was discovered
under the sea.  Not only was the city discovered but also Mudras that
bear the exact description given in the Mahabharata.  Given the
resources a lot more can be excavated based on our epics.  Not only
do Eastern religions believe in reincarnation, but Christianity also
did till the time of Pope Justinian in the middle ages.  The bible
itself mentions that an ancient saint named Elijah was reborn during
the time of Jesus as St. John Baptist.  There is an element of
commonality in the concept of salvation among all the world's major
religions.  If we read the Geeta we find answers to all questions
that science is not able to answer.  We also find that Shri Krishna
is God Almighty that owns and controls everything including us.  By
praying to Him we will find the Acharya(s) through whom all our
questions will eventually get answered.  We will understand that our
purpose is to serve Shri Krishna by serving His devotees.  This
includes our immediate family and all people that we have an
opportunity to serve.  Even the Guru serves His disciples by teaching
them.  Service has nothing to do with whether one is in a superior
position or inferior position to us.  Service can also mean taking a
tough disciplinary stand (e.g with children).  When this service
attitude becomes all encompassing and is not interrupted by time,
place or circumstances one is said to have attained Moksha.

Jaganath.