Scientists are working hard trying to define life on this planet and elsewhere. Constantly, there are reports on planets "conducive" for life. The scientific world is rife with speculation regarding this. I have seen numerous numbers thrown out stating "earth" like planets in the solar system and that these planets support life. In fact...the movie "Avatar" is based on this romantic idea of advanced life forms in other planets.
This type of mental speculation with mathematical probabilities is the process of "ascending" knowledge. According to this process, knowledge starts from the self- the individual. The scientists use their fertile brain to propose theories and hunt evidence to prove them. This ascending process of knowledge is imperfect because human beings (self) are unimaginably limited in their ability to gather knowledge. This imperfection is visible with glaring effects when we simply evaluate the world around us. The amount of environmental degradation, famine, poverty, cancer etc is a direct result of advancement in science and technology. Why did the scientists when they were busy inventing factories, cars, and oil drilling wells not think of its side-effects? The negative outcomes overtly outweigh the positives and I have just scratched the surface in regards to negative outcomes versus positive. The scientists have to admit that they let the global community down in the past 250 odd years.
This, in my opinion, shows the failure of our educational system which is built on the philosophy of "ascending" process of knowledge gathering. Therefore, our knowledge will never be perfect and constantly in flux. In contrast, descending knowledge from a "pure" source is considered perfect free from human defects. Such a source is KRISHNA.
According to Krishna, life exists everywhere under all circumstances. Below is a conversation by Srila Prabhupada indicating the same.
Recorded on April 18, 1973, in cheviot Hills Park, Los Angeles.
Srila Prabhupada is accompanied by Dr. Thoudam Damodara Singh, Karandhara dasa adhikari, Brahmananda Svami and other students.
Life on Other Planets
Srila Prabhupada. Even on the sun and moon there are living entities. What is the opinion of the scientists?
Dr. Singh. They say there is no life there.
Srila Prabhupada. That is nonsense. There is life there.
Dr. Singh. They say that there is no life on the moon because they did not find any there.
Srila Prabhupada. Why do they believe that? The moon planet is covered with dust, but within that dust the living entities can live. Every atmosphere is suitable for life--any atmosphere. Therefore the Vedas[1] describe the living entities as sarva-gatah, which means "existing in all circumstances." The living entity is not material. Although encaged in a material body, he is not material. But when we speak of different atmospheres, we refer to different material conditions.
Karandhara. They say that the moon's atmosphere is unsuitable for life, but all they can legitimately say is that it is unsuitable for life as they know it.
Srila Prabhupada. The Vedas say that the living entity has no connection with material things. He cannot be burned, cut, dried up or moistened. This is discussed in Bhagavad-gita.[2]
Dr. Singh. Scientists extend their knowledge about life on this planet, thinking that it must apply to life on other planets also.
Srila Prabhupada. Yes. They are thinking foremost of their own selves. They are thinking limitedly, in terms of their own circumstances. This is what we call "Dr. Frog's philosophy. [Laughter.]
Karandhara. The basis of what they call "scientific integrity" is that they talk only about what they can directly experience.
Srila Prabhupada. You may talk about your experience, and I may talk about my experience. But why should I accept your experience? You may be a fool, so why should I also become a fool? You may be a frog, but suppose I am a whale. Why should I take your well as all in all? You have your method of acquiring scientific knowledge, and I have mine.
Dr. Singh. Because the scientists haven't detected any water on the surface of the moon, they've concluded that no life could survive there.
Srila Prabhupada. They haven't seen the whole surface of the moon. Suppose someone were to come here from another planet, drop into the Arabian Desert and then return home. Could he come to a complete conclusion about the nature of the whole earth? His knowledge would not be complete.
Karandhara. They have a device that senses water. They say they've had it orbit the moon, and they've concluded that the moon has no water and therefore no life.
Srila Prabhupada. Even if, as on the sun, there is apparently no water, still there are living entities there. How does a cactus grow in the desert, apparently without water?
Karandhara. It gets water from the atmosphere.
Srila Prabhupada. Yes, because the atmosphere contains all the elements needed to sustain life: earth, water, fire, air and ether. In anything material, all these elements are present. For example, in my body there is water, although you cannot see it. Similarly, you don't see fire in my body, yet my body is warm. Where does this warmth come from? You don't see any fire. Do you see any fire burning in my body? Then where does the warmth come from? What is the answer?
Now...Prabhupada as astute as he is makes perfect sense in his common sense logic. Yet the scientists cannot deny his questions. To prove Prabhupada is correct in that scientists know very little through their ascending process of knowledge gathering and that life can exist in all circumstances has been seen as valid by a group of scientists who have discovered a germ that thrives on arsenic. According to the scientists...this germ redefines the definition of life. Vedic science has been saying this all along for more than 5000 years that life is ubiquitous and yet modern thinking man is stubborn to ignore such perfect knowledge coming down from a perfect source.
Please read the full article
here
In conclusion, the ascending process of learning is imperfect, incomplete and unsafe to trust. Modern scientists therefore are imperfect, incomplete and unsafe to trust. This post is one evidence but there are numerous in this regard.
If you have faith in a "perfect" person Krishna, then the knowledge descending from Him is also perfect. According to Him, the goal of life is not to search after life forms or build skyscrapers or conduct harmonic notes for pleasure. The goal of life is to understand the root cause of all suffering and put a stop that root. The root cause of all suffering is repetitive birth and death. The way to stop this is by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
Please chant Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
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