Sikh Religion and Science

By

G.S.Sidhu M.A; FIL (London)

Published by:
 CONTENTS

OPINIONS ................................................................................ 6

FOREWORD ............................................................................ 8

ABOUT THIS BOOK............................................................... 9

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................... 12

CHAPTER 1............................................................................ 14

SCIENCE, MYSTICISM AND RELIGION ........................................ 14

1.1 RELIGION ....................................................................... 16
1.2 MYSTICISM .................................................................... 18
1.3 SCIENCE......................................................................... 20
1.4 SCIENCE AND RELIGION .................................................. 22

CHAPTER 2............................................................................ 26

SCIENCE AND SUPER-POWER .................................................... 26

2.1 GOD............................................................................... 28
2.2 WHY CAN’T WE SEE GOD? .............................................. 30
2.3 WHO CREATED GOD? ..................................................... 34

CHAPTER 3............................................................................ 37

OUR UNIVERSE ......................................................................... 37

3.1 COSMOLOGY .................................................................. 37
3.2 THE SIKH VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE ................................... 41

CHAPTER4............................................................................. 44

2
CREATION ................................................................................ 44
4.1 TIDAL THEORY ............................................................... 46
4.2 PROTOPLANET THEORY................................................... 46
4.3 HIGGS BOSON THEORY.................................................... 46
4.4 LOU WILLIAM THEORY ................................................... 47
4.5 SUPER-STRING THEORY ................................................. 47
4.6 SPECULATIVE THEORIES ................................................. 48
4.7 BIG BANG THEORY ......................................................... 49
4.8 THE SIKH VIEW .............................................................. 49
4.9 BIRTH DAY OF THE UNIVERSE.......................................... 55

CHAPTER 5............................................................................ 58

LIFE.......................................................................................... 58
5.1 LIFE DESCENDED FROM SPACE ........................................ 59
5.2 MATTER TRANSFORMED ITSELF INTO LIFE ....................... 59
5.3 SPONTANEOUS GENERATION THEORY ............................. 60
5.4 HIGGS BOSON THEORY ................................................... 61
5.5 SUGAR THEORY .............................................................. 61
5.6 AMINO-ACID THEORY ..................................................... 61
5.7 CHOANOFLAGELLATE THEORY........................................ 62
5.8 THEORIES OF EVOLUTION ............................................... 62
5.9 EVALUATION OF THE THEORIES OF CREATION .................. 65
5.10 THE SIKH VIEW OF LIFE .................................................. 71
5.11 MODES OF REPRODUCTION ............................................. 76
5.12 MYSTERIES OF LIFE ........................................................ 77
5.13 LIFE IN STONES............................................................... 79
5.14 VARIETIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS ................................... 79
5.15 IS THERE LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS? ................................. 81
5.16 THE SIKH VIEW .............................................................. 84
5.17 COMPONENTS OF LIFE ..................................................... 86
5.18 LIFE IN PLANTS............................................................... 87
5.19 POLLINATION ................................................................. 88
5.20 LIFE WITHIN LIFE ........................................................... 88
5.21 PRIORITIES OF LIFE ON EARTH ......................................... 90
5.22 DEATH OF LIFE ............................................................... 90

3
CHAPTER 6............................................................................ 94

MOTION ................................................................................... 94
6.1 MOTION INSIDE MATTER ................................................. 94
6.2 MOTION OUTSIDE MATTER .............................................. 95
6.3 MACROCOSM IN MICROCOSM .......................................... 99
6.4 GRAVITATION .............................................................. 101
6.5 EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION .................................... 102
6.6 DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE ............................................. 105
6.7 SIKH VIEW OF THE DEATH OF OUR UNIVERSE ................. 107

CHAPTER 7.......................................................................... 110

LAWS OF NATURE................................................................... 110

7.1 LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MASS & ENERGY ................ 112
7.2 LAW OF DISPLACEMENT ................................................ 115
7.3 LATENT HEAT............................................................... 116
7.4 COMPOSITION OF WATER .............................................. 116
7.5 LAW OF COMBINATION AND DECOMPOSITION ................ 117
7.6 CHANGE OF MATTER INTO ENERGY (E=MC2) ................ 119

CHAPTER 8.......................................................................... 121

THE MOON ............................................................................. 121

8.1 THE ORIGIN OF OUR MOON ............................................ 122
8.2 HOW FAR IS THE MOON? .............................................. 123
8.3 THE MOON’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUN ................... 125

CHAPTER 9.......................................................................... 126

RELIGION & SOCIAL SCIENCES .............................................. 126

9.1 RELIGION AND POLITICS ............................................... 126
9.2 SECULARISM ................................................................ 130
9.3 UNIONISM .................................................................... 132
9.4 RIGHT OF SELF-DEFENCE .............................................. 133
4
9.5 STATUS OF WOMEN....................................................... 135
9.6 CASTE.......................................................................... 136
9.7 FOOD AND DRINK ......................................................... 138
9.8 POWER AND PRESTIGE .................................................. 144
9.9 EDUCATION ................................................................. 145
9.10 HISTORY & RELIGION ................................................... 146
9.11 LAW ............................................................................ 148
9.12 WAR AND PEACE .......................................................... 148
9.13 ECOLOGY ..................................................................... 150
9.14 DEMOCRACY ................................................................ 153
9.15 TOLERANCE ................................................................. 155
9.16 SELFLESS SERVICE........................................................ 156
9.17 MATERIALISM .............................................................. 157
9.18 COMMUNISM ................................................................ 158

CHAPTER 10........................................................................ 161

SPIRITUAL INTERESTS ............................................................ 161

10.1 CLAIMS OF EXCLUSIVITY .............................................. 161
10.2 SALVATION .................................................................. 162
10.3 CONVERSION................................................................ 163
10.4 PRAYER ....................................................................... 165
10.5 MONOTHEISM .............................................................. 167
10.6 RETURN OF A PROPHET ................................................. 167
10.7 HEAVEN AND HELL ...................................................... 168
10.8 SACRED DAYS AND OMENS ........................................... 169

CHAPTER 11........................................................................ 171

THE UNIVERSAL RELIGION ..................................................... 171

5
 Opinions
1. “You have put so much effort in gathering so much data
and information for this small volume. It would be a very
valuable book about Sikhism.” Dr. Baldev Singh
Collegeville P.A. America

2. “I whole-heartedly applaud this book. It should on the

shelves of all libraries and be distributed by all Gurdwaras.
It is imperative that the Sikh youth of today are encouraged
to read works of this nature.” Dr.Tarlochan Singh Warwick.
Leamington Spa. U.K.

3. “You have done a lot of work in studying Gurbani and its

comparison with science. Evolutions of life, earth, space,
and matter have all been explained in a beautiful manner.
The language and terms used are simple and precise. A
common person can understand them easily.” Dr. Sarbjit
Singh Scientific Officer Bhava Atomic research Centre
Bombay 400085 India.

4. “It is a splendid in-depth study of Sikhism and how it

relates to science. It would make every Sikh proud to know
that our Gurus were in deed well aware of scientific
knowledge at a time when the world did not have all the
sophistry and instrumentation which we now have.” Dr.
Gurcharan Singh Msc;PhD Taramedic Corporation Kuala
Lumpur Malaysia.

5. “I have read your book with great interest and found it very
informative. It is a new addition to Sikh literature. You
have done a marvellous job in quoting relevant scientific
literature with respect to its religious interpretations. Thank
you for giving me the opportunity to read your informative
book.” Dr. Gurmel Singh Sidhu America.

6. “The writer has made a fine attempt to delve into the

foundations of knowledge in order to reach the truth. He
has the vision and the intuition to see into the life of
6
 things. The effort made by him is really commendable. The
book is sure to enhance the knowledge of its readers and
broaden their outlook.”
S. Ram Singh Kular Principal Akal Degree College
Mastuana (India) and Chief organiser Guru Gobind
Singh Study Circle Ludhiana. (India)

7. “The writer has made a deep research in the relevance of

science in religion. He has tried to highlight the strong bond
between the two. He has not only based his study on the
physical sciences but has also explored social sciences and
humanities. Psychology, Physical science, Sociology,
Philosophy, Economics, Secularism and communism have
all found a niche in this study” Professor Gurdev Singh
Postgraduate Deptt.of English G.H.G.Khalsa College
Sadhar (India)
8.
“G.S.Sidhu Sikh Religion and Science’
systematic
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G.H.G.Khalsa College Sadhar(India)

7
 Foreword
T he relationship between science and religion has been a point of
discussion between the volunteers of The Sikh Community and
Youth Service Nottingham and the local young people. In order to
address this issue Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu was requested to meet
a group of specially invited intellectuals and university students. The
discussion that took place has formed the basis of this book.

There is very little information available in Sikh literature on

this topic. This is surprising when one considers the large number of
practising Sikhs who are also Science graduates. It is sincerely hoped
that this book will stimulate the interest of Sikh writers to come forward
and search for concepts in the Sikh scriptures that have yet to be
developed by science.

It should be understood that the Sikh Gurus were not scientists

nor trained in scientific methods. Yet they provided tremendous insights
into the workings of the natural and physical world. They have
remarkably stated their ideas in a language that not only satisfies
religious quest but also proves true on the touchstone of science.

Sikhism is scientific and consistently challenges the illogical

and superstitious beliefs. Mr. Sidhu has done a sterling job in
interpreting Gurbani into a language, which is accessible to young
people educated in the Western world. The book provides a new insight
into Gurbani and counterbalances the misplaced view that only science
represents the truth and has all the answers. I am sure it will
undoubtedly make a huge contribution to assist the Sikhs and non-Sikhs
to better understand the messages in the scriptures. A clear challenge to
the Sikh scientists and Gurbani scholars is to extend this subject further
so that we leave a legacy for future generations.

Gurmel Singh Kandola.

Director Public Services,
Greenwich. London S.E.18

8
 About this book

T he faith of modern man has been violently shaken by the

quick and continuous advances of science and technology in
all areas of life. As a consequence some members of the modern
society have started questioning the need for religion in the
modern scientific age. The influence of communism has further
spurred such questioning and criticism. This has resulted in the
rapid erosion or in many cases rejection of spiritual values and
has triggered its transplantation with agnosticism and atheism. For
some people the idea of God is futile, superstitious and redundant.
For some others religion is an outdated commodity, which has
outlived its utility and has no relevance in the 21st century. They
think it is unsuited to afford guidance in human affairs and
therefore, they reject everything religious as unreliable, unless
proven correct through science.

Agnosticism and materialism are today driving religion

out of public mind. Young people are getting devoted to vice and
accumulation of wealth than to religion. Religious places are
losing attendance while public bars, cinemas and discos are doing
a roaring trade. There is also no dearth of conservative
theologians who think that religion is a supra-sensory, supra-
rational, sacred, metaphysical phenomenon without any
connection with science and therefore should not be approached
with a questioning stance.1 Such so-called guardians of religion
are throwing the gold coin of true religion away with the worn out
purse of un-necessary, meaningless ritualism.

It is a fact that science improves our environment and

enhances our understanding of Nature. If science is ignored man
will lose thousands of years of accumulated knowledge, which
has enabled him from a cave-dweller to become a sophisticated
1
Al-Ashari and Al-Ghazali condemned reason and questioning in Islam and were therefore
disliked. “But for al-Ashari and Al-Ghazali the Arabs might have been a nation of Galileos,
Keplers and Newtons” (Syed Ameer Ali The Spirit of Islam p.486). In Sikhism the self-styled Sants
are similarly standing in the way of interpreting Gurbani scientifically.
9
builder of skyscrapers and computers. However no one can deny
that in wrong hands even science can do incalculable harm and
destroy in seconds what takes religion thousands of years to build.

Religion imparts purpose to human life and provides

direction to the humanism of an individual. If religion is ignored,
social justice, tolerance, morality and human values will be on the
decline. But religion on its own is not a panacea for the society. It
may cause mental laziness and turn the humans into introverts.

Albert Einstein puts this debate succinctly when he

says,” Science without religion is lame and religion without
science is blind.”(Science, Philosophy and Religion: A symposium
1941 Chapter 13)

Science and religion in tandem can become a great force

to liberate the mind and help the humans to a fuller and better
understanding of reality. Science deals with the exploration of
matter and material comforts, which are very necessary for the
humans. Religion deals with man’s mind and instincts which are
inalienable part of the humans. It is therefore imperative that
knowledge of both religion and science is imparted to our next
generation and nurtured with equal enthusiasm. “The diamond of
knowledge always keeps the mind flooded with light and destroys
the darkness of ignorance”2 say the wise.

To write about religion is fraught with many difficulties

but to compare and contrast it with science is really an uphill task.
Looking for precise physical scientific laws and scientific
experimental data in religion is like looking for fish in the desert.
The difficulty is further accentuated for a person like me whose
knowledge of his own religion is insufficient and that of science is
patchy. To do such a gigantic task, one has to have an absolutely
encyclopaedic knowledge of both disciplines especially of
2
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10
science, which has so many branches3 and is at heart never
constant. It is changing with every rising sun. No one can cover
such a wide field expertly. Furthermore, we know that in the
modern age of excessive specialization, what is accepted as
established and widely recognised scientific fact one day may turn
out to be a myth on another day.

The Sikh Community and Youth Service of Nottingham

organised a series of lectures and asked me to speak on this
difficult subject. Ever since the lectures were delivered, there has
been a persistent demand to put my ideas in writing. The result is
now in your hands. The book is based only on the fundamentals
of science, which are a stepping-stone to advanced knowledge of
the subject. References to complicated theories and scientific
jargon were unavoidable. I have tried to minimise them, omit
them or as far as was possible explain them in footnotes. Facts
have been substantiated by quotations from Gurbani with page
number.

I am of the opinion that Sikhism and science are not

incompatible but complementary. In many ways science today is
simply corroborating what the Sikh Gurus had said and recorded
centuries ago. I will feel myself rewarded if the youth of today
find this book of some use in evaluating their stance on life.

Gurbachan Singh Sidhu August1,2003

116 Waltham Close,
West Bridgford.
Nottingham. NG2 6LE

3
There was a time when physics and chemistry were the only subjects considered as sciences but
today the word science is loosely applied to optics, ethics, politics, mathematics, Sociology,
biology, neurology, zoology, religion and a host of other disciplines.
11
 Acknowledgements

I must place on record my gratitude to Mr. Gurmel Singh

Kandola Director Public Services Greenwich London S.E.18,
who has very kindly added a very concise foreword to the book.
Mr. Kandola’s interest in preaching the scientific truths of
Sikhism to the next generation is well known. It was only through
the inspiration and encouragement from him and his colleagues
that this work has been completed.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the numerous

individuals who read the manuscript and sent in their suggestions.
Their names are too numerous to be listed here but I must thank
the following for bending backwards to help me produce the
book.

Sardar Hardev Singh Shergill Editor ‘The Sikh Bulletin’

President Khalsa tricentennial Foundation of North America Inc;
Secretary-General Singh Sabha International America. Dr. Baldev
Singh Collegeville. P.A America. Dr.Gurcharan Singh Msc.PhD
Scientist at Taramedic Corporation Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
Dr.Sarbjit Singh Msc.PhD Scientist Radio Chemistry Division,
Bhawa Atomic Research Centre Mumbai 400085. India. S. Ram
Singh Kular Principal Akal degree College Mastuana (Panjab)
and Chief Organiser Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle Ludhiana.
Dr.C.S.Syan Msc.PhD Nottingham. Dr. Gurmel Singh Sidhu
Molecular geneticist Fresno. Cal. America. Dr.Mandeep Kaur
Khela Msc.PhD London. Dr.Tarlochan Singh Warwick.
Leamington Spa. U.K. Dr. Rajinder Singh Department of Hindi
Khalsa College Sadhar (India). Professor Gurdev Singh
Postgraduate Department of English Khalsa College Sadhar
(India) Dr.Haribala Vaid M.A. PhD London. Dr. Chanchal Singh
Msc. London

I will be failing in my duty if I did not mention my

grandson Sutej Singh Sivia of Birmingham and Harpreet Singh
12
Sehra of Nottingham (Students) who prepared the title of the
book. I express my deep appreciation of Sardar Bakhtawar Singh
Sehra of Nottingham for demonstrating patience in typing, re-
typing, correcting and preparing the manuscript time and time
again until it got ready for the press. As usual he has once again
contributed financially to see this book in print. I must also
express my heartfelt thanks to the numerous Gursikhs and Sikh
organisations (including SCYS Nottingham) and Guru Nanak
Mission Parchar Board Gravesend (Kent), which have contributed
large amounts to see this book in print. My thanks also go to Dr.
Gurmel Singh of Gurmat Bhawan Mandi Mullan Pur (India) for
arranging the publication of this book and for shouldering the
onerous task of shipping it to all corners of the world.

The manuscript was sent to the Assistant Secretary of the

Dharam Parchar Committee SGPC Amritsar (India) after
receiving his written consent for vetting. I regret very much to say
that even after eight months and many subsequent e-mail
reminders to the secretary no response was received. The
involvement of the SGPC would have gone a long way in
reassuring the readers of the correctness of my conclusions.

G.S.Sidhu.
Nottingham

Abbreviations used in this book

1. Aad Sri Guru Granth Sahib AGGS

2. Sikh Vichar Dhara SGPC Amritsar 1969 SVD

13
 Chapter 1
Science, mysticism and religion
“Science and religion, in spite of being autonomous
undertakings, are like contemporary forces that operate in
tandem” (Religious experience in science’ Dr. D.P.Singh)

T here was a time in human history when science had not

developed much and the only ideas that could influence
human society originated either from the priests or from the rulers
of the time. This is not to say that reason did not exist in those
days of yore. It was smothered under the jackboots of the
dominating political and religious over lordship. Trespassers into
the spheres of their influence were tortured or persecuted for
questioning their wisdom. It was only in the last five hundred
years, that tables were finally turned against this petrified
dogmatic approach, giving place to rationalism.

Today, rationalism is based on the scientific method of

cognition, observation, analysis, interpretation, hypothesis and
final verification. Anything that does not stand to reason, or
cannot be adequately explained or proven, is not readily accepted.
Reason, rather than custom, tradition, spiritualism or authority has
therefore become the ultimate court of appeal and for many it
usually stands in opposition to established religions. The
rationalists usually seek a cause behind every effect and unless the
cause is known, a fact is not accepted. Most of them find religion
lacking on this count and therefore they denounce and devalue
religion as an unscientific aberration.

14
 It is commonly alleged that more bloodshed has occurred
on account of religion than any war in human history. Therefore
some people call religions ‘cultural cocoons’ which spread
fanaticism, bigotry, and discord. “Men never do evil so
completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious
conviction” says Pascal. Examples of crusaders and dictators like
Hitler, who exploited religion as their handmaiden, are quoted ad
infinitum.

Is science a remedy for all ills and a blessing for the

human society? Can we forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki and
ignore the nuclear weapons that can annihilate the world in
seconds? 4 True that we can now cure deadly and dangerous
diseases and have begun to explore the outer limits of space but it
is equally true that we have also invented extremely dangerous
weapons of self-destruction and desolation. Our rivalry for
supremacy these days rests on stockpiling lethal instruments of
death, devastation and destruction. Fuel from our rockets and
planes punctures big holes in the world’s protective ozone layer.
This is causing concern to everybody including our scientists.

Staunch protagonists of religion think that modern

scientific mind looks upon life simply as an automaton.
Considering such danger to humanity the Pope said, “The danger
to modern man is that he would reduce the earth to a desert, the
person to an automaton, brotherly love to planned collectivism,
often introducing death where God wishes life.”
(Pope John Paul I, 26.8.78)

Taking the moral base as a pre-requisite for development

of science S.P.Charter Says, “Scientific realism is a noble concept
but it can become an instant perversion to destroy the world.”
Such perversion sets in because of human weaknesses which only
religion teaches us to control and overcome.

4
“If I had known that my theories would lead to such destruction, I would rather have been a
watchmaker” (Albert Einstein How is it done p. 177)
15
 Science cannot remove social injustice, economic
exploitation, bigotry and racial prejudice from the society. To this
end, religion can act as an antidote to the vagaries of society
because it tries to humanise scientists and urges them to realise
their responsibilities towards society.5

It is high time the human society accepts that the world of

matter and the world of spirit are two distinct entities and as such
they should both be studied and explored independently of each
other. The knowledge of matter comes through science and the
knowledge of spirit comes through religion.

1.1 Religion
“At the end of his intellectual tether, man has never ceased to
become religious” (Introduction to Science by J.Arthur Thomson
p. 205)

Religion has been defined as, “The complex of man’s

inter-relationship with super human power.”6 Reading through the
scriptures of various religions one finds that all religions fall into
three main divisions.
(1) Ceremonial Division: It prescribes directions for ritual
observances.
(2) Metaphysical and eschatological Division: It deals with
God, soul, salvation, death, resurrection, judgement, after-
life and legends relating to the lives of supernatural beings.

5
The spirit behind both religion and science is persistent search for reality. “Science can only be
created by those who are thoroughly imbued with the aspiration toward truth and understanding.
This source of feeling, however, springs from the sphere of religion” (Albert Einstein Science
Philosophy and Religion: A Symposium 1941). “I can not conceive of a genuine scientist without a
profound faith” (Albert Einstein. Science and religion p.26) %+ +# # ) )
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6
According to Oxford English Dictionary it is “Human recognition of superhuman controlling
power.” “Practice of sacred rites.” . The word ‘Religion’ is derived from Religare, which means
‘to bring closer, to bind’. Some people define religion as “Thirst for God and its satisfaction.”
These people believe that (1) God actually exists eternally and (2) that moral law is a fact and (3)
that pursuit of moral laws will eventually ensure our final victory of right over wrong. In other
words God rewards righteousness of the humans and punishes their iniquity. They preach that
human mind is the habitation of Truth therefore it must be made pure for the divine guest.
16
 Here history, mystery, philosophy and mythology get
intermixed.
(3) Spiritual and mystical Division: It concerns with spiritual
experiences, ethics, and individual conduct visa Vis society.

Whereas institutionalised religions differ in their

approaches to metaphysical, eschatological and ceremonial
modes, there is a common denominator as far as spiritual and
ethical division is concerned. It can therefore be said that the
kernel of true religion transcends the metaphysical and ritual parts
of religions by devoting full attention to ethical problems that
affect the society as a whole.7 In other words, we talk of universal
religion, which does not consist of bundles of theories, doctrines
rituals and observances. Such a religion simply reinforces
spirituality and ideal social behaviour for the uplift of humanity
rather than preaching a belief in any dogma or forced conformity.
It is free from institutionalisation, text torturing, intellectual
gymnastics, mythology, symbology and knotty problems of
philosophy that often lead to unremitting hatred and
controversies. Institutionalised religion is sick and politicised
religion turns into a corpse. For the purpose of this book we will,
therefore, consider this spiritual view of religion rather than its
creedal, dogmatic or politicised fringe. Our definition of religion
will be as provided by Guru Arjan Dev, “The best of all religions
is to meditate on the Lord and to do good deeds.” (AGGS P. 266)8

Many people have preached ideas of rationalism, service

to society and human brotherhood for decades. But the society
still needs to learn how to submerge self-interest with common

7
Rituals and ceremonies are the chains of the mind “ ”/
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by the scientist Albert Einstein who writes, “True religion is real living with all one’s soul, with
all one’s goodness and righteousness.”
17
interest. Religion requires the individual to engage in service to
humanity without any ulterior motive or expectation of a reward.

Technological advances in science improve physical

conditions and are very necessary for the human society but they
leave the society suffering from great mental strains and inner
frustration resulting from non-fulfilment of desires. This is where
true religion becomes handy and ameliorates the inner condition
of man provided that religion is tinged with reason. When religion
falls short of reason it weakens itself and sinks like lead.

1.2 Mysticism
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the
mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science” (Albert
Einstein Science Philosophy & Religion: A symposium 1941 Chapter 13)

Mysticism (experiences of the soul and its communion

with God) is an inherent part of all religions. It is this aspect of
religions, which has drawn a lot of criticism. It is usually argued
that only those who experience mysticism can draw benefit, if
any, from mystical experiences but it cannot be stated with
confidence that the experiences and claims of the mystics are
imaginary or false? A careful study reveals that there is great
similarity between the experiences of mystics of different
religions. Just as mathematics remains the same in the entire
world, mysticism and ethics appear to be the same everywhere.

Like the difficulty in describing the beauty of sunset or

sunrise, it is hard to satisfactorily describe mysticism or explain
mystic experiences. In the matter of spiritual beatitude there is no
substitute for first hand experiences. “Just as a dumb cannot
describe the taste of sugar, a mystic will find it hard to describe
the realities behind his mystic experiences.” (AGGS p.657) 9

9
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18
 In Sikhism a truly knowledgeable mystic is called a Sant
( =God conscious man/woman4@10 The Guru says, “The
philosophy preached by a Sant (mystic) is the ladder for universal
spiritualism. Fortunate are those who follow it.”(AGGS p. 622).11
The Saints enkindle in us the thirst for the knowledge of the
Almighty. They are the pace setters of ethics, morality and the art
of living and hence instruments of God. They explain that our
visible world is only an illusion. It exists only for the realisation
of God’s moral purposes and to translate the Will of God into
activity. They direct the selfish, self-seeking individuals to
moderate their greed, control their desires and endeavour to create
something for humanity. Such a process simply enriches our own
individual personalities. The mystics guide us on how to get out
of self and raise ourselves above ourselves. Without mystics
humans are only a race of struggling, murdering and grabbing
animals, which consider others as adversaries and targets of
exploitation.

According to Aldus Huxley “Mystics are the channels

through which knowledge of reality filters down into our universe
of ignorance and illusion. A totally un-mystical world would be a
world totally blind and insane.” To understand mysticism one has
to tread the path personally with faith, self-consecration and
devotion.

Even rationalists acknowledge that mysticism has a lot to

offer to the society. For example, Bertrand Russell, a known
religious sceptic, says that a combination of science and
mysticism is necessary for the individual to rise to “the highest
eminence, because mysticism inspires whatever is best in man.”
According to him, “The greatest men who have been philosophers

10
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19
have felt the need both of science and mysticism.”(Mysticism,
logic and other essays p. 1, 4 and 12).

Albert Schweitzer goes a step further when he says that,

“Rational thinking, which is free from assumption, ends up in
mysticism. We must all venture once more to be thinkers so as to
reach mysticism, which is the only direct and the only profound
world-view. We must all, through thought, become religious”
(Civilization and ethics p. 11-13)

Thus it can be seen that mystics have a lot to contribute to

the world. In the words of W.T.Stace, “It is possible, in short, that
the superman of the future is to be the mystic man” (Mysticism
and philosophy p. 204)

1.3 Science
“One thing I have learned in a long life is that our science,
measured against reality, is primitive and childlike- and yet it
is the most precious thing that we have” (Albert Einstein
creator & rebel’ p.5)

Science has been defined as “systematized knowledge of

Nature, its laws and processes.”12 The difficulty remains in
defining ‘Nature’. Is human nature a part of ‘Nature’? 13 If so,
what can we say about the laws and processes of human nature?
Just as the law of gravitation existed all the time, whether we
knew about it or not, so do the laws of human nature. Should they

12
ASystematic and formulated knowledge” Oxford English dictionary@ Some define it as “verified
knowledge.” Einstein described science as “Methodical thinking toward finding regulative
connections between our sensual experiences” (Ideas & opinions Crown publishers New York
1954) “Science grows out of our rationality in relation to material things. Art grows out of our
relation to living beings. Religion grows out of our relation to persons.” (Reason & Emotion by
John Mac Murray p.196). “The aim of science is to study nature and human experience
objectively” (Karl Pearson Grammar of science 1900 p.6)
13
“Today, Nature looms larger than ever and includes more fully than ever ourselves. It is, if you
will, a machine, but it is partly mentalised machine and in virtue of including ourselves, it is a
machine with human qualities of mind. It is a running stream of energy—mental and physical ---
and unlike man-made machines, it is actuated by emotions, fears and hopes, dislikes and love.”(Sir
Charles Sherrington Man on his nature p.38 Pelican Edition)
20
be classified as science or religion? Are there any moral and
spiritual laws comparable with the laws of physical sciences? If
there are, then in what way do they differ from the laws of
physical sciences? Scientists invent bombs, which on their own
pose no danger unless a moral (or immoral?) law of the humans
prompts their use.

Natural sciences develop through hypothetical-deductive

method or through inference. For example a snake appears to be a
rope unless we find that it starts slithering when challenged. A
scientist would then state a hypothesis that if rope-like things
move when challenged, they must be snakes. Hypothesis is
followed by experimentation to prove or disprove it. If it is not
disproved then it becomes a scientific law. Alternatively scientists
postulate hypotheses through observation. For example if they
find sparrows and other birds chirping and twittering frantically
they would infer that there is some kind of danger near the birds.
Careful observation then confirms their inference to be true or
otherwise. Astronomer Adams followed this method of inference
when he predicted the existence of Neptune because Uranus was
behaving strangely.

Scientific theories keep changing for years and years until

one particular theory is accepted in the hope that no one at any
time will be able to disprove it. For example, Newton first
advanced ‘The corpuscular theory’ of light, proving that light is a
stream of particles thrown out by a luminous source and always
travels in a straight line. Later, this was disproved when reflection,
refraction and diffraction of light were brought into play. ‘The
corpuscular Theory’ gave way to ‘the wave theory’ but soon even
this theory lost its appeal and “the quantum theory” of indivisible
photons was advanced to replace it. At present, light is considered
both as a wave and a particle at the same time (Theory of Wave-
particle duality). Sometimes it behaves like a wave and at other
times as a particle and this behaviour is un-predictable. Einstein
21
also proved that light could bend.14 Future research may even
question this stand. Similarly, at one time Newton’s three laws of
motion were considered ‘sermon in stone’ but Einstein’s theory of
relativity modified many of Newton’s conclusions.

1.4 Science and religion

Human mind refuses to be guided simply by facts and
figures or the knowledge gained through physical sciences. For
example a male doctor may know all the biological facts about his
female patient but cannot explain why his patient fell in love with
him. Again a surgeon operating upon his own dying child will not
simply apply his impersonal professional medical knowledge but
will be strongly affected by his parental instincts and emotions as
well.

It is also true that physical sciences cannot produce

honesty, compassion, peace of mind, friendship and tolerance,
which are so necessary for modern society? Has any Scientist
invented a machine that can help control pride, greed, anger,
intolerance, fanaticism and the ‘grabbing instinct’ so common
among humans?15 Scientific knowledge is therefore insufficient
for involving sentiments, behaviour, instincts, and emotions of
human beings.

There are some people who call religion ‘a licensed

insanity’ and declare that; “a rational religion is a scientific
impossibility. The essential element in all religious beliefs is ultra
rational sanction”16 Therefore, they say that there is no meeting
ground between science and religion. Others explain things
scientifically as far as they can, leave the rest to God, and jokingly
claim that God is left with a steadily diminishing territory.

14
According to the theory of relativity (1916) light bends in an accelerating system. Newtonian
mechanics holds true at low velocities only.
15
Psychologists and Psychiatrists do help but only in a limited sense. It is the Holy congregation
( D society of the pious people4 that can turn dross into gold.
16
Kidd “Social Revolution”
22
 It needs to be understood that natural sciences deal with
truths of the physical world; whereas religion deals with the truths
of the metaphysical world. Methods applied by one discipline
cannot be applied by the other. A scientist cannot succeed by
applying theological arguments and a priest cannot prove the
existence of God or heaven and hell through experiments.
Scientific laws are open to change but religious laws are stable
and inflexible. They cannot be changed. We either accept them or
reject them but we cannot change them unless we abjure a
particular religion and adopt another. We do not establish the
truth of these laws through inference or deduction like we do in
science. To assume that an idea is unacceptable unless proved
scientifically is to pre-suppose that science is the only valid
thought process. Science can state what exists, but not what
should exist. Human society needs intellectual attitude, which is
as much the field of science as it is of religion.

There are people who genuinely feel that science has,

instead of making religion redundant, increased its need many
fold. “Those who think that Science has accounted for everything
are just stupid”(Arthur C. Clarke Mysterious world page 12) “I
don’t care what science dictates, I must stick to my faith” attitude
is as dangerous as saying, “Religion is a thing of the past and has
long since outlived its utility.”17

For human society spiritual reality is as important as the

sensually perceived empirical reality. One soothes the mind and
gives moral direction the other provides material comforts. One is
didactic (instructive) and subjective, the other is dialectic (logical)
and factual, both are necessary for human development. Instead of
being irreconcilable they are two views of the same reality,
observed through different coloured spectacles. Only if we accept
each discipline in the context of the other can we hope to taste the
17
“) ) ) * %+ E - B AA research orientated infidel is better than a committed
fundamentalist” Professor Mohan Singh %+ 9 + # - / 36:4 %+ %+
, - 5/ ? 064 9# 9# 8 8 9# - / 7 31 4
23
fruits of reality.18 Such approach can be intellectually honest,
satisfying, rewarding and socially beneficial.

Without moral control, material progress, however

beneficial, can prove to be a bull in a china shop. Herbert Spencer
writes, “Let science admit that its laws apply only to physical
phenomena. Let religion admit that its theology is a rationalizing
myth for a belief that defies conception. Let religion cease to
picture the Absolute as magnified man, much worse as a cruel and
bloodthirsty treacherous monster afflicted with love of adulation
such as would be despised in human beings. Let science cease to
deny deity or to take materialism for granted. Mind and Matter are
equally relative phenomena, the double effect of an ultimate cause
whose nature must remain unknown. The recognition of this
inscrutable power is the core of truth in every religion and the
beginning of all philosophy.” (As quoted in SVD p. 5 SGPC 1989)

“While the mystics’ way is inward and contemplative,

Scientists’ is outward and analytical. You will hardly find one
among the profounder sort of scientific minds without a religious
feeling of his own.” (Albert Einstein The world as I see it p. 28)
In deed someone has rightly said that in this materialistic age of
ours the serious scientific workers are the only profoundly
religious people.

“To assume that scientific materialism has, in its couple of

hundred years of existence, come up with a truer description of
reality than that arrived at over centuries by philosophers
dedicated to the task is- to put it mildly- presumptuous” (Rita
Carter in ‘Consciousness’)

18
“ The nature of reality is such that it can not be directly and immediately apprehended except by
those who have chosen to fulfil certain conditions making themselves loving pure in heart and poor
in spirit” (Aldus Huxley). Intuitive knowledge goes farther than rational knowledge. It does not
contradict it but certainly transcends it.
24
 It is therefore justified to conclude that religion and
science are both necessary for human progress and that science
should work as a helper of religion.

“I maintain that the cosmic religious feeling is the

strongest and the noblest motive for scientific research.” (Albert
Einstein 1930 Forum 83 p. 373). Keeping religion and science
apart would be potentially dangerous and any effort to make them
coincide would equally miss the point. “Man is body, mind and
soul and as such needs science and religion, medication and
meditation for harmonious relationship with nature” (Frolov of
Moscow)

“You can neither understand the spirit of true science, nor

of true religion, unless you keep seeking in the forefront” (Sir
Arthur Eddington Science and the unseen world p.5)

25
 Chapter 2
Science and Super-power
“The philosophy of religion differs from other physical
sciences in beginning with the idea of God instead of reaching
it at the last; in the one case it is the Terminus A Quo, in the
other Terminus Ab Quem” (Hegel)

R eligion depends on intuitional power and demands belief

whereas physical sciences depend on observations and
experimentation. They require concrete demonstrable proofs. The
mystic simply believes that a Prime mover (God) is the final
cause of all creation but the scientist does not accept the presence
of a Prime mover and demands proof of its existence. Therefore
the first clash between religion and science starts at the question
of the Creator.

According to many modern scientists and agnostics there

is no higher authority (God) creating, controlling and running the
universe. They argue that matter is eternal. It has in-built self-
sufficiency to evolve, dissolve and shape itself. On the other hand
the mystics argue that if matter is eternal, how did the vast
processes of motion and transformation begin which resulted in
filling the vast universe with matter? How did matter develop
thinking and evolve into mind?

Descartes said, “The essence of matter is expansion in

space but the essence of mind is thought” (cited by Sir James
Jeans in The mysterious universe P. 171). How and at what stage
did matter change into mind is not known. Neither is it known as
to how the expansion of matter started and when will it end?
26
 “Mind no longer appears as an accidental intruder into the
realm of matter, we are beginning to suspect that we ought rather
to hail it as the Creator and Governor of the realm of matter, not
of course our individual minds, but the minds in which the atoms
out of which our individual minds have grown exist as
thoughts.”(Sir James Jeans The mysterious Universe p. 187)

Aristotle has written quite a lot on this subject. He writes,

“If we are not to plunge drearily into an infinite regress putting
back one problem step by step endlessly, we must posit a Prime
Mover unmoved being, incorporeal, invisible, space-less, sexless,
passionless, changeless, perfect and eternal (God) who is the final
cause of nature.”(SVD p. 47)

Aristotle’s view is quite convincing. The extremely

complex chemical and physical make up of living organisms is a
very convincing testimony to a superior and perfect maker. Most
living organisms originate from a minute fertilized egg barely
visible to the naked eye. The egg is as small as a pinprick and yet
this insignificant pinprick contains immeasurable traits of new life
for future regeneration. Remarkably incomprehensible, intricate,
unbelievable and mysterious developments result in the womb
producing functionally different organs of the body like eyes,
ears, and the brain (with at least 10,000,000,000 cells in it). It is
hard to believe that all this happens by itself without any planner.

One wonders what protects the embryo from the

surrounding harmful chemicals in an egg. What mechanism
provides food for its growth until the chick develops into millions
of complex living cells within a short span of time? Who provides
vital oxygen to the chick in the egg or disposes of exhaled carbon
dioxide? “There certainly is some ‘directive principle’ at work”
(Science Today p. 25-26).

According to Sikhism ‘the directive principle’ is the

Creator who created everything and infused His spirit in the living
27
organisms. The Guru says, “O, my body, the Lord infused His
consciousness in you and only then did you appear on the earth”19
(AGGS p. 921). Since there is a design in everything we see in
nature, there must also be a designer. The more complicated a
design is, the more intelligent the designer. Sikhism believes that
God is the designer whose creative designs are par excellence.

As for providing sustenance and protection in the womb,

the Guru says, “The Lord provided protection to you in the
womb.” (AGGS p. 805) 20 According to Sikhism God created the
universe and he looks after everything.21

2.1 God
“God is dead”. Nietzsche

Scientists like Lodge, Crooks and Cripps claim that there

is nothing beyond Nature. If there is God, He must be coincident
with Nature. But we know that there is a limit beyond which lies
the unknown and our scientific knowledge does not help in
explaining the intricacies of Nature.22 After never-ending research
many scientists have eventually started believing in the existence
of God. They now acknowledge that “All through the physical
world runs an unknown content which must surely be the stuff of
our consciousness. I do not think that with any legitimate usage of
the word it can be said that the external world of physics is the
only world that really exists” (Sir A. Eddington in Space, time
and gravitation).

Four hundred years ago, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs had
written, “One and the same “directive principle” exists in the

19
+ % + / 7 :04
20
+ & 5 %# # %
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21
+ / ? :64 + #F %# % ) / ? :3 4
22
-# - + - )% / 04 - - + #/ 3:64 - #
" / 7 0C 4 - - + / ::04
28
moon, the sun and the galaxies.” (AGGS P. 294)23 The Guru says,
“He established the earth, the sky and the air, the water of the
oceans, fire and food. He created the moon, the stars and the sun,
night and day and mountains; he blessed the trees with flowers
and fruit. (AGGS P.1399)24

There is hardly a page in the Sikh scripture where God is

not mentioned but the Guru does not provide any proof of God’s
existence. He says that the mysteries of God are unintelligible to
human beings.

We may believe in the existence of God only if we have

firm faith, and firm faith is the activity of the soul. The Sikhs
believe that God cannot be known through passive acceptance of
established dogmas or the cut and dried laws of physical sciences.
For them existence of God is a reality. Their faith shows the way
to meaningful living, which in turn is the way to God.

According to Sikhism knowledge is necessary25 to solve

the basic human problem, which is ‘How to live?’ Science does
help provide comforts but it is belief in God that solves this real
problem. Science informs and nurtures the humans, but belief
delineates the art of living for them. Science reveals the secrets of
reality but faith creates a link between reality and real living.
Science may prolong our life but it is religion that deepens it.
“Only by true living can the truth be realised”26

Some scientists and researchers now admit that there may

be a power that runs the universe. “Modern scientific theory

23
%G ; / :7 64
24
% #) E) E) / 037 7 4 In Sikhism God can be male or
female ( #* 4. For the sake of convenience we shall use the word ‘He’ for
God. Albino Luciani (Pope John Paul I) speaking to a packed audience at St. Peters’ Square on
Sunday 10.9.78 said of God, “He is our father even more He is our Mother.” There was a hue and
cry throughout the Christian world against this statement because most Christians thought God
was male. Pope John Paul simply pointed out that he was quoting from Isaiah.
25
9 = 8 # / 361 4
26
- > # - - / 2:4
29
compels us to think of the Creator as working outside time and
space, which are part of His creation, just as the artist is outside
his canvas” (The mysterious Universe by Sir James Jeans P. 183)

G.J.Van Wylen, Richard Sonntag clinches the issue by

saying, “We see the second law of thermodynamics as a
description of the prior and continuing work of a Creator, who
also holds the answer to our future destiny and that of the
universe.” (Fundamentals of Classical Thermodynamics 1985 p.
232)

2.2 Why can’t we see God?

For the Sikhs the existence of God requires no proof
because God “is visible everywhere.”27 He is immanent in the
phenomenal world like a musician can be said to be present in his
music. Just as the sun does not exist for the owl, God does not
exist for those who haven’t got the vision to see Him. To see God
one has to have mental vision and intuitive eyes. The Guru says,
“The eyes that see God are different from physical eyes.”(AGGS
p. 1100)28 “God or religion cannot be proved by theoretical
reasoning” (Kant)

The five senses (of seeing, smelling, touching, hearing and

tasting)29 that help us understand our surroundings have very
limited capabilities. Our eyes can see the matter but they cannot
see all its properties. For example they cannot detect radiation,
radio impulses and magnetism etc. They cannot see the data on a
floppy/compact disk or DVD. This does not mean that nothing
exists on them.30

27
H / 37?4 & +) ,) E) 5 )
'! 5 + + % / 01 <4 + % / 6C <
28
%8 + & / 001 1 4 A-( .
B/ ) ) 4 God is visible everywhere if only we have the eyes to see Him
29
/ I 4D ( (
30
The wavelength range in which our eyes can see is only .0001 centimetres. Waves of higher or
lower wavelengths go undetected. With this limited vision humans cannot claim to see
everything.
30
 God is not material. He is the totality of cosmic
consciousness31 that exists everywhere.32 Therefore “The basic
oneness of the universe is not only the central characteristic of the
mystical experience, but is also one of the most important
revelations of modern physics. It becomes apparent at the atomic
level, and manifests itself more and more as one penetrates deeper
into matter, down into the realm of sub-atomic
particles.”(Dr.Capra The Tao of Physics p.130-131). Modern
science has therefore brought man to a point where he has begun
to see the unity of all things so vehemently preached by religion

This universal cosmic consciousness is as much beyond

our limited comprehension as infinity in space. If God can be
physically seen or known, He will be God no longer.33 We can
visualise God only when by a life of devotion we are converted
into a likeness of the Creator stamped on our souls. To see God
we have to be pure, without stain, without sin, without temptation
and to live continually in the peace, joy and love of God and His
creation. “Those who wish to see God must either be as great as
God or at least capable of comprehending His greatness.” (AGGS
p.5)34

“Man sees God through his own nature and he can not
transcend his being to exhaust the knowledge of the Supreme
Being” (Schiller. Human Knowledge)

31
- “In modern physics, the question of consciousness (- 4 has arisen in connection with
the observation of atomic phenomena. Quantum theory has made it clear that these phenomena
can only be understood as links in a chain of processes, the end of which lies in the
consciousness of the human observer” (Dr. Fritjof Capra Tao of physics p.300). Also read
Eugene Wagner’s book Symmetries and reflections—Scientific essays (p.172) where he
discusses this point and argues that consciousness may be an essential aspect of future theories
concerning matter and its properties. '! J
+ 5 #F 8 ) 5 " +" / <<<4
32
> ) # / 001 64
33
“It is incorrect to say that God is a person; it is more nearly correct to say that God is personal
meaning that God can be and is revealed existentially to a human person or persons” (Religion in
Philosophical & cultural perspective by J.C. Feaver and William Horosz 1967 page 15)
34
& - - +" /+ + <4@
31
 God is an omnipotent and omnipresent cosmic conscious
energy.35 Sir A. Eddington says, “Consciousness is the most direct
thing in experience; all else is remote inference.” Although man
cannot be equal to God there is something of God in him. He is
the highest and the noblest creature endowed with a very
developed mind, intellect, reason, and power of discrimination,
which are not equally efficient in other creatures. Although
physiologically he is composed of the same elements as the other
living creatures, only he has the ability to look back into the past
and plan his future. He is comparatively more social than all other
creatures and has developed ethics as a tool for meaningful living.
He can discriminate between right and wrong, good and evil. He
has emotions and sentiments and the will power to control them.
There is an invisible, incomprehensible and indescribable spark of
superior consciousness in the human being. Such a marvellous
creature could not have developed from matter without the agency
of an intelligent Creator.

There are hardly any instances of religious men

becoming scientists,” Once a mystic is always a mystic.” There
are however numerous examples of scientists turning to religion.
For example the famous scientist Swedenborg (1688-1772) born
into a royal family at Stockholm abandoned science in his mid
fifties and devoted the rest of his later life to religion. He wrote,
“Of the two worlds, the physical, far from being real of itself, is
only the symbol of the spiritual. The human body is merely the
haberdashery of the soul” another striking example is that of
Annie Besant, an atheist social worker and a scathing critic of
religion. She eventually became a very inspiring preacher of
religion and ended up being the president of World theosophical
Society. Koestler was once an atheist but later became a mystic.

35
The words consciousness, force, energy, and power have been interchangeably used for God in
this book. The Sikh Gurus consider that this consciousness exists in all things + + +
+ / 6604 % 5 + + + - )% / 7 7 :4
/consciousness) + #+ 5 " / :64
32
 Arguments, logic and scientific proofs alone fail to satisfy
the heart. “Above the logic of the head is the logic of the heart.
The heart has reason of its own, the head can never understand.”
(Rousseau in SVD p.114).

The fundamental Sikh belief is that God is a reality, which

cannot be seen or proved through arguments. He can be
experienced through the help of mystics rather than proven
experimentally. Mystics influence the hearts of their devotees.36

We need intuition and insight37 to comprehend God’s

greatness. Our Self is the churning mill of speculations, reasoning
and philosophical theorising. This Self (consciousness) when
magnified, purified and freed from worldly encumbrances reflects
the essence of God.38 We cannot know God by means other than
ourselves “because there is no other like Him for evaluation”
(AGGS p. 797)39 If the smaller self wants to know the greater Self,
it only has to know itself. The Guru says, “O my mind you are the
stuff of His light, recognise thyself.”40(AGGS p. 441) To be able
to realise the existence of higher consciousness (God), one must
of necessity rise to a higher level of consciousness. This is where
mystics and religious preceptors become helpful.

The fundamental principle of Sikhism is “God was in

existence before time began running its course; He has been in
existence and shall be in existence for ever and ever.” (AGGS

36
+ - / 6:04 G+ + "# / 627 4
; ) / :? 24 - # / 01 604 - K / 60<4
37
“Notion without intuition is empty, intuition without notion is blind” Kant
38
+ E) % + % + / 007 C 4 -
/ 01 ? 1 45 - # - / ::64@ JJOur mind is a great magician.
The Universe is nothing but an ocean of conscious energy in motion” (Sir Arthur Eddington)
39
+ / ?7?4
40
+ # " ) =" 5 9 )% / 001 1 ). “If thou hast
not seen the devil, look at thine own Self (Jalal-ud-din Roomi). “Your Self is your own Cain that
murders your own Abel” (William Law)
33
p.1)41 To the enlightened, ‘who purify their soul to attune with
God’,42 He is visible everywhere.

“It is not possible to solve the metaphysical puzzle and

discover the latent essence of reality by examining matter first and
then proceeding to examine life. We must begin with that which
we know directly albeit not intimately and that is our self. If we
can ferret out the ultimate nature of our own minds we shall
perhaps have the external world.” (Schopenheur in SVD p.100)
This is exactly what the Guru said, “Recognise thyself and you
recognise me. When you recognise me you get all comforts”43

2.3 Who created God?

The famous neurotheologist Prof. Pascal Boyer of
Washington University claims “Instead of God creating our
brains, our brains created God.” Similarly most Modern
evolutionists under the influence of Charles Darwin are parroting
the phrase that ‘matter created itself’ and as time passed
developed into full-fledged human beings through various stages.
It was the humans who then invented God. The idea sounds like
saying that a few atoms of matter turned themselves into a radio
and started producing music and broadcasting news. This is where
the scientists’ theory of cause and effect gives way. They admit
that they cannot tell us what cause brought about the tremendous
transformation in the in-animate matter to turn it into a living
organism.44 They do not accept that if matter can create itself why
can’t God similarly create Himself. The answer given by the Sikh
Gurus to this all-important question is: - “He created Himself and
only He knows His limits”45

41
-+ -5 # - -/ 04 L # " " " / 03204
42
#/ 2204
43
# ) # ) % / 03C :4 =" - +" - 9 /
? 27 4 =" ; )# F = ) / 06:1 4 - / 01 61 4
44
If every effect has a cause, then there must be a cause behind the existence of scientific laws.
They could not have developed by themselves.
45
/ ? C 24 # /
01 3<4 8#) / 21 64
34
 Unlike some other religions, Sikhism believes that God is
not born and “He cannot be installed (like a statue) nor can He be
created.”46 He is all consciousness that exists everywhere, in
everything, and is yet invisible47. The Guru says, “Like the
fragrance which remains in the flower, and like the reflection in
the mirror, the Lord dwells deep within; search for Him within
your own heart, O brother. Outside and inside, know that there is
only the One Lord; the Guru has imparted this wisdom to me. O
servant Nanak, without knowing one’s own self, the moss of
doubt is not removed” (AGGS p. 684).48 Consciousness can only
be realised but not seen. The Guru explains this point further
when he says, “Latent fire is contained in all vegetation, and
butter, though invisible, is contained in all milk. Similarly God’s
light (consciousness) is contained in everything high or low and is
latent. The Lord exists in all things. O saints, He is pervading and
permeating each and every heart. The perfect Lord is completely
permeating everything, everywhere; He is diffused in the water
and the land. Nanak sings the praises of the Lord, the treasure of
excellence; the True Guru has dispelled his doubt. The Lord is
pervading everywhere, permeating all, and yet, He is unattached
from all.”(AGGS P.700)49

We can find similar ideas expressed by some modern

scientists. For example Dr.Fritjof Capra (University of Berkeley)
in his book The Tao of physics (p.300) quotes from Eugene
Wagner’s scientific essays (p.172) and writes, “It was not possible
to formulate the laws (of quantum theory) in a fully consistent

46
, + / :4@ Hindus believe that Rama and Krishna were gods and
Christians believe that Christ was God. The Sikhs believe that God cannot be imagined to be
born. He is Unborn ( + 4 and self-created / # 4
47
+ #+ " / :64 “Consciousness is the most direct thing in
experience; all else is remote inference” Sir A. Eddington.
48
+ # +# = 5 # '! %+ 5
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49
) # ) ' 5 - - + " ' ! ' ! + 5
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# - > 5 ) > / 20? 4
35
way without reference to consciousness.” The Sikhs call this
consciousness God, which is described by Guru Nanak as
follows:
“One universal Creator. His name is truth. Creative being
personified. Without fear or hatred. 50 Undying. Unborn. Self-
existent. The greatest and the most bounteous.”(AGGS p.1)

50
Some religions like Christianity think that God is revengeful. He sends locusts, brimstones,
famines and earthquakes to punish people. Sikhism preaches that God is without enmity
/ # 4@ This idea of Sikhism finds favour with modern scientists. For example Einstein writes,
“Subtle is the Lord but malicious He is not” (The science and the life of Albert Einstein.
P.Abraham published by the Oxford University Press.) -) # - - /
7 2:4
36
 Chapter 3
Our Universe
“If we want a concrete picture of creation we may think of the
finger of God agitating ether” (Sir James Jeans Universe around
us p. 354)

L ooking at the clear star-studded moonlit night one is really

wonderstruck by the captivating beauty and immeasurable
vastness of our universe and feels a sense of awe. One cannot not
fail to realise that human beings are insignificant in comparison
with the incomprehensible expanse of the Universe.51. Our
religious preceptors have tried to explain this wonderful
experience in words. But words, as we all know, are inadequate to
satisfactorily describe human emotions and experiences.

3.1 Cosmology
“In space, the universe engulfs me and reduces me to a pin-
point. But through thought, I understand that universe.”
(Pascal)

Cosmology52 is the study of the origin, processes, evolution and

the behaviour of the universe. Scientists have been attempting to
grasp the vastness, shape and origin of our universe and their

51
Universe is the amount of radiation and matter that exists and the space occupied by the same
and in between.A H . > H + + * I $ ) > I; . B
The beginning and end of our universe are unknown. Creation is like an old book which has lost
its first and last page. “ B/ :7 04 + "# & - /
74
52
Scriptural references to cosmology in the Adi Granth are too numerous to be quoted here. The
reader can consult pages 67, 223, 276, 350, 464, 929, 940, 1004 etc.
37
quest is never-ending. Their biggest telescopes are daily bringing
us more and more evidence of the incredible vastness of the
universe. We have come to know only recently that in our sky
there is not even one star, which is less than four light years53
away from us.

In comparison with the universe our sun is only a small

dot in space no bigger than the full stop at the end of this
sentence. There are other suns several thousand times bigger and
million times more luminous than our sun and they are situated
from each other at mind-boggling distances. For example
Betelgeuse is another sun, which is 10 times bigger than our sun.
There are still bigger super giant suns like Epsilon Aurigae, which
are many times bigger than the Betelgeuse.54

On 13 June 2002 Sky News reported that the planet

hunters had discovered a solar system 45 light years away from
the earth. This solar system resembles our own solar system.

“The human mind is not capable of grasping the Universe.

We are like a little child entering a huge library. The walls are
covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues. The
child knows that some one must have written these books. It does
not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in
which they are written. But the child notes a definite plan in the
arrangement of the books- a mysterious order which it does not
comprehend, but only dimly suspects” (Albert Einstein “Science,
Philosophy & Religion: a symposium” 1941 Chapter 13)

The planet that we call earth is so infinitesimal in relation

to the universe that we can compare it with one grain of sand

53
Time taken by the light in one year to travel at the velocity of 186,000 miles per second is called
a light year. It has been found that at this speed a beam of light travels 5878 million million
miles (9460 million million km) in a year. Our modern radio telescopes have so far explored a
distance of only up to 120 million light years. Our radio signals to the nearest star take at least
four light years. The pole star is 40 light years away from us.
54
Some other big bright suns are Sirius, Rigel, Deneb, Adhara, Hadar and Antares
38
among the total number of sand grains in the whole world. Our
most powerful telescopes have so far been able to explore only
that part of our universe whose radius is merely
1,000,000,000,000 light years. The unexplored part of the
universe is so vast that we cannot see it even with our most
powerful radio telescopes.

On 7th January 1610, an Italian physicist Galileo Galilee

(1564-1642) theorised that “There are millions of stars which get
together to form the Milky Way”. According to the latest estimate
of the scientists there are more than 40 thousand million stars in
the Milky Way alone.55 The Milky Way (of which we are a part)
is further surrounded by 13 other galaxies. The part of the
universe that we have so far been able to explore contains in
excess of 50 billion galaxies 56 and they are so big that our sun will
look like a small particle of dust in them.

In 1997, British astronomers used a powerful new device

known as ‘Scuba’ in Hawaii and spotted a cluster of six
previously unknown galaxies so far away from the earth that even
our most powerful Hubble telescope had not spotted them. It is
believed that there are many super galaxies each containing
clusters of innumerable galaxies in them.

A single quasar (dying star) is said to have emitted so

much energy that it was 10,000 times more than the whole energy
emitted by our entire galaxy. We are receiving its light on our
earth 12 billion light years after it was emitted.57 In other words
the stars we see today are not there. They were there when they
emitted their light. They have either burnt up by now or have

55
Muslims and Christians believe that there are seven upper and seven lower regions (-J 4
56
Galaxies are collections of stars held together by their mutual gravitational attraction. Our earth
is located in the Orion arm of the galaxy Milky Way. Some scientists believe that the nearest
galaxy to the earth is Andromeda, which is two million light years away. It is surrounded by 9
other galaxies and is supposed to contain 400 billion stars. Some quasars are 13 million light
years away from us. Some scientists believe that the nearest star system to the earth is Alpha
Centauri, which is about 4.4 million light years away from the Earth
57
The University of Texas and the Austin University of Minnesota have recently detected a light
signal from as far as 15 million light years away. They consider it to be the light of a dying star.
39
moved away from their positions to new locations. Scientists
claim that they have now detected radiation emitted by some stars
13 billion light years ago.

At one time the Western scholars considered the earth to

be the centre of this immeasurable vastness. They thought that the
planets in the cosmos revolved around the Earth. It was
Copernicus (1473-1543)58 who first rejected this theory and said
that the sun, not the earth, was at the centre of the universe. Now
we all know that even his idea of pinpointing the sun as the centre
of the universe is meaningless. The unlimited vastness of the
universe is so phenomenal and incomprehensible that our attempt
at comprehending it is like an ant trying to comprehend the
greatness of the Himalayas.

In comparison with our immeasurable universe we are

living on a tiny bit of a rock no bigger than the millionth part of a
poppy seed. Scientists believe that there are billions of earths like
our own. The dweller of this microscopic cosmic dust particle,
cannot fully comprehend the inconceivably long vistas of space
and time or the infinite number of heavenly objects in the
universe.

Talking about the planets beyond our solar system Dr.

Andrew Bain of the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy said, “We
do not know how far away they are with any accuracy. The
universe has no beginning and no end.”

Our research about the universe is still very young and the
information about the immense size of our universe and the
movements of the heavenly bodies is still being gathered daily.

58
See Copernicus’s “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium” published in 1543. His theory was
later rejuvenated by Galileo who became the butt of the Church’s anger and died an ignominious
death in prison.
40
3.2 The Sikh view of the universe
What the modern scientists have discovered after years
and years of research and spending billions of pounds on their
radio telescopes was explicitly stated many times by the Sikh
Gurus more than five hundred years ago. For example Guru
Nanak (1469-1539) wrote, “There are earths, beyond earths,
beyond earths (AGGS p. 3)”59 and “There are skies above skies
and earths below earths. Human mind gets tired of search. All
knowledge simply points to the one fact that there is no end of
vastness.” (AGGS P.5)60 “There is no end to the creation of the
Lord”61 (AGGS p. 3). About the sun and the moon he said, “There
are numerous suns, moons and other galaxies.”(AGGS p. 7)62

The Sikh Gurus clearly stated that man’s powers are too
limited to fully comprehend God’s marvellous creation. Any
attempt to empirically state the expanse of the universe is futile.
Our solar system is only one of the many like it.63 “If one
attempted to write down and calculate the vastness of the expanse,
how much would that come to?”(AGGS p.3)64 Qualifying the
impossibility of such an attempt the Guru said, “To state that the
‘number of heavenly bodies is beyond count’ is itself an
understatement”65 In order to make his assertion clearer Guru
Nanak wrote as follows:

“The extent of His creation is incomprehensible.

The near and the farther ends of His creation are limitless.
Many have attempted to comprehend His greatness but failed.

59
# / 34 = / 0? C 4
60
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) / 0:324 %& ) % # " / 0:C 3 4
61
# "# / 34 A + # - B/ :? <4
62
- &) / ?4 % 5 ! % ;
/ :? <4 ! + / 002:4 ! - ;* - / 00234
63
! ; & F + / 20:4 ! ; & + ; ) / 00<24
! ; & / :? 24 ! &) / :? <4 %& / @ 0:3 24
64
) % ) % + "# )% ) % / 3 44
65
% ) % / 64
41
Nobody can describe His greatness.” (AGGS p. 24)

“Many millions are the winds, waters and fires. Many millions are
the countries and realms of the universe. Many millions are the
moons and suns. Many millions are the fields of creation and the
galaxies. Many millions are the skies and the solar systems.”
(AGGS p. 276)66

Throughout the holy book (AGGS) of the Sikhs this fact is

mentioned umpteen times and is amply supported by scientists of
today.
“O Nanak the limits of the creator are incomprehensible.”
(AGGS P. 274)67
“The creation can never fully comprehend the creator.”
(AGGS p. 285)68

“The Almighty created nights, seasons, days and weekdays

So also air, water, fire and space,
In the mutual gravitation of these,
He installed earth in this space for righteous actions.69
Therein He created life of different kinds and colours.
Whose names are varied and endless” (Japuji Pauri 34)

The Guru further says,

“The extent of His creation is known to none.
The more we state the more remains to be stated.”70

Herbert Spencer is using the same language as was used

by Guru Nanak. He writes, “The more is known, the more grows

66
! " " # 5 ! &) 5 ! %M ;N N ! %"
%&5 ! ; & / :? 24 %& ) % # " / 0:C 34@ Innumerable are
the continents and underworlds. I cannot quantify them.
67
/ :? 64
68
+ # 5 + # / :C <4
69
Scientist Albert Einstein expresses the same idea when he says, “Two things inspire me to awe—
the starry heavens and the moral universe within” (Science philosophy & Religion)
70
+ "# 5 / <) + # + # 5
" )) + / :64
42
the unknown. Ultimate scientific ideas are all representations of
realities that cannot be fully comprehended. In all directions
scientists’ investigations bring him face to face with an insoluble
enigma; and he evermore perceives it to be an insoluble enigma.”
(Herbert Spencer First Principles p. 56

43
 Chapter4
Creation
We are held to the earth; the earth is held to the sun; the sun
is held to the Milky Way and the Milky Way is held to a
cluster of galaxies” (Gregor’s ‘A Short history of Universe p. 98)

S cientists use physical eyes to analyse what they see but

religious philosophers use divine eyes and intuition to delve
into the secrets of Nature. Religious philosophers simply state a
fact without admitting fallibility; scientists speculate, admit
fallibility and remain open to corrections and suggestions. All the
conclusions of saints and scientists may not coincide but at least
on one count they seem to agree that man is only a transient
microbe living on a minute speck of the cosmic dust. Both of
them are trying to understand how this speck of cosmic dust, with
all the life forms on it, came into being.

There are two main lines of thought. One line of thought is

that matter ( ; ) somehow turned itself into the universe. It is
believed that ‘Matter’ having been acted upon by ‘force’ began to
revolve and thus produced the universe. ‘Force’ is something,
which acts upon the ‘matter’ and lends it motion and ‘Matter’ is
something, which must be acted upon by force to make it revolve
and then evolve. The theory can be called a logician’s seesaw. It
leaves ‘something’ undefined. This only proves that reasoning can
go only up to a certain extent. What are force and matter and how
they came into existence is still unknown.71

71
Matter is usually defined as something that has mass and occupies space. Mass has the tendency
to resist being moved or if moving, to resist a change in speed or direction. This property of
matter is called Inertia.
44
 The other line of thought is that there are signs of
designing and planning in the universe and therefore it must have
been created by a superpower. For example Sir James Jeans
writes,” The universe shows evidence of a designing or
controlling power that has something in common with our own
individual minds.”(The mysterious universe page 187)

Einstein was also of the opinion that there is a plan and a

pattern in nature, which defies self-creation. The universe is not a
chance happening. “God does not play dice with the universe”
(Reader’s Digest exploring the universe p.177). This supports the
Sikh theory, which we will discuss at the end of this chapter

Some scientists believe that the rings around Saturn and

the smog around its moon Titan might provide an answer to the
creation of the universe because its rings have primordial matter
in them. The Saturn rocket, involving 17 nations and costing £2.2
billion, was launched from Cape Canaveral (Florida) on 15
October 1997 to explore the mysterious rings. It will enter
Saturn’s orbit in 2004 and will release flying saucer like Huygens
to descend through the smog that wraps Titan. The scientists
expect that it will hopefully broadcast useful information back to
the earth.

NASA is trying to map the universe as accurately as

possible by sending Planck Explorer into space. It is expected that
it will give a much better and clearer map of the skies and will
look billions of years back in time to unravel the mystery of the
formation of our universe.

We will consider some of the scientific theories of

creation which have influenced the thinking of modern society.

45
4.1 Tidal theory
According to this theory of creation a big nebula (cloud of
gaseous matter) revolving around itself became our sun. Millions
of years later a big star came too close to it. The gravitational pull
between the two caused tidal waves on the surface of the sun.
These powerful waves threw off sprays of gas, which spread
through space. In another 5,000,000,000 years these sprays cooled
down and became planets. Our earth is one of them.

Obviously this theory assumes that the nebula and a big

star existed but it does not explain how the nebula and the big star
came into existence.

4.2 Protoplanet theory

According to this theory a gas cloud (nebula) somehow
formed about 10 to 12 billion years ago. It then collapsed and
became a protostar. Six billion years ago thermonuclear reactions
ignited it. The protostar began to spin about its axis. The spinning
flattened the material and thus caused the formation of various
planets and planetoids. About 4.5 billion years ago the planetoids
accreted to form the Earth. Life appeared on the cooled earth 3.8
billion years ago.

4.3 Higgs boson theory

Professor Peter Higgs of Edinburgh University advanced
this theory in 1964. He argued that the universe is permeated by a
field of tiny, sticky particles, which move through space and are
the cause of all that the world is made of. Through their motion
these ‘God particles’ (Which he named Higgs boson after his
name) picked up cosmic dust and grew bigger and bigger
resulting in the formation of our planets and all that exists on
them.

46
 This theory does not say where the sticky particles
originated. The world famous scientist Stephen Hawking does not
agree with this theory and says, “The so-called God-particle is a
phantom.”72

4.4 Lou William theory

Lou William and Thornton Page are of the opinion that
planets and satellites were once formed out of the coalescing of
smaller bodies. These icy, conglomerate planetesimals were made
of matter embedded in ice.
(Origin of the Solar system 1962 Vol - 3)

Branley supports this theory when he says, “Frozen gas

makes up a large part of the total size of the major planets”
(Exploring our planets P. 6).

4.5 Super-String Theory

The theory of relativity deals with bigger objects. The Quantum
theory of gravity is based on movements of small objects. It was
discovered that if one of these theories was true, the other was
proved false. Both theories could not be right. This led to the
justification of both by advancing super-String theory (in 1985).

This theory states that the world was full of very minute sub-
atomic particles, which were one million, million millionth part of
an atom. They existed in strings and vibrated at different
frequencies like the strings of a violin each producing a different
note. As time passed they developed into a plasma, which grew
bigger and bigger until it exploded with energy, resulting in the
birth of the universe.

72
Gordon Kane (University of Michigan) is positive that boson is real and exists whereas Stephen
Hawking has placed a bet of $100 to be paid to anybody who proves its existence. Professor
Kane says that if the Tevatron (a powerful atom smasher) at Fermilab in Illinois fails to find
boson, it will be discovered by £1.4 billion large Hadron Collider to be set up at CERN in 2007.
47
 Many scientists have found faults with the string theory.
Now there are 5 different string theories in existence.

4.6 Speculative theories

Plato had surmised that the universe came out of
inanimate matter like a chicken from an egg.73

According to Kant there was darkness and chaos, which

generated gravity in the inanimate matter. Gravity generated heat
and revolutions of matter around itself. When the matter cooled
down it became our universe.

R.A. Littleton advanced the double star theory in 1930.

According to this theory at one time our sun and another star
formed a double star. Some how the companion star exploded into
a cloud of gas, which was captured by the gravity of our sun. The
planets developed from this cloud.

Against this, was advanced ‘The condensation theory’

according to which there was only one star, which exploded to
form the planets after condensation. The large part that remained
behind became the sun.

73
The idea is supported fully by Hinduism. In Chhandog Upnishad Chapter 19 (= ( %&
07 4 we find that a golden egg ( ; O & D ; &4 appeared from nowhere. A L
L + @B (See Rig Veda 10.72, 10.121, 16.190 and Manu Simirti).
After 1000 years it broke into two parts. One part became the sky and the other became the earth.
Out came Brahmadev (male), who then turned half of himself into a female and thus created the
entire world. According to another story Brahma is said to have been born from the Lotus flower
that grew in the naval of Vishnu. It took him 36 Yugas to get out of the lotus flower. Brahma is red
in colour, has four arms and four mouths. Each mouth gave rise to one of the four Vedas (Hindu
scriptures). According to Yajur Veda Brahmans were born from his mouth, Kashatryas from his
arms, Vaish from his thighs and Sudras from his feet.
God seen as G=Generator/creator (Brahma), O=Operator (Vishnu) and D=destroyer (Siva) appears
to be a later invention because according to the above story Vishnu was the first to be born.
Like the Semitic scholars some Indian philosophers have also stated that there are seven worlds
above us and seven below us. Bhu, Bhawar, Sawa, Meh, Jan, tap and sat are above and Atal, sutal,
vital, talatal, mahantal, rasatal and pataal are below us. The Sikh Gurus did not accept this. Guru
Nanak wrote “There are numerous nether regions and uncountable upper regions “ ) ) )%
B
48
4.7 Big bang theory
This theory was advanced by Garis Lambatre of Belgium
in 1930 and was fully supported by Garag Gamov of Russia in
1940. According to this theory 15 to 20 billion years ago there
was an explosion and in the millionth part of a second the
universe came into existence and expanded into space. The
explosion produced matter, motion, energy, time and space. The
gases from this explosion turned into galaxies, planets, our earth
and the sun. This theory also received full support and
corroboration from Russian scientist Friedman’s mathematical
calculations done earlier in 1920-21. Scientist Stephen Hawking
of Cambridge also believes that the universe emerged as a result
of an explosion of energy. In 1964 Arno Penzia and Robert
Wilson discovered very high frequency radio microwaves coming
from all directions of the sky. They believed that these
microwaves were the remnants of the “echo” of the Big Bang,
which is still pulsating and reverberating through the universe.

This theory rests on the expansion of matter into space. It

provides no information about the size of our universe and neither
does it tell us how big is the space in which the matter expanded?
If space has a limit, then what is beyond that limit? Is it matter or
more space? What will the exploded matter eventually expand
into and when will this expansion cease?

This theory also does not give any explanation of the

cause of the explosion and the source of the matter/gas, which
exploded. Scientists like Herman Boody, Thomas Gould and John
Boseley criticised this theory and nearly demolished it.

4.8 The Sikh view

The Sikh Gurus were more enamoured of the wonders of
creation than its origins. Their vision was not that of theoretical
scientists’ but of enlightened mystics. They looked at the Lord’s
49
wonders with divine intuitive eyes. Guru Nanak wrote: (AGGS p.
463)74

“Wonderful is the life, wonderful are the varieties of life.

Wonderful is the form, wonderful are the colours.
Wonderful are the creatures some of which exist naked.
Wonderful is the air, Wonderful is water.
Wonderful is the fire which works many wonders”

The world’s greatest scientist Albert Einstein appreciates

the mystical wonder. He writes, “Religious feeling takes the form
of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of nature which reveals
an intelligence of such superiority that compared with it, all the
systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly
insignificant reflection.” (Albert Einstein in ‘The World as I see
it)

Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, was greatly impressed by

the theories of creation prevalent in India in his time. He tells us
that broadly speaking there were six theories of creation.75 The
most popular of these theories was the Sankhyan theory, which
states that matter ( 4 existed eternally and was capable of
developing consciousness. The act of matter becoming conscious
was known as MAHAT (the great seed). When the three Gunas
(properties- Rajas, Tamas, Satvic) of matter (Prakirti) somehow
lost their equilibrium and became imbalanced, they gave rise to
creation. The Sikh Gurus did not accept this theory. Guru Arjan

74
N N @@ / 623 45 % & " /
6264 - + = " + 5 - 5 ) = "#+ # " #5 ,
" 9 + %# " #/ C C 34
75
= ' = = /+ + 4 @ %! ( # / 3 204 Niyae (of Gauatma),
vashaishak (of Kanad), Sankh (of Kapil), Yog (of Patanjli), Mimansa (of Jaimani), and Vedant
(of Viasa) are the six main shastras outlining the six lines of thought. They were collectively
known as Khatdarshan (%! ( D= ( ( 4@ Expositions of these lines of thought are recorded
in many Hindu scriptures. For example see Katha (3.11), Maitrayani (6.10), Svetasvatara (4.10
and 6.16).
50
Dev said, “Many more laws of nature are involved in the creation
of the universe”76

According to the theory propounded by Guru Nanak, the

universe did not come into existence by itself. The Creator created
it.77Guru Nanak regards the Creator as the Prime Mover and calls
him SAT ( = cosmic consciousness).78 Sat is like the plant in
the seed which is always present but not apparent. Just as the seed
germ expands into a big tree so does Sat expand itself and cause
the creation. Sat itself is primal and unborn therefore the
beginning and the end of the universe are beyond human
comprehension.

According to Guru Nanak, the creation sprouted from

Sunn79 (void, nothingness, vacuum) in which the creator (Sat)
existed. “In the Primal Void, the Infinite Lord assumed His
Power. He Himself is unattached, infinite and incomparable. He
Himself exercised His creative power, and He gazes upon His
creation from the primal void. He formed the void and from this
primal void, He fashioned air and water. He created the universe
and the consciousness in the fortress of the body. His light
pervades fire, water and souls. His Power rested in the primal
void. (AGGS P. 1037)80

76
- ; - / % 4 + , / :? <4
77
> ;! 5 %) & 5 - '8 5
/ 01 204 A = ; A/ 0067 4 %) # / :C 1 4
%) %#F - - / ? 6C 4 5 + > -+ & /
? C 24
78
The word Sat ( ) is usually translated as Truth. It also means ‘pervasive at all times and in all
places’ ‘not limited by space or time’ -+ - # - - (He is, He
was and He shall ever be.) also means ‘existence’.
79
A similar theory of Sunn, but with some difference, appears in Nasa Diya Sukta of Rig Veda, the
Hindu scripture.
80
) 5 ) 5 %# 5
" " # + 5 ;! 8 + 5 " + + )
5/ 01 3 ?
51
 “From this primal void, came the moon, the sun and the
earth. His light pervades all the three worlds. The Lord of this
primal void is unseen, infinite and immaculate; He is absorbed in
the primal trance of deep meditation. From this primal void, the
earth and the intergalactic ethers were created. He supports them
without any visible support, by exercising His true power. He
fashioned the three worlds,81 and the illusion of Maya; He Himself
creates and destroys.” (AGGS P. 1037)82

Guru Nanak believed that the Lord instilled his creative

power in the world so that the creation continues until He stops
it.83 The Guru says, “Innumerable creators are busy in creation all
the time producing forms of great beauty, adorned and dressed in
many colours. There are so many worlds and lands for working
out their assigned tasks.” (AGGS p.7)84 There appear to be three
distinct functions that the Lord continually performs through His
creation. The Guru says, “From the absolute Lord emanated three
functions one of creation, another of sustenance and third of
destruction. He causes the creation to perform these functions as
He desires.” (AGGS p. 7)85

Guru Nanak’s theory was not without critics. It was

scathingly criticised by the Sidhas (wandering Hindu saints). The

81
The three worlds are the skies, the land and the oceans.
82
- + #" 5 + ; " 5 )% ) 8 ) 5
5 , % ) 5 %" " 5 + " /
01 3 ? 4
83
“God has made the world autonomous and self-active by bestowing upon it once and for all the
three principles of ‘becoming’,’ enduring’, and disintegration” (Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia The
sovereignty of the Sikh doctrine page 59)
84
' 8 '8 5 / ?4
85
+ -) " 5 & ) " 5 + # #
-) # + #E " / ? 4. Some translators have translated these three powers as Hindu gods
Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. This is not correct. The Guru says, “ " " 5 ;
@B / <1 34 God created air, water and warmth but man turned them into
physical bodies of Brahma, Vishnu and Shivji. (AGGS P. 503). ; /
01 3<4@ ! +! / 6<24“ ! ! ;& + # )5
! ! ; + +" ) .( 00<2) Brahma ,Vishnu and Mahesh (Shivji
are millions ( !4 not three as sometimes misunderstood. ; # / 061 34
O God, you created innumerable Brahmas and Vishnus.
52
Guru himself recorded their criticism for posterity in his
composition Sidh Gosht (debate with Sidhas). (For a fuller debate
the reader should refer to Sidh Gosht in the Guru Granth Sahib).
Here are some of the issues the Sidhas raised.

Question: “Where did the undisturbed void come from?”(AGGS

p. 943) What is your view of the origin of creation and where did
the void exist? 86 (AGGS P. 940)

Answer: “The beginning is draped in wonder and the void existed

ever and ever in Him.”87 (AGGS P. 940) “For a long time He
remained by Himself. For another long period He existed in void.
After this He existed for a long time in indescribable darkness.
Then He made Himself manifest through His creation”. (AGGS p.
1081) 88

Question: “Where did the creation come from, where is it going

and where did it remain before existence?”89

Answer: - The creation takes shape through His Word90; it

disappears through His will and exists in Him only as long He
desires it to exist.

The process of development and evolution is explained in

the Sikh scriptures in Raag Maru (AGGS p.1034) through a long
hymn of 48 lines. Some of the lines of this hymn are as follows:

86
“ # 5 B/ 7 634 A - , )
' B/ 7 61 4
87
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88
8 5 8 5 8 !8
/ 01 C 04 “%& ; & ) ! B/ 01 324
89
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53
“In the beginning there was indescribable darkness91
Neither the earth nor the sky existed;
Only His unfathomable Will92 prevailed.
The sun and the moon were not there,
The night and the day had not taken shape.
The Lord alone existed in His meditative undisturbed mood.
There was no source of life, neither wind nor water,
Neither creation nor destruction.
The infinite Lord sustained the void with His own device.
He was detached and unlimited.
He had Himself created void out of void.
This He does and enjoys” (P. 1034-35)

According to the Sikh Gurus the above mentioned,

“Indescribable darkness lasted for many ages” (AGGS
p.1034).93Then the Lord wished to create and at “His command
the universe came into existence” (AGGS p.1003).94

As is clear Guru Nanak’s theory of creation is based on an

intuitive process. It is the approach of a mystic rather than that of
a scientist. It will, therefore be futile to interpret it in terms of
science because intuition is beyond the realm of intellect.

Modern science has now accepted that the universe came

into existence from an atom. The atom according to Charge cloud
model (also known as quantum-mechanical model) is nothing but

91
N N N N N N N N N N N N N N / 01 3 64
The word means beginning and means un-imaginable. The Sikh theory is closer to big
bang theory in that both think there was a gaseus state ( D In the beginning
there was enormous dark Supernova4 which gave rise to water. Sir James Jeans writes on p. 12 of
his book “Vapours condensed into liquids and rivers and oceans came into being while the so–
called permanent gases-oxygen, nitrogen, helium, neon formed an atmosphere.”Guru Nanak had
earlier written the same )% /+ + 4
92
The idea finds full support in modern philosophy. For example R. Falckenberg in his’ History of
modern philosophy writes, “ At the beginning of the first development God is ‘Will’ without
object, eternal quietude and rest, unqualified groundlessness without determinate volition”
93
+ #5 8 ) #5 ) #F 5/ 01 :64
;, # =% / 0@: 04
94
“ B/ 34 A%& ) 5 # B/ 01 1 3 4
54
a cloud whose particles are undetectable. It is not solid but all
space or void. This theory is based on the uncertainty principle
established by Heisenberg. Dr.Fritjof Capra (University of
Berkeley) in his book The Tao of physics (p. 221-223) writes,
“The field theories of modern physics force us to abandon the
classical distinction between material particles and the void. The
vacuum is far from empty. On the contrary it contains an
unlimited number of particles which come into being and vanish
without end.”

So we see that the Sikh theory finds favour with many

scientists of today. Another scientist Arthur S.George in his book
‘A short history of the Universe’ has captioned one of its chapters
as ‘Something out of nothing’ and argues that the world came out
of nothing (void).

Questions have been raised and explanations sought about

this theory ever since the Gurus propounded it. One of the
questions is “Who created the Creator?” The Guru has answered
this question by saying, “The peerless God created Himself”
(AGGS p.1036)95

4.9 Birth day of the universe

A question has often been raised about the time of creation
of the earth (and the universe) and has engaged the attention of
scientists as well as the mystics.

“There is no doubt that Physics postulates a date at which

either entities of the universe were created in a state of high
organisation or pre-existing entities were endowed with
organisation which they have been squandering ever since.” (Sir
A. Eddington. The nature of physical world SVD page 78)96

95
) / 01 3 24 A +B/ :7 04
96
Christian & Jewish scholars calculate the age of our earth (up to 2003) as 5752 years.
Archbishop Usher of Ireland (1650) declared that our earth came into existence on Sunday 23
55
 Estimates of scientists vary between four billion and
twenty billion years. Some put it between 2000- 600,00097 million
years. The World book encyclopaedia puts it at 4.5 billion years.
Modern American research estimates that the origin of the
universe took place 12 to 18 billion years ago.

Diderot, Holbach and Karl Marx conceived the world as

an automatic machine, which is wound like a clock. According to
them the universe has been operating through eternity in
accordance with certain laws. Hence pinpointing the moment of
creation is meaningless. Kant and Hegel opposed this theory.

Guru Nanak was also asked this question and he has

recorded the question and his answer in the Sikh scriptures as
follows:98 (AGGS P. 4)

Question: - “What was the time, the season, the day and the
month when the creation came into existence?

Answer: - The Hindu scholars do not know otherwise we

could read in their Puranas.99
The Muslim scholars do not know otherwise we
could read in the Quran.
The Yogis knew not the date, season and the
month of creation.
Only the Lord alone, who created the universe,
Knows the answer.

“How can the son claim to witness the birth of His father?”

October 4004 BC. This is also the date accepted by the Masons who think that Adam was born
four years later in 4000 B.C. They start their calendar from 4000 B.C. and call it A.L. (Anno
Lucis).
97
Sir James Jeans (Our Mysterious universe P. 12). Hindu Scholar Dyanand surmised that the
creation came into existence 1,96,085,3095 years ago (see Rigvedadibhashya Bhumika chapter 7)
He revealed it through interpreting hymn 7 chapter 31 of Yajurveda.
98
" ) % " " , " / 64
99
) & + #) % " 5 % > + )% )% " 5 , +
+ "# 5+ F + + "# / 64
56
 (AGGS p. 248)100

The creation of the universe cannot be discussed without

reference to time and space and both are immeasurable and
limitless. Therefore, the possibility of ascertaining the birthday of
the universe, which depends on time and space, is beyond human
capabilities. All efforts to find the time of creation end up in
nothing and only point towards eternity.

“God did not leave any record of time, day or month when
He manifested His creation.” (Bhai Gurdas 18.7)101

Modern scientists like Bondi, Gold and Hoyle have

advanced the theory of, ‘Continuous Creation Hypothesis’, which
agrees fully with the thesis propounded by the Sikh Gurus. They
say, “It is aesthetically more pleasing and intellectually more
acceptable to consider that there can be no particular instant
when the universe could have been created. It has no beginning
and the creation never ends.”

100
+ + # 5 ) # / :C 64
101
> , +" / 0C @? 4
57
 Chapter 5
Life
“The body is the ultimate in technological perfection”
(Dr W.W. Akers Rice University)

N O simple definition of life can be provided.102 Although

there are some properties that distinguish animate from
inanimate matter but as we shall see later, the distinction between
living and non-living entities is not definite. It is also not clear
how life first began.

A number of theories have been advanced to settle the

age-old question, “Who came first, the chicken or the egg?” In
other words did matter appear first or life and how, when and why
did one change into the other, if it did? What triggered specific
changes in anatomy, behaviour and intelligence?

Some of the popular theories are given here.

102
The difference between non-life and life may be one of degree of consciousness rather than
difference of kind. There is no conclusive research on this topic yet. Even some plants behave like
living organisms. For example Venus-flytrap plant of North Carolina eats ants, spiders, flies, snails
and slugs. European butterworts bladderworts and the pitcher plants of Borneo are all carnivorous
plants and behave like living creatures eating meat and discarding skeletons. Some plants breathe
like humans and are susceptible to air pollution. In the 18th century sponges were thought to be
plants but now they have been classified as animals. Viruses defy any classification.
58
5.1 Life descended from space
In 1821 Sales Guyon de Montivault suggested that life on
earth actually came from the Moon. Towards the end of that
century the belief gathered momentum that life came from space
in meteorites.

In 1905 a Swedish chemist named Svante Arrhenius

proposed ‘panspermia theory’. According to this theory, life
existed from the beginning of the universe in spores. They
descended on the earth with asteroids and began to develop.

Scientist Chandra Wickramsinghe of Cardiff Centre for

Astrobiology and his late friend Fred Hoyle again proposed this
theory in 1970. Wickramsinghe still believes it to be true. He
says, “Life on earth is connected with life everywhere in the
universe.” Some British biologists and an Indian biologist
(Dr.Rama Chandra) also believe that microbes are aliens living as
uninvited guests on our planet.

5.2 Matter transformed itself into life

Most modern scientists and evolutionists however, seem
to agree that all life on earth developed from matter. It started and
died several times between 4.5 and 3.8 billions years because of
big asteroids and comets that struck the earth.103

The oldest known evidence of life was first discovered in

3.5 billion-year-old green algae specimens, which were
discovered in Australia. Later a 3.8 billion-year-old rock was
found in Greenland that showed similar signs of life (The
Amoebae).

103
Scientists believe that a large number of animals became extinct at the end of Permian period
about 250 million years ago and again at the end of Cretaceous period 65 million years ago
when at least 50% of life was wiped off the face of the earth.
59
 The Amoeba, over millions of years, developed into the
most complex modern human body (100,000 billion complex
cells)104. All this happened through supposed physical and
chemical changes, which occurred over millions of years.

How did inanimate matter develop ambitions, aesthetic

tastes and aspirations for art, literature and religion etc. is not
known. The most common belief is that Human beings are the
topmost developed animals in the chain of life on earth and
therefore the evolution of life has come to an end.

5.3 Spontaneous Generation theory

This theory states that about 10 million years ago energy
somehow materialized into matter with a rest mass. It was from
this matter that our earth took shape. The heavy elements sank to
the planet’s core but the comparatively lighter elements- like
hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon- remained closer to the surface.
Micro organisms developed from these lighter elements through
very improbable events and evolved into intelligent life.

The spontaneous generation theory came into prominence

towards the end of the 18th Century. An example was given that
maggots emerge from meat without any eggs being laid on it by
any insect.

French zoologist, Jean Baptiste Lamarck extended the

theory by saying that once life came into existence, the
characteristics acquired by one generation of living organisms
were passed on to its offspring and thus life spread on the earth.

The theory was disproved by Italian physician, Francesco

Redi (1688) and Lazzaro Spallanzani (1780)

104
Anthropologists are not sure as to the time when this happened or when mankind became
bipedal.
60
5.4 Higgs Boson theory
This theory has already been discussed in the last chapter.
According to it ‘Boson’ is the source of all animate and inanimate
life. Vast laboratories (Tevatron) costing about £6 billion have
been set up by CERN 105on the border of France and Switzerland
to hunt for the ‘Boson’ (known as God-particle) by the collision
of electrons on positrons at velocities close to the speed of light.
This is being attempted by 5000 scientists in a tunnel, which is 17
miles long. The results are expected by 2007.

5.5 Sugar theory

George Cooper of NASA’s Ames Research Centre
California has recently studied some meteorites, which had struck
the earth near Lake Murray Oklahoma (1933) and at Victoria
Australia (1969). He has discovered a sugar-like biologically
important organic compound in these meteorites, which he named
polyols. Since polyols is essential for DNA and has extraterrestrial
features, Cooper theorized that at one stage the interstellar space
was full of gas. Light triggered chemical reactions within the gas
and changed it into polyols. The clouds of gas collapsed and
became our solar system with potential for producing life from
Polyols.

Sir James Jeans in his book ‘Universe around us’ (p.12)

writes, “Our home in space came into being as a globe of hot
gases on which no life of any kind could retain a foothold.

5.6 Amino-acid theory

This theory states that life developed from amino acids,
which came into existence from the atmospheric gases. Amino

105
CERN is the name of the nuclear research council in French language. Recently its name has
been changed to “European Organisation for particle physics”

61
acids gave rise to one-celled living organisms such as Amoebae
(known as animal protozoa which is not supposed to die). In
1953 Stanley Miller and Harold Urey produced a molecule (water,
hydrogen, methane and ammonia etc) similar to the one that they
thought existed in the atmosphere 4 billion years ago and
subjected it to similar conditions of temperature and lightening
which existed at the time of creation. From this they produced
amino acids; nucleotides, sugars and fatty acids, which they said,
were precursors to more complex molecules essential for life.
Melvin Calvin and Sydney Fox later confirmed the findings of
this experiment.

In 1979 J.Bard and Herald Reiche disproved the theory

producing the same results by simply adding Platinum and
Titanium oxide to the solution.

5.7 Choanoflagellate theory

According to this theory hydrothermal vents on the earth’s
deep ocean floor gave rise to conditions of life. Choanoflagellate
or Collar is a microscopic sperm-like single-cell organism. It has
the same relation with animals, which chimps have with humans.
Sean Carroll, Professor of Genetics at the University of
Wisconsin, Madison and his colleague, Nicole King studied this
organism. They found that it contained characteristics, which are
found only in animals, and humans. They therefore, concluded
that, at one stage these single-cell genes (protozoa) began to
divide themselves and during the course of time evolved into
multi-celled (Metazoa) animals 600 million years ago. According
to Professor Carroll, “the evolution of Metazoans from Protozoa
is the milestone in the history of life development.”

5.8 Theories of Evolution

“We are extremely close cousins of other species and yet we
have grown light years away from them”
(Richard Dawkins 1992)
62
These days it is commonly believed that once life came into
existence, it multiplied into various shapes, varieties, species and
sizes through the process of evolution

(a) Darwin’s theory of evolution

“Evolution had no room for the supernatural. The earth and
its inhabitants were not created; they evolved” (Sir Julian
Huxley. New York Times November 9, 1959)

The English naturalist Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of

Charles Darwin) and his French colleague scientist Comte de
Buffon stated in the eighteenth century that environment changed
the characteristics of plants and animals. This change triggered
never-ending evolution. Later French zoologist Jean de Lamarck
supported this theory and confirmed their conclusions.

It was Charles Darwin (1809-1882) who really worked

hard in the field of evolution. His theory of ‘Natural Selection’
(1859), commonly known as the theory of the ‘survival of the
fittest,’ has influenced the thinking of the whole world. Because
of its great influence on modern human thought we will discuss it
here in some detail.

Evolution means that plant and animal life progressed

from one-celled organisms to its highest state (humans-trillions of
cells) by transforming one kind of life into another kind. The
human beings are, therefore, the result of a series of automatic
biological changes106 taking place over billions of years. It
involves three main ideas:

“(1) Living things change from generation to generation

producing descendants with new characteristics. (2) This process

106
“Of the vital processes which brought about these changes we are as yet ignorant”
Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 14 page 767). Darwin himself had used at least 800 phrases like ‘Let
us assume, ‘we may well suppose’ etc in his Origin of species. It is also a fact that 75% of the
evolutionary chain is missing.
63
of change has been going on so long that it has produced all the
groups now living, as well as others that lived long ago and have
died out, or become extinct. (3) These different living things are
related to each other.”
(The World book encyclopaedia Vol. 6 page 330)

Evolutionists say that although the results are not very

apparent, the process of evolution continues every day every
minute. Significant changes occur only after billions of years.

Thus we see that Darwin’s theory does not primarily deal

with the origins of life as such but with evolution (adaptation of
species to their surrounding environments). It does not tell us how
life first began but it does admit the watery origin of life from
small organisms.

Darwin theorized that man has evolved over a period of

billions of years (through the process known as macroevolution).
He passed through a series of animal ancestors starting from
Amoebae.107 According to him humans are direct descendants of
Ramaphithecus (Rama’s ape = Hanuman), an ape-like humanoid
that roamed in the Siwalik Hills of northwest India about 8 to 14
million years ago.108

(b) De Vries theory of mutation

Dutch botanist Hugo De Vries supported Darwin’s theory but said
that evolution progressed through mutations. He stated that living
organism adapted themselves to the environment through
mutating new organs.

107
Ledyard Stebbins calculated that it would take nearly 20,000 generations for a small animal like
a mouse (Mus musculus) to become an 8 Ton heavy and 13 feet high elephant.
108
In 1980 using molecular biology, it was established that the fossils of Ramaphithecus were not
those of the ancestors of human beings (Homo sapiens).

64
5.9 Evaluation of the theories of creation
(a) Inanimate matter changes into life

We all know that a living cell is comparatively far more

complicated than our modern computer and yet we tend to
assume that the cell constructed itself from matter. Can we say
that the computer evolved itself into the most complex machine
that it is or that Empire state building mysteriously constructed
itself overnight? After considering this theory, John Clover wrote
on page 176 of ‘The evidence of God in an expanding Universe’
“The simplest man-made mechanism requires a planner and a
maker. How a mechanism ten thousand times more involved and
intricate can be conceived of as self-constructed and self-
developed is completely beyond me.”

Similarly Dr W.W. Akers of Rice University doubted if

life could develop from inanimate matter. He said, “The body is
the ultimate in technological perfection. Almost any machine you
can dream up – no matter how sophisticated- you can look into
the body and find one better.”(Sanfrancisco examiner and
Chronicle September 11, 1966) “The nervous system of a single
starfish, with all its various nerve ganglia and fibres, is more
complex than London’s telephone exchange” (Natural History
November 1961 p.17). How could such a marvellous development
result from inanimate matter by itself?

It is true that there is a conceivable difference between the

living and the non-living but it defies belief that in-animate matter
somehow developed the ability to change into a living cell. The
newborn cell then mysteriously began to breathe and reproduce
itself and send messages to other cells. It also developed
consciousness, and acquired the capability to evolve and appear in
millions of diverse living forms without changing its basic
structure. One wonders how it learnt to fly as a bird. “We know
65
that birds fly thousands of miles leaving behind their chicks.”109
How did the birds begin to find their way back home flying over
thousands of miles of featureless oceans, whereas for similar
flights modern man needs radars, sextants, charts and compasses?
How do the small-feathered blackcaps find their way in the dark
night? How do the migratory birds fly thousands and thousands
of miles and arrive at their nesting grounds off the coast of
Australia and land on almost the same day every year? Why is it
that the DNA of living organisms has different ‘blue-prints?’

Evolutionists are also silent about the development of the

instinctive wisdom of animals.110 Mr. Bergson writes, “There are
three rheumatic joints in materialistic mechanism between matter
and life, between body and mind and between determinism and
choice (SVD p. 79).” In other words, Bergson questions how
lifeless atoms became living organisms and progressed into
developing complex brain and mind. Even the modern man of
science, with all the technology at his command, cannot create
this miracle. How did the humans automatically evolve with
trillions of cells and how did their instincts take root?

(b) Evolution of species

According to Darwin the living species have developed
from other living species but it is strange that there are no
transitional forms today? The apparent similarity between
Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Monkeys and humans is talked about as a

109
& & # # =# - = / 01 4 A common tern was branded on 30June 1996
in Finland and freed. It was discovered in January 1997 at Rotamah Island (Australia) 16150
miles away across the oceans.
110
Bears and elephants eat clay. Clay contains kaolin which de-activates toxins from their diet.
Birds use agrimony and yarrow to line their nests because these herbs kill off parasites in their
nests and keep their chicks healthy. When the hedgehogs are ill they sun themselves to kill
infectious organisms on their skin. Dogs have been seen to eat grass to vomit out the contents of
their upset stomach. Why do squirrels eat away a part of the acorn from white oaks (but not that
from the red oaks) before burying them for use in winter? How do animals avoid eating
poisonous plants growing in the wild? (For details Read ‘How animals keep themselves well by
Weidenfield and Nicholson) Why do single-celled ocean organisms swarm exactly every 23
hours to cause bioluminescence glow in the oceans?
66
link between them.111 But it is misleading because the inner
structure of humans is comparatively closer to a frog than to the
ape world and no transitional forms between man and ape have
been found so far.

Efforts of the protagonists of Darwin’s theory to prove

the transformation of dog-sized Eohippus (a small fox-like
animal) into the present day Equine (Horse) have not been
successful. It still needs to be explained why genes have remained
unchanged for millions of years and why the cell has not altered
its basic size, properties and chemical composition. The theory
does not answer why a cat has remained a cat and a rat has
remained a rat generation after generation. These facts only point
to the belief that the fixity of families of living organisms is the
universal law of Nature.

The theory of ‘Natural selection’ or ‘Survival of the fittest’

rests on the premise that all life continually adapts itself to
environment so that it becomes the fittest for survival. But we see
that the horse and the cow both eat grass but the horse has front
upper teeth, which the cow hasn’t and yet they both are enjoying
equal chances of survival. Similarly most birds eat fruit from the
trees but they have different kinds of beaks and have equal
chances of survival. The theory also points to the fact that only
the fittest of each species would survive but we find many
varieties of the same species surviving with equal ease. For
example there are more than a hundred species of dogs all
enjoying equal chances of survival?

According to the theory the females developed mammary

glands after millions of years of evolution, a step towards being
the fittest to survive. How did the females feed their babies before
developing mammary glands? If they were able to feed their

111
In genetics humans are closer to Chimpanzees but chimpanzees cannot swim and hold their
breath in water like humans. They fear water and easily get drowned. Humans also consume
more water than chimpanzees.
67
babies without mammary glands why did they need to develop
breasts? If breasts were necessary for survival, why do we still
find animals that do not have breasts to feed their babies and yet
survive just as well? If the development of male and female sex
organs was necessary for survival then why do we still have
asexual (e.g. Amoeba, which have no sex and multiply by self-
divison) and bisexual cells still surviving side by side with equal
ease? If one celled organisms could reproduce themselves
satisfactorily by dividing and subdividing and are still doing so,
then in what way did sexual reproduction help in evolution?

“Divine creation is the only possible initiator of life” (Luis

Pasteur quoted in Scientific American 1965 p.52)

(c) Theory of mutation

De Vries theory of evolution through mutations (From the
Latin mutare, meaning change) was considered an advance on
Darwin’s theory. It has been strongly criticised and proved
fallacious.

Evolutionists believe that mutations improve the chances

of survival and are necessary for perfection. This is belied by the
theory itself. The legless fish developed legs in millions of years
and in another millions of years became an elephant, a step
towards perfection. The elephant then reversed the process and in
millions of years not only lost its tail, trunk and tusks but also lost
two legs and became human (considered to be the fittest of all
species). Such a regression (devolution?) cannot be called
Evolution. Nature cannot be so wasteful.

It still needs to be explained why we do not have any

transitional (mutated) forms between animals and plants? Why
have the once fittest evolved mammoths and dinosaurs not
survived but the humble amoeba and the ubiquitous ant are still
living?

68
 Mutation does not always lead to evolution. Nobel Prize
winner (1946) Mr. H.J. Muller says, “Most mutations are bad, in
fact good ones are so rare that we may consider them all as bad”
(Time November 11, 1946 page 96). For example, mutations
produced through the use of the drug thalidomide, did not produce
improved species but deformed and mutilated babies. In 1956 an
experiment at mutation on Africanised super honeybees in Brazil
went drastically wrong and produced killer bees. These bees
attack people and animals but have no better chances of survival
in comparison with the ordinary honeybees. They are
comparatively lazier and smaller and their speed of flight is slow.
We have also seen that when the ants mutate, they grow wings.
The wings do not help them survive; on the other hand they
become the cause of their untimely death.

It was claimed that before the year 1700 the British Biston
betularia moth was mottled with white and brown but when coal
began to be used in houses and factories by 1860, it mutated into
dark grey to become better camouflaged against birds of prey.
This was interpreted as a form of evolution. The fact however is
that Biston betuleria’s adaptability (mimicry) has been confused
with evolution. In everyday life we find that the same cats, cows,
sheep and buffaloes give birth to some babies with spots and
others without spots or colour contrast. It does not therefore seem
to prove evolution.

“I think however that we should go further than this and

admit that the only accepted explanation is creation. I know that it
is anathema to physicists, as it is to me, but we must not reject a
theory that we do not like if the experimental evidence supports
it”
(H.J. Lipson in Physics Bulletin Vol. 31 1980 p. 138) 112

112
Kansas Board of Education deleted references to Darwin’s theory from their Science curriculum
in August 1999. Illinois Board followed suit in October 1999 and banned it. Oklahoma State
Textbook committee also recommended its removal from textbooks on 5th November 1999. A
conference recently held in Ohio (23.8.2002) condemned Darwin’s theory as untrue and
dangerous and asked it not to be taught in schools. The conference concluded that there is
“intelligent design” in all creation.
69
(d) Genetically modified plants and geeps
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is considered the carrier of
inheritance code but it remains the same in the living group. What
we find happening is only the shuffling or permutation of genes.

Examples of mutational changes through cross breeding

have been found to be far-fetched. For example cross breading
between a horse and a donkey producing a mule is cited as a
transformation. But the biologists agree that the DNA keeps the
organism within the parameters set by nature for a particular
Genus. A mule remains within its genus.113. Nature permits
crossbreeding only within limits. It abhors continuity of
crossbreeding and therefore the hybrid mule is sterile and cannot
produce babies. The same is the case with a geep114. It remains
within its Genus and can only produce either pure sheep or pure
goat as offspring. Genetically modified (mutated) plants have also
remained within their Genus. No botonist has succeeded in
changing maize to mustard or vice versa.

The theory of Biogenesis (bio=life and genesis=birth)

propounded by modern anthropologists has already questioned the
hypothesis of Charles Darwin as stated in his “Origin of species”.
This theory states, “The parent organism and its offspring are
always the same kind. Man has long since ceased to evolve.
Present day man, the human being that we are, does not differ
from the human being who lived 100,000 years ago”
(Science world Feb1, 1961 p.5).

113
Living organisms related to each other are called Species. One or more Species related to each
other are called Genus. For example tiger, Lion (Felis Leo) and cat (Felis domestica) all belong
to Felis Family. Lynx and bobcat do not belong to this family but together they are all members
of Feldae genus. Nature permits interbreeding only among the members of a particular Genus.
114
Through the process of cell-fusion the Cambridge scientists produced a ‘geep’ from a goat and a
sheep in 1982. They named it Geep. Geeps only produce goats or sheep but no Geeps.
70
 Other critics say that if “Survival of the fittest” is believed
then a time is bound to come when only one fittest animal (one of
the humans?) will survive on the earth. There are no signs of such
a thing happening.

It is on the basis of such facts that Gaylord Simpson

wrote, “Search for the cause of evolution has been abandoned. It
is now clear that evolution has no single or simple cause” (The
geography of evolution P. 17)

“Neither physical nature nor life can be understood unless

we fuse them together as essential factors in the composition of
really real things whose interconnections and individual
characters constitute the Universe”(Adventure of Ideas by
A.N.Whitehead).

(e) Life from outer space

This theory once captivated the minds of the scientists all over the
world. Von Daniken wrote two books “Chariots of the gods” and
“Gold of the gods” which rocked the world. Later the theory was
strongly supported by Graham Hancock through his book,
“Fingerprints of gods.” They even argued that life from other
planets has been regularly visiting our earth.

Some scientists have discarded this theory as improbable. They

believe that the spores could not have survived such a long
journey through the harsh conditions of outer space. William
Grant of the University of Leicester and Jack Cohen the biologist
at University of Warwick reject this theory as fanciful.

5.10 The Sikh view of life

“If all nature obeyed the law of causation, why should life be
exempt?” (Sir James Jeans The Mysterious Universe P.29)

71
 Unlike evolutionists, the Sikh Gurus believe that the
whole universe (including living organisms) was “created by God
under His inexplicable Will”.115 “First, He created Himself and
then He willed the nature to develop.”116(AGGS p.463) The
developmental differences in creation are not automatic or based
on “survival of the fittest”. “The differences have been created
consciously by the creator”117 and in a form suited to the work that
each species is assigned to do. Monkeys or chimpanzees may
become more and more intelligent but they will still remain
monkeys or chimpanzees. “My True Lord has enacted a
mysterious play. He has created each form different from the
other.”118
One of the most important things created by God was
‘Air’119 which under His Will became the source of all life. The
Guru says, “From the True Lord came the air, and from the air
came water. From water, He created the three worlds (of life in
water, on earth and in air); in each and every heart He has infused
His Light.”120

Scientists, state similarly, that Hydrogen and oxygen gases in the

air combined to form water (H2O) and life emerged from water
some 350 million years ago.121 According to Alister Hardy’s
‘aquatic ape theory’ (1960) living creatures began to emerge from

115
" + “ There is indeed no way in which we can represent to
ourselves the process by which the Supreme Will brings things into being”(The Philosophy of
religion by Galloway.) + ;! / 01 63 4
116
+> -> > 5 L + # " &F - > / 6234 A
%# - / 01 3 :4 )B/ 01 3 24
117
E % # / 01 <24 Also read Asa M;1 p. 387,Gujri Ki var
M:3 p. 736, Nat M;4 P. 277 “God tastes an infinite joy in infinite ways” (Browning)
118
# ; -# %) - 5 + / 01 <<4
119
"#%) , ) %-P / 01 33 4 (The air started the whole play
everywhere) "# " + / 01 304 "# " + "#+ / 0:<24. In
1660 much later than the first publication of Guru Granth Sahib, Robert Boyle established the
fact that air is indispensable for life.
120
- # +) 5 +) ; " + ' ! ' ! + / 07 4 “
+ +) #+) ”( 0:C 3). The dependence of life on water and the
theory of water cycle in nature were propounded by Bernard Palissy in the sixteenth century
after the death of Guru Nanak.
121
The main constituent of life cells is cytoplasm, which is made of 80% water.
72
water when the Ozone layer on the earth became thick enough to
protect the living creatures from the lethal rays of space.

Asked how God produced life from water, the Guru’s

answer was, “Only the Creator knows His methods”122 In answer
to the same question, Scientist A.I.Oparin similarly said in 1938
that, “ life arose from the oceans through some processes yet
unknown.”

Most scientists believe that when living creatures emerged

from water their fins turned into legs, lungs, scale, fur and wings
etc. They seem to say that over time, stone became amoebae, fish,
snake deer, lion, and finally a monkey, which turned into man.

Nobel Laureate Ilya Prigogin does not agree with the

above view. He says, “This principal cannot explain the formation
of biological structures. The probability that at ordinary
temperatures a microscopic number of molecules assembled to
give rise to the highly ordered structures and to the coordinated
functions characterizing living organisms is vanishingly small.
The idea of spontaneous genesis of life in its present form is
therefore highly improbable, even on the scale of billions of years
during which prebiotic evolution occurred”(Physics Today vol. 25
p. 28).

No one can say with any certainty that a living cell123 is

merely a collection of ordinary atoms arranged in some as yet
mysterious permutation. No skilful chemist has so far succeeded
in creating life out of atoms. Is it only atoms or is the living
organism composed of something more in addition to atoms?

There is no doubt that humans are made from the same

chemical elements (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Calcium and

122
+ + "#/ 01 21 4
123
English scientist Robert Hooke discovered cells in 1665. Each cell is the minutest living unit.
There are nearly 75 trillion cells in the body and each second in each cell there are at least 6 trillion
chemical reactions taking place and yet they are as small as the full stop at the end of this sentence.
73
Phosphorus etc) as other objects of nature and obtain nourishment
from the same earth, yet they are different from them in many
ways. The main difference between species is that humans have
the ability to control and manipulate their surroundings, acquire
knowledge and make use of other species to serve them. The
biochemist Isaac Asimov, tells us that in a whole lifetime, the
human brain can absorb and retain more than one million bits of
information whereas the brains of other species have much
limited capability. Sikhism firmly asserts this fact and says, “O
Human being you are the Lord of the world. The other species are
subservient to you.”124

Sikhism believes that matter cannot by itself develop

consciousness to reach the apex of development. The human body
is composed of a pound worth of chemicals and water but nobody
has succeeded in creating a living human being out of them. The
Sikh belief is that “The Lord created all creatures and they have
been assigned different tasks.”125 All things are well and wisely
put by the Creator. “He has so constructed His World that no one
creature or species is exactly like the other.” (AGGS p. 1056)126
Each organism has been assigned a special role in life. A human
being, however intelligent, cannot do what other species are
capable of.

Human beings are social and ethical and can store their
emotions and sentiments. All this is possible through an
additional element in humans. This additional element according
to Sikhism is the Discerning intellect ( 4 127a property of
the soul@ It is discerning intellect that helps the human to be
rational and to be able to discriminate between right and wrong,
good and evil. The Sikh Gurus say, “The air, the water and the

124
+ 5 / 3 ? 64and “)% - + "
; & / 01 ? <4 A ) + B/ 7 034
125
+ + + + " ) / 01 3 4 ) + / :C :4
126
# ; -# %) - 5 + / 01 <24
127
+ ) - - +#/ 03:<4
74
fire unite to create all animate objects. But it is the restless
discerning intellect that dominates the game.”128 Scientists at one
time called this mysterious constituent “vital force” or “pre-
determined plan” Evolutionist Sir James Gray acknowledges it
when he writes, “There seems to be some directive principle at
work.” (Science today page 26)

Again the Sikh Gurus say that all creatures are equipped
with the potential for evolution within their own species129 but in
comparison with humans, the other species have much less ability
to evolve. The birds have been building their nests from times
immemorial but have not been able to improve upon their
techniques. Man, once a cave dweller, is now building
skyscrapers, computers and rockets and exploring the other
planets. Another unique factor in humans is that they are endowed
with the faculty of reason, which differentiates them from all
other animals.130

The Sikh theory of life also had its critics. The Guru has
recorded the questions and answers about the theory in the Guru
Granth Sahib for posterity. Here are some of the questions asked
by the intellectuals of the Guru’s time:

1. Question: - How did life originate, where did it reside

before manifesting itself and where does it end?131

Answer: - All creatures were created by Him. How can

anybody evaluate His doings? (AGGS p.1193)

128
" " ) 5 --) - ) %) / 0<: + %
+ / 7 :3 4 A' ! ' ! ; ) ' ! ' ! + / <7 ? ).
129
“ + -) "B@ Nature is one but it has been mysteriously endowed
with three properties (of ‘becoming’, ‘enduring’, and ‘disintegration’).
130
The Sikh Gurus have consecrated reason as the noblest and highest function of the humans.
Human intellect is God’s gift but the Guru sharpens the intellect and polishes it to make it shine
in its godly glory.
131
, +# # #5 Answer + + % " #/ 007 3 4
75
 2. Question: “When this heart and body did not exist, where
did the mind reside?” (AGGS P. 945)132

Answer: -” When the heart and the body did not exist, O
hermit, then the mind resided with the Absolute detached
Lord in the void” (AGGS P. 945).

3. Question: - “How and in what way, was the world formed,

O man? And what disaster will end it?” 133 (AGGS P. 946)

Answer: - “In egotism, the world was formed, O man;

Forgetting the Naam, it suffers and dies.”

5.11 Modes of reproduction

In the times of the Sikh Gurus it was a deeply held view
that there are four modes /% " 4 of reproduction. “The four
types of life such as egg, placenta, sweat, and germination and
many more are provided by you”134 The Sikh Gurus mentioned the
current belief of their time but did not restrict reproduction to
these four categories. Modern man is exploring other planets and
there may be other modes of reproduction on them. So the Sikh
Gurus disagreed with the current concept and instead said,

132
+ #F # 5/ 7 6<4 #
# / 7 6<4
133
+ +# % % + / 7 624 # -+ +# %
# % / 7 624
134
&+ + + + + ) / 01 C 64 The division of life into four categories#
was firmly but wrongly believed in the time of Guru Nanak. &+ /from eggs as birds) + +
/from placenta as humans &animals4 + /from sweat or heat as lice and millipedes) +
/from breaking of earth as plants) is mentioned at many places in the Holy Granth. However the
Sikh Gurus did not accept this idea. At that time this idea of four modes was also current in the
west. They were named Monera, Protista, Plantae and Animalia. After research the
classification was extended to include Fungi as sixth kingdom. These days the list contains 13
kingdoms. In addition the scientists still do not know where to put viruses because they have
not decided whether the viruses are living or non-living? Life is believed to have evolved from
Monera, which are either bacteria or blue-green algae (it is still undecided whether they are
plants or bacteria).
76
“Countless are the modes of reproduction, countless are the
worlds, skies and galaxies.”135

5.12 Mysteries of life

The idea of four modes of reproduction does not appear to
be sound even on our earth. Asexual organisms (like Amoebae
and starfish) produce identical replicas of themselves through
dividing their bodies. Similarly ‘Coelenterate’ is an organism,
which if cut into pieces each part starts behaving like an
independent individual and develops into a full-grown organism.
Echinodermata is a marine organism, which has no head. If a part
of its body is cut off, it can regenerate that part.

Again there are viruses, which remain alive for centuries.

They look like solid crystals in powdery form. Tobacco mosaic
virus136 is a crystal and to all appearances displays no sign of life.
As soon as it is dissolved in water and sprayed on a tobacco leaf it
becomes a living organism and starts multiplying itself. It is about
life of this type that the Sikh Gurus said, “If God wills He can
keep an organism alive without breath”137 (AGGS p. 277)

Using their research submarine Alvin, Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institute’s divers went underwater in Pacific
Ocean’s Galapagos rift in 1977. There they discovered living
plants in the underwater volcanic cracks. They were astonished to

135
! %" %& ! ; & / :? 24 %" " / ?4
136
Martinus Willem Beijerinck first discovered viruses in 1898 by experimenting on tobacco. As
soon as the viruses enter the living cell they become alive and multiply rapidly. Having entered
a healthy cell they replicate themselves into thousands and trick the host cell into producing
harmful acids rather than healthy cells. The healthy cell thus destroys itself. AIDS, influenza,
small pox, rabies, polio, measles, shingles and mumps etc are caused by viruses. Although
vaccines can control and kill certain viruses, the HIV virus that causes AIDS cannot be killed
because it attacks the body’s immune system itself. Sometimes viruses cause epidemics. In
1918 Influenza virus killed more people than were killed in the 1st world war. It wiped off 4%
of India’s population and 8% that of Alaska. America was the worst hit. Small Pox virus was
once the scourge of human beings but it has now been controlled. Since 1978 its deadly
microbes have been lying frozen in Moscow and Atlanta. The HIV virus is still causing deaths
and no vaccine has so far been discovered to control it.
137
A ; # %#B/ :? ? 4
77
find that these plants lived by chemosynthesis (converting
chemicals into food) rather than on photosynthesis by which all
plants live. The rift water has a temperature of 3990C. Ordinarily
life does not survive in such high temperatures. Since then, 295
other new species of life (called pyrococcus furiosus) have been
discovered in the hot waters of the Galapagos rift alone. That life
can exist in such high temperatures is mentioned by the Sikh
gurus in the Holy Guru Granth Sahib as follows, “Such is our
Lord that He provides sustenance even to those that exist in fire.”
(AGGS p. 488)138

A worm-like organism (known as phylum) lives in a self-

built 25 feet long tube and has neither a mouth nor intestines. It
lives by assimilating bacteria through the cells of its body. In the
last week of July 2003 a team of Southampton University
Oceanography Centre led by Dr.Bramley Murton and Dr.Chris
German sent down their divers from their ship RRS Charles
Darwin to the floor of the Indian Ocean. They discovered a
super-heated chemically enriched plume of smoky water
emerging violently from the underwater rupture of the earth’s
crust. In this pitch-black murky water of the plume they
discovered 8 feet long worms, giant clams and blind shrimps
living by feeding on chemicals.139 Dr.German said, “Some
smaller plumes enabled us to discover up to two new species a
fortnight”

All these have been discovered only recently and yet there
is no end to the forms and mysteries of life and the search is
going on. About such marine life the Guru said, “He has created
life in the deep dark recesses of the ocean and provides

138
%# # % / 6C C 4 # & +
- / 7 :1 4
139
These facts may sound strange to scientists and to us but the Guru says, “ + + + )#
+ ) 5 + + - # B/ 0664 All beings and
creatures live by breathing, but He could keep us alive, even without the breath. O Nanak, as it
pleases the True Lord, He gives us sustenance.
78
 sustenance for them. There one life lives by feeding on another
one” (AGGS P. 955).140

Most of these animals do not fall into the generally

believed four categories of reproduction. It was these mysteries
and varieties that prompted Guru Nanak to exclaim with wonder,
“Wondrous is the earth and wondrous are the modes of
reproduction”(AGGS P. 464), “ Wondrous are the living creatures
and wonderful are their varieties”(AGGS P. 463) “ God exists in a
variety of forms” (AGGS p. 13) 141

5.13 Life in stones

Recently scientists discovered a million-year-old rock
which when placed in water showed signs of life. Very old living
microbes have been found in the permafrost of Fox Tunnel in
Alaska, which is the coldest known place on earth and has been
frozen solid for millions of years. It has also been discovered that
life exists even up to 30 feet below the surface of the earth.

Scientists were surprised at the feats of nature but the fact

that myriads of insects creep and crawl in rocks and stones was
mentioned by the Sikh Gurus more than 500 years ago when they
wrote, “In rocks and stones He created living beings; He places
their nourishment before them” (AGGS p. 10)142

5.14 Varieties of living organisms

According to Aristotle(c 350) there are 500 known

species/types or families (Genuses) of life. He grouped them into
8 classes, which he called kingdoms. Oriental religions state that

140
“ - B A+ + %" B/ 7 <<4
141
%"B/ 6264 A + B/ 623 4
B/ 03 4
142
#) , + + # / 01 4 ! %" + # ; )
/ 0:304 % " ! - / 6C C 4
79
there were 84 lakh143 living types of creatures. The Sikh Guru
referred to this commonly held belief when he wrote “All the
supposed 8,400,000 species of life are offered sustenance by the
Great provider.”144 The Sikh Gurus however, did not put any limit
on the number of living species. They said, “The species, their
families, colours and names are all recorded by His moving pen.
If one tries to enumerate them, there will be no end to his
calculations”145

The belief, that there are only 8,400,000 varieties of

organisms rests on the fact that the number of varieties of life
remains constant. This is not correct. We know that since life first
appeared on our planet, more than 2 billion species have vanished.
Some scientists estimate that the number of species now living on
our earth is 30 million. More and more species unknown before
are being discovered.

Life is all pervading consciousness.146 We can say that it is

sleepy in stone; dreamy in the animal kingdom and wide awake in
the humans. Two types of life are in our common knowledge.
Ordinary life can exist in more than one environment. For
example humans can exist in hot or cold temperatures but they
cannot exist where there is no oxygen. Dormant or hibernating
life needs an appropriate environment and atmosphere to come to
full life activity.147 Hibernating animals usually appear to be dead
but they come to full life activity at a certain period. Furthermore
there are seeds that remain in the earth but sprout only at certain
times. The oldest (10,000 years old) seed so far discovered, is that

143
A Lakh in Indian system of counting is equal to 100,000.British anthropologist David
Attenborough in his book (Life on earth p. 11) appears to agree with this number.
144
- )% + + / 061 34
145
+ + ) % 8 ) 5 ) % ) % + "# )% ) % / 34
146
“The basic oneness of the universe is not only the central characteristic of the mythical
experience, but is also one of the most important revelations of modern physics. It becomes
apparent at the atomic level, and manifests itself more and more as one penetrates deeper into
matter, down into the realm of sub-atomic particles” (Dr. Fritjof Capra Tao of physics p. 130-
131)
147
This is known as dormancy (temporary cessation of growth and activity). It may last a day or a
million years.
80
of North American Arctic Lupine.148 When planted, it still grew
into a plant similar to the present day Lupine. A single-seed fruit
known as double coconut is found on the Seychelles Islands. It
weighs 45 pounds. If planted, it takes up to 10 years before it
begins to grow.

Some varieties of life defy classification. For example

Euglena has chlorophyll like a plant but it eats and excretes like
living animals. Guru Nanak was talking about such life when he
wrote, “Only ignorant fools argue about eating or not eating meat.
It is not possible to distinguish between meat and vegetables so
how can we define sin?”(AGGS p. 1289)149

“There are varieties within varieties (AGGS p.6)150. “Like

a thaumaturg, The Almighty manifests Himself in different shapes
and colours” (AGGS p. 726).151

5.15 Is there life on other planets?

(a) Reasons for the belief

It was Giordano Bruno of Italy who first claimed in 1572

152
that there were millions of other planets that have life on
them. In our own times scientist Chris Chyba has stated that
153

there is a great possibility of life on Europa.154. The belief about

148
Ice age arctic Lupine seeds were found buried in the Yukon Territory of Canada in 1954.
149
% 9 8 +" " # " /
0:C 7 4
150
+ + / 24
151
+ +# + 5 % %) / ? 3 24
152
‘Planet’ is a Greek word, which means ‘a wanderer’. Here it is used for all heavenly bodies.
Greek writer Plutarch believed that our moon was inhabited by living beings. He called them
Moon-demons.
153
Giordano Bruno opposed Platonic theory of Geocentric Universe recorded in Ptolemy’s
Almagest and stated that the planets revolved round the sun and the Universe was Heliocentric.
The Church however believed that the sun and the planets were moving round the earth. Bruno
was arrested by the Inquisition, which had been established by Pope Gregory in 1231 to
counteract agnosticism. He was burnt alive at the stake on 16 February 1600.
154
Scientists have so far detected signs that there was once water on three out of the nine planets in
our Solar system. Where there is water, there may be life.
81
life in space rests on the argument that if conditions are right for
life to exist on our earth, there may be other such planets in the
universe with similar conditions.

Many people in various countries have reported

unidentified flying objects (UFOs) with alarmingly unpredictable
regularity. Some people even claim face-to-face rapport with
aliens. Crop circles have mysteriously appeared overnight at
many places in the world especially in Britain and Canada.
Scientists dismiss such claims as mistaken observations or
dreams.

An alien craft is reported to have crashed at Roswell in

New Mexico (4 July 1947) and it is reported that post-mortem
was performed on its occupants. The state Government is silent
about it.

Fossilized microbial worm-like life was detected in 1989

in a 4.5 billion-year-old rock from Mars known as ALH 84009

(b) Search for life in space

The search for life in the universe has been a common

theme with exobiologists since the last century. A Project called
META (Mega Channel Extraterrestrial Assay) has been launched
by Harvard University and META 2 has been launched from the
Argentine Institute of Radio Astronomy near Buenos Aires to
search for life in space.
One of our un-manned spacecrafts is supposed to land on
Europa in 2010. In addition to this, another project known as
Phoenix is being set up to look for life in space. This project will
install instruments on the dark side of the moon for exploration.
Entrepreneurs like Dr. Alan Katz are conducting research
independently as an intergalactic hobby.

Professor Pillinger and his colleagues have now developed

a machine, which can detect signs of life. This machine (Known
82
as Beagle) has been catapulted to the Mars (on 3.6.2003) and is
expected to land on Mars on Christmas Day 2003. It is hoped that
it will soon radio back messages about life to the earth.

(c) Communication with life in space

Efforts to communicate with life in space were first made

in 1960 when Frank Drake sent radio signals to Epsilon Eridani
and Tau Ceti from Green Bank National Radio Astronomy
Observatory. Americans launched Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 with
messages and a map on a gold plaque in 1972 and 1973. On
November 16, 1974 radio messages were sent from Arecibo
Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico to a cluster of stars known as
Messier 13. In 1978 the Americans sent Voyager 1 and Voyager 2
carrying “Sounds of earth” into space. On 5 May 1999 NASA
sent a message to outer space in binary code.

These attempts have been made with the assumption that

the supposed creatures living in the universe are technologically
advanced and intelligent enough to pick up our radio signals and
T.V. programmes and can decipher our maps and messages.
Unfortunately the odds appear to be against this assumption. Our
messages may take thousands of years to be received up there and
their answers may take thousands of years to be received back on
earth.

Some people claim that U.S.A received a message from

outer space on 23 July 1947 but political expediency prompted
the U.S.Government to deny it. Similarly Greenwich Observatory
in Virginia is said to have received a message in September 1998
and the distorted picture of a dog-like animal. It was reported by
KB TV news as “ET is coming”. Another signal is said to have
been received on April 18, 1999 by Project Mogul.

Dr. Jill Tarter of SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial

Intelligence at Mountain View California), who has worked in
this area for 20 years, has reported that a signal has been received
83
(5 August 1997) from outer space but it is as yet indecipherable.
SETI are at present spending 6000 dollars a day on research using
a dish, which is 140 feet across and is very powerful. It can tune
in to 8 million different frequencies simultaneously. CETI
(Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence) are trying to
understand the signals received from outer space.

Radio telescopes in Ohio and Massachusetts scan the sky

day and night for radio messages from space. A very sophisticated
dish, 1000 ft in diameter, is being installed at Puerto Rico. This
dish has so sensitive antennae that it can even pick up signals
from a mobile phone being used on Europa, which is circling
Jupiter.

(d) The present position

Scientists are divided on the issue. Some scientists think

that extra terrestrial life is possible. Others say that the signals we
receive from space are interstellar hissing and have no value.

So far there is no definite statement from any Government

Department in the world regarding intelligent life on other
planets. However, the common belief is that Man is perhaps not
the only living, thinking, breathing creature in the universe.
Therefore, rockets, radar and radio computers are busy searching
for life in space.

5.16 The Sikh View

The Sikh Gurus have not directly mentioned anything
about the certainty of life on other planets but there are references,
which can only be construed as having relevance to life on other
planets. For example, we hear that there are only 8,400,000 forms
of life on earth but according to Sikhism the limit of God’s
creation is beyond human comprehension. The Guru says, “O
Lord, You have embellished the creation with beauty creating the
beings of various kinds, you infused your power into them. No
84
one knows your limits, (AGGS p.1094)155. The Guru also states
“God has established his stocks and stores in many worlds. He
has replenished them once and for all so that the supplies never
run out” (AGGS P. 7).156 “I see none as great a giver as you. O
Great Giver; You give in charity to the beings of all the
continents, worlds, solar systems, nether regions and
universes.”(AGGSp.549)157

Regarding these other worlds he says, “Having created the

creation, He watches over it. By His glance of Grace, He bestows
happiness. 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. O
Nanak, to describe this is as hard as steel.”(AGGS p. 8)158

Obviously the Guru believed that there was life on other

planets, otherwise the above lines of the Guru would have no
meaning and he would not have said, “Many solar systems, many
galaxies. Many forms, colours and celestial realms. Many
gardens, many fruits and roots. He Himself is mind, and He
Himself is matter. Many ages, days and nights. Many
apocalypses, many creations. Many beings are in His home. The
Lord is perfectly pervading all places.” (AGGS page 1236)159

155
%& ;, + 5 + ) 5 + "# -
+" / 01 7 64 ,#) ) / C4 #" , /Earth and
sky are made seats 4 / C 374
156
" ) ) & 5+ = / ?4
157
+ & # # %& & ) ) /
<67 4
158
%# ) 5 ,#%& &) & 5+ ,# 5 ,#) ) 5
+ + # 5 %# # - 5 , 8
159
%& 5 ; & 5 E) ) 5 %
,) 5 + 5 ) 5 + + ; 5
; F / 0:324
85
 There are copious references to life on other planets in the
hagiographic literature of Sikhism (Janam Sakhis).160

Sir James Jeans writes, “There are millions of stars in the

sky each similar to our sun, and each doubtlessly surrounded, like
our sun, by a family of planets on which life may be kept in being
by the light and heat received from its sun (Sir James Jeans Our
mysterious Universe P. 8)

Scientists are waiting for the time when they receive a

definite signal from the outer space to prove that we are not the
only inheritors of this Universe.

5.17 Components of life

Our present day chemists have based their work on the
Chinese and Egyptian alchemists. The alchemists tried to turn
base metals into gold. Their art was known as chemistry, which
literally means ‘gold cooking’. These alchemists believed that
everything in the world was composed of fire, air, water, and
earth.

The Sikh Gurus have stated at many places in the Holy

Granth that living organisms are composed of five elements.
Earth, air, fire, water and spirit 161

160
Janam Sakhies are the life stories of Guru Nanak. Their authorship has not been established with
any certainty.
161
+ ) 5 '! - / 00:C 4 - ) /
01 3 7 4 - ) / 01 3 1 4 - ;! + / ? 3 24@ It
should be understood that in Gurbani does not have the same meaning as ‘element’ in
science. An ‘element’ in science has been defined as ‘A substance that contains only one kind of
atoms’ for example Oxygen contains only oxygen atoms. Water is not an element in scientific
terms. It is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen. Some elements exist in more than one
physical form called Isotope or allotropes. For example sulphur. Graphite and diamond exist in
more than one allotropic form. Ninety scientific elements occur naturally but some have been
created by scientists from other elements by changing the number of atoms in their nucleus. So
in Gurbani actually means components or essential ingredients of life.
86
 In his book Exploring our Universe (p.39) scientist
Branley writes, “The earth is made of three primary divisions
Water, earth, and air” which he thinks are essential ingredients for
life.

The human mind is the product of earth, air, fire, water

and spirit, which constitute our body.162 The Guru says, “The
mind is the product of five elements in the body.”163 It is the
storehouse of impulses, thoughts, aspirations, hopes and desires,
which last only as long as the body lasts. The biological and
physical sciences accept this as ‘the theory of subjectivism.’

Air is of paramount importance. A scientist named Hooke

proved in 1660 that “air is essential for respiration and that there
is no substitute for it” (Taylor’s History of Science p.95). This fact
was mentioned by the Sikh Gurus years earlier at many places in
the Holy Scripture. For example the Guru says, “Born of water,
life is sustained by air.”(AGGS p. 884)164 The Guru gave the order
of importance as follows:

“The air is the breath of spiritual life (Guru), the water like
our father is the cause of our being and the earth acts as a mother
for us. Day and night act like two nurses. This is how the play of
the world is enacted” (AGGS p. 8)165

5.18 Life in plants

Life in plants was discovered by an Indian scientist Sir
Jagdish Chander Bose (1858-1937) for which he was awarded the
Noble Prize. However, the Sikh Gurus had stated this in the Guru
Granth Sahib nearly 400 years earlier. The Sikh scripture says
“All grains have life in them” (AGGS p. 472).166 The fact that not

162
Five elements are supposed to be the counterparts of five senses.
163
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only grains but also plants have life in them is stated as follows;
“The gardener’s wife plucks the flower petals to offer them to a
stone statue. Little does she know that the flower petals she
plucks have life in them and the stone idol has no life in it”
(AGGS p. 479).167

“Evidence now supports the vision of the poet and the

philosopher that plants are living, breathing, communicating
creatures, endowed with personality and attributes of the soul. It is
only we, in our blindness, who have insisted on considering them
automata” (The Secret life of the Plants by Peter Tompkins and
Christopher Bird)

5.19 Pollination
The secret of reproduction in plants remained a mystery
for a long time. Prospero Alpini stated in 1580 that the plants had
male and female sexes. In 1694 Rudolph Jakob Camerarius
identified male and female parts in plants. Later in 1763 Joseph
Gottlieb Kolreuter conducted fertilization experiments on plants
using animal pollinators. It was then that pollination of plants
through wind and insects like flies, bees, birds and bumblebees
etc was established as a fact. The Sikh Gurus had mentioned this
earlier than this when they wrote, “Such is the result of a bumble
bee enjoying fragrance that (by carrying pollen) it causes the trees
to bloom and the woods to become lush green and
fructify.”(AGGS p.1190)168

5.20 Life within life

For a long time, people believed that diseases occurred
through wrath of God, sorcery, magic, witchcraft and evil spirits.
Modern medical science has proved that it is microbes that cause
diseases in living organisms. Biologists have discovered many
167
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88
different forms of disease causing microbes. Some microbes
attack the skin of the living organisms.169 Others enter the body
through respiration, food, stings (of parasites) and cracks in the
skin etc.170Some (harmful and also harmless bacteria) are
contained in the guts even when a new baby is born. Snake-like
organisms ( ) M 4 develop inside the animals (including humans)
and it is common knowledge that people living in Africa suffer
from Guinea worms, which develop inside their bodies.
Tapeworms inhabit the intestines of fish and humans. Nematodes
parasites have been discivered inside whales. Hookworms are
found in the faeces of 1.3 billion people in the world. Liver flukes
have been commonly found in the livers and gallbladders of
sheep, goats, pigs, horses rabbits, dogs, squirrels and humans.

It was Robert Hooke who first claimed (in 1665) that

diseased cells and healthy cells grow side by side in the living
organisms.171Anton van Leuwenhoek later confirmed this fact in
1677, when he discovered that the sperm was full of small living
microbes, which were the source of human reproduction. He
called them human larva. Later he also discovered protists
(known as animalculae) which are micro organisms living in
animate matter.

Guru Nanak had stated this much earlier when he wrote,

“There are living organisms within living organisms and even
they are punished by the Lord for their transgressions.”172

169
Coryne bacteria, micrococci and coliform bacterias. Millions of them are supposed to live
and feed on our body.
170
Bacteria were first discovered by Anton Van Leuwenhoek in 1683.They are the most abundant
form of life on earth. They grow on and inside living things and multiply by cell division. Our
saliva alone contains at least six types of bacteria including spirochetes, fusobacteria and bacilli
etc. Escherichia coli, clostridia and streptococci live in our bowels.
171
This gave rise to the science of Cytology and cytoplasm.
172
! ! / :4@ Our intestines contain around 11 trillion bowel
bacteria, which ferment and break down undigested fibre. 70 % of them (like Lactobacilli and
Bifidobacteria) are probiotic bacteria, which improve intestinal health. The other 30% are
harmful which are punished by the friendly bacteria when they overstep their allotted tasks
and boundaries.
89
5.21 Priorities of life on earth
Scientists agree that life passed through many stages on
this earth. They divide them into Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron
Age etc. It is stated that there were times when dinosaurs
inhabited this earth in large numbers. At another time mammoths
were the rulers. Man is said to have appeared on the scene last of
all and is the most intelligent of all life. These ideas are not new
to the Sikhs. The Sikh Gurus had already stated that life
(consciousness) has passed through different stages. At different
times different species dominated this planet. After ages and ages
consciousness reached its apex and appeared in the human form.
For example the Guru says,
“For ages and ages Life existed as worms and insects.
For ages and ages life existed as elephants, fish and deer.
For ages and ages life existed as birds and snakes.
For ages and ages life existed and laboured as horses and oxen.
At long last came the human form, an opportunity to merge in the
universal consciousness (God).” (AGGS p. 176)173

5.22 Death of life

All creatures from amoebae to elephant and the whole universe
from atom to myriads of solar systems are born in time and are
therefore subject to certain death.174 There are many theories
explaining why life must come to an end sooner or later.

The second law of thermodynamics states, “everything is

marching to its final destination through an increase in
entropy.”175 When entropy reaches a stage where no further

173
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174
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175
Entropy is the totality of a system’s thermal energy. It is a way of measuring the disorder or
Randomness of matter. For example all atoms in a healthy apple are in order but when the same
apple begins to rot the atoms become less ordered. Its entropy increases. Boltzman has given us
a formula to measure the entropy or the rate of disorderliness. It is S= K log w
90
increase in it is possible, the whole universe will be at one and the
same temperature. This temperature will be so low that life will be
impossible. They call it “heat-death” or “universal death”176. In
other words ‘our progress is our death’.

The free-radical theory states that living organisms

produce free radicals, which are harmful to healthy cells. These
free radicals gradually overpower and destroy the healthy cells
until they are no longer able to function properly.

“The sun having no extraneous supply of heat must

necessarily emit ever less and less of its life-giving radiation, and
as it does so, the temperate zone of space, within which alone life
can exist, must close in around it. To remain a possible abode of
life, our earth would need to move in ever nearer and nearer to the
dying sun. Yet science tells us that, so far from its moving
inwards, inexorable dynamical laws are even now driving it ever
farther away from the sun into the outer cold and darkness.” (Sir
James Jeans The Mysterious Universe P.24)

Some scientists believe that life cannot exist without

oceans. The atmosphere is getting hotter and hotter year after year
(Greenhouse effect).177 A time will come when the heat will
evaporate the oceans and life on earth will perish. They estimate
that it will happen after 7 billion years.178

176
“There can be but one end to the universe-a heat death.” (Sir James Jeans The mysterious
universe page 24)
177
Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research in Bracknell has predicted that the average
global temperatures could be 5.50C higher by the year 2100.They base their prediction on the
factors like increasing levels of carbon dioxide, the atmospheric pollutants like phosphates,
burning of fossil fuels and oils, Volcanoes, fluctuations in the sun’s activity, changing level of
greenhouse gases and ozone etc.
178
This idea finds full support in Islam. See Quran 16:27 and 54:46
91
 Einstein proved that all radiation is energy and that mass
can be converted to energy. When an atom emits energy, its mass
diminishes by the amount of radiation179 emitted by it. The total
emission of radiation of our sun has been calculated to be 250
million tons a minute. According to Mr. Shapley the total weight
of meteoric mass falling on the sun cannot be more than 120,000
tons a minute. So our sun is melting like ice at a rate of
519880000 tons a minute. Our sun is dying and life on earth will
not survive without the sun.

Cosmic radiation from outer space is falling on the earth

in large quantities. According to Professor Millikan and his
colleague Cameron this radiation equals one tenth of the total
radiation from all stars in the sky. It has very great power of
destruction. For example it can penetrate several yards of lead. It
is breaking up twenty atoms of matter a second in every cubic
inch of our atmosphere. It is also adversely affecting millions of
atoms in our bodies. The destructive effect of this radiation will
sooner or later kill life and its effect on the earth’s magnetic field
may result in slowing down the earth’s motion.180
The universe obeys certain laws as a result of which
radioactive substances disintegrate into smaller atoms. For
example Radium disintegrates into lead and helium with the
passage of time. In 1903 Rutherford and Soddy advanced the
theory of ‘Spontaneous disintegration’ and proved that the
amount of radium disintegrates at exactly the same rate as the
population of the world provided there is no birth. This proves
that there is a co-relation between the disintegration of inanimate
and animate matter. The matter in the universe must disintegrate
and this will result in death of the universe and the life in it.
Evolutionist Rostand says, “It seems that mankind must
fear decadence rather than anticipate progress.” (The Orion book

179
According to scientists “Radiation is matter moving with the speed of light (186000 miles per
second) and in general matter is radiation moving with a speed less than that of light. All
radiation x-ray, gamma ray and electromagnetic radiation etc. have the same uniform speed. It
is estimated that our sun will die in 7 Billion years from now after having spent all its energy.
180
The effects of cosmic radiation were studied by Professor Millikan at Pasadena.
92
of Evolution P.9)
The programmed ‘sense scene’ theory suggests that the rate of
deterioration of our bodies is predetermined. The seeds of our
death are present in our make up from birth and our genetic make-
up programmes our ageing and eventual death. Sikhism appears to
agree with the ‘sense scene’ theory and we find various references
to it in the Sikh scripture. Such as “When the human-being was
conceived, his death was recorded at the same time.181 “Whatever
is born must die, we only wait for our turns.”182

181
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93
 Chapter 6
Motion
“Motion is relative183 and nothing is at rest” (Albert Einstein)

S cience and religion both seem to agree that the laws of time,
space, and energy govern all animate and inanimate objects in
varying degrees. Both agree that from cat to camel and from
microbes to mammoths the constituent elements of all objects are
the same and the same creative principles work in everything.

6.1 Motion inside matter

Matter in its constituent parts (atoms and molecules)184 is a
form of energy. This energy in atoms ( " ) is locked up within the
body of all matter. The living and the non-living all have this
energy but the living have the capability of manipulating this
energy better than the non-living. Among the living, the humans

183
Relativity: The earth moves round the sun; the sun is moving as the galaxy spins, and galaxy
itself is in motion. Everything in the universe is moving and consequently motion cannot be
measured absolutely. We can only say that a certain object is moving at a certain velocity
relative to another object.
184
“Matter consists of electrons and it is a form of energy” (Dr. Radha Krishnan). Electrons and
protons are parts of an atom. ‘Atom’ is a Greek word, which means “indivisible”. Two or more
atoms join together to form a molecule. A molecule of water has two atoms of hydrogen and
one atom of oxygen. In Punjabi an Atom is called " and an electron is called a ; " or ; " *@
An atom was once considered a solid part of matter. Now it is considered only as ‘space.’
99.9% of an atom is concentrated in its nucleus. If we magnify an atom into a football, even
then its nucleus would be invisible to the naked eye and its electrons would be going round it at
a distance of 0.5 mile. Electrons and protons behave as if they were waves (Known as de
Broglie Waves). An electron is difficult to pinpoint and it is on this fact that the German
Scientist Werner Heisenberg propounded his ‘uncertainty principle. Breaking the nucleus chain
causes enormous amount of energy release for measuring which Einstein devised the formula
E= mc2 Where E stands for energy, m for mass and c for velocity of light.
94
reign supreme because they have intellect, which leads to their
comparative supremacy over other forms of life.

Atom was first discovered by Dr. Dalton (1766- 1844)

who proposed his atomic theory in 1803. Maxwell called this
discovery, “The imperishable foundation of the universe.” Later
John Cockcroft and Earnest Walton succeeded in breaking the
Atom.185 Einstein (1879-1955) discovered that in atom electrons
( ; " ) were mysteriously moving around the nucleus. The
nucleus, if split, produces 100 million to several hundred million
volts of energy. This discovery later culminated in the production
of the Atom Bomb. 186 Energy emerged explosively and violently
from an atom of Uranium 235, which was used in the Atom
bomb.

The discovery of electrons revolving around the nucleus at

great speeds was not new. It had already been mentioned by the
Sikh Gurus in the Sikh scripture. For example the Guru wrote,

“Even if the mortal could reduce himself to the size of an

electron, and shoot through the worlds and realms in the blinking
of an eye, O Nanak, without the guidance of a Holy Saint, he shall
not be saved.” (AGGS p.1360)187

6.2 Motion outside matter

“Nothing is static in the universe, stars, planets,
meteors, satellites, all move at speeds varying from a few
kilometres per second to a hundred kilometres per
second”(Josip Kleczeck & Peter Jakes ‘The Universe and
Planet earth’ page 70)

185
They were honoured with Noble Prize in 1951 for their discovery.
186
This energy arises from the forces that hold the nucleus (protons and neutrons) together and are
akin to, but not quite the same, as magnetism. Simon Vander Meer has now discovered still
smaller particles of matter, which he named Wz. They are popularly known as quarks.
187
" + ) %&" 5 =" #" " G / 0321 4 An
" is an atom and a ; " is an electron.
95
 Since the time of Aristotle (384-322 BC), the earth was
believed to be stationary and the sun and the stars were supposed
to be revolving around it. It was Polish astronomer Copernicus
(1473-1543), a contemporary of Guru Nanak),188 who challenged
this idea in 1543 AD but the western Church rejected his views.
In those days people opposing the religious views were arrested,
tortured or burnt alive. In 1600 AD, Giordano Bruno was burnt at
the stake because he said; “There are endless worlds similar to our
earth. I regard this world as a star. Similar to it are moons, planets
and other stars which are infinite in number and all these bodies
are worlds.”189 Galileo (1564-1642) said, “Man’s home in space is
only one of a number of small bodies revolving round a huge
central sun” He too was arrested, persecuted and made to abjure
his belief.190 Galileo’s findings have now been confirmed by
modern science.

Unknown to western scholars, Guru Nanak had already

stated these facts in his compositions umpteen times before
Galileo and Giordano. The annual and diurnal rotation of the earth
and the relative motion of other planets are mentioned in the Guru
Granth Sahib at many places. For example in his Asa Di Var,
Guru Nanak wrote

“The sun and the moon obey His laws. They move billions
of miles and never stop.”191

188
It is improbable that Copernicus and Guru Nanak knew of each other’s views because of long
distances and different languages.
189
Bruno’s books are still on the ‘prohibited books’ list of the Vatican.
190
He was imprisoned for five years and was so afraid that he did not publish his book dialogue.
He became blind and died in misery. Now he is extolled as the father of experimental science.
In 1921 the Church apologised for torturing Galileo.
191
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96
 And this is what modern scientist Sir James Jeans says,
“By going farther into space we not only find no standard of
absolute rest, but encounter greater and greater speeds of motion.”
(The mysterious Universe p.113)192

The earth revolves around the sun at a speed of 18.5 miles

per second and the whole family of our sun (Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) is
revolving round Betelgeuse in the constellation Lyra. It is
believed that one revolution of our sun around Betelgeuse takes
250,000,000 years.

The movements of heavenly bodies can only be described

as a whirlpool. Guru Nanak says that this, “Whirlpool is awesome
and unfathomable.”193

In this whirlpool of planets our earth is revolving around

its own axis at a rate of 43000 miles per hour and completes one
round in 26 days. (World book encyclopaedia p. 782)

What was not known to Scientists until recently was that

the movements outside and inside the matter are of many types.
For example the Guru wrote:

“The oil-press, the spinning wheel, the grinding stones, the

potter’s wheel, the numerous countless whirlwinds, the spinning
tops, the churning sticks, the threshers, the breathless tumbling of
the birds, and the men moving round and round on spindles O
Nanak, the movements are countless and endless. The Lord binds
us in the bondage of motions so everything is in motion without
an end” (AGGS p. 465).194

192
American Astronomer Edwin Hubble stated that the farther away a galaxy is, the faster is it
moving away. The universe is expanding. This is known as Hubble’s Law.
193
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97
 Modern science has now confirmed that the movements of
atoms inside matter and the movements of the heavenly bodies in
space are not always regular. They are of many types and that all
living and non-living matter is continually in motion. This is
exactly what Guru Nanak had said, “The planets and solar
systems dance in the three qualities, as do those who bear love for
You, Lord. The beings and creatures all dance, and the four
sources of creation dance. (AGGS p. 506)195

Einstein echoes the same words when he says,

“Everything is determined by forces over which we have no
control. It is determined for the insect as well as for the star-
human beings, vegetables or cosmic dust- we all dance to a
mysterious tune intoned in the distance by an invisible
piper”(Albert Einstein in ‘Saturday Evening Post’ dated October
26, 1929.

Will Durant (The story of philosophy p.17) asks, “How did

the motion begin? Who created the first motion?” Scientists have
not provided the answer to this question.

The Guru says that the force that created the first motion
was the force of the Creator. “You yourself became the first force
and you yourself enforced your commandments” (AGGS
P.1076).“You yourself are the Creator Lord, the Cause of causes.
You created the universe and You support the whole earth”
(AGGS P.1082)196

“The universe is nothing but an ocean of conscious energy

in motion”. (Sir Arthur Eddington. The nature of the physical
world.)197

195
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196
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197
According to Sikhism Just as light (energy) transforms itself into darkness (invisible form of
energy), so do all objects originate from God and eventually revert to Him.
98
The words “ocean of conscious energy” have their echo in the
Sikh scriptures. The Guru says, “You have placed your expanse in
the field of energy”198

“The tendency of modern physics is to resolve the whole

material universe into waves and nothing but waves. These
waves are of two kinds; bottled-up waves, which we call matter,
and unbottled waves, which we call radiation or light. The process
of annihilation of matter is merely that of unbottling imprisoned
wave-energy and setting it free to travel through space. These
concepts reduce the whole universe to a world of radiation,
potential or existent, and it no longer seems surprising that the
fundamental particles of which matter is built should exhibit
many of the properties of waves.”(Sir James Jeans The mysterious
universe page 99)

The Sikh Gurus also considered the universe as an ocean

of waves. For example Guru Arjan Dev writes, “He Himself is
All-pervading, in endless waves. The playful sport of the
Supreme Lord God is inscrutable.” (AGGS p. 275)199

6.3 Macrocosm in microcosm

“In the inside there is also a universe” (Goethe)
The Sikh Gurus, at various places of the sacred Granth,
mention another thing, which scientists have discovered only in
this century. The Gurus tell us that microcosm is but a miniature
repetition of the macrocosm. “What ever is in the cosmos is also
to be found within the matter. The enlightened can know this
through the Guru’s word.”(AGGS p. 695)200 In other words the
macrocosm is fully reflected in microcosm.

198
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99
 Now it is common knowledge that the Universe is
epitomized in matter. The same universal physical and chemical
laws work inside the matter as in the surrounding universe.
Electrons are revolving around the nucleus just as the satellites are
moving around bigger heavenly bodies in the cosmos.201 “The
arrangement within the atom is similar to that of the solar system,
where lighter planets orbit the heavy sun.” (Josip Kleczek and
Peter Jakes in The Universe and the planet earth page 13)

Some scientists believe that thought is also a kind of

vibration like the electrons vibrating inside an atom. It is on this
premise that Telepathy has been explained. People now believe
that it is because of thought vibrations that children and animals
pick up emotional moods. “We may think of the electrons as
objects of thought, and time as the process of thinking” (Sir James
Jeans The Mysterious universe p.147)

According to Sikhism the universe is the macrocosm and

the human body is the microcosm. The spark of life
(consciousness or soul- )202 that God infused in living
organisms is a part of the higher soul ( Universal
consciousness or soul). The higher consciousness and the lower
consciousness are the same in essence. The higher is reflected in
the lower. The Nath yogis of India had firm faith in this theory.
This belief is now accepted universally. For example Emanuel
Swedenborg (1688-1772) writes, “Nothing exists in nature that
does not resemble its origin. Every object in the natural world is a
reflection of the self-same object in the world of spirit. Everything

201
The carbon atom consists of six electrons going around its nucleus exactly like our nine planets
going around the sun.
202
+ $+ + % / C ? 24 ' ! ' ! ; ) $' ! ' !
+ / <7 ? 4 The most common word used by the Sikh Gurus is Jote (+ or + 4.
Literally the word means ‘light’ which is a form of energy. In Sikhism this energy is considered
as universal consciousness. When one Guru died, the Sikhs said, “ His light has passed to the
next Guru.”(+ + ). Obviously it meant that ‘divine consciousness” of one Guru passed
into the other.
100
in itself is a perfect image of the total form of being. A drop of
water contains the form and substance of the whole ocean.” The
Sikh Guru had used this simile a long time before Swedenborg
when he said, “The drop of water is the sea and the sea in the drop
of water. How can we solve this riddle without knowing the
secret? (AGGS p.878). At another place he stated this more
succinctly by saying, “Whatever is in the universe is also in the
matter. Only the researchers understand this” (AGGS P. 695)203

Swedenborg further says, “Nature exists in leasts. We live

here and walk here as little universes and carry heaven and the
world, consequently the kingdom of God is ourselves”. And this
is how the Sikh Gurus had expressed the same idea before him,
“The Consciousness (energy) that we are, will merge in the
universal consciousness on death and revert to the source of their
birth “(AGGS P. 1426)204

6.4 Gravitation
A question is sometimes raised as to how such heavy
objects in the cosmos move around other objects without flying
away through a centrifugal force. The answer given by scientists
is that there exists a centripetal force between the revolving
bodies and their tethers. They call it gravitation. Newton was the
first to frame his laws of motion and define inertia. He gave us the
formula Fgrav=GM1 M2/ d2 where M1 and M 2 are the masses of the
two bodies and d is the distance between them. Asked “can pulls
and pushes happen without external causes?” Newton said, “No.
If a thing is in motion it will keep in motion for ever, if it is

203
" 9# + "#5 + -) - # = "#/
C ? C 4 A+ ; & % & + " 5 % 9 =" / 01 604 + +
/ 36:4@ “Atomic physics provided the scientists with the first glimpses of the essential
nature of things. Like the mystics, physicists were now dealing with a non-sensory experience
of reality and, like the mystics; they had to face the paradoxical aspects of this experience.
From then on, therefore, the models and the images of modern physics became akin to those of
Eastern philosophy” (Dr. Fritjof Capra Tao of Physics p.51) - %> ;M & ;8
( / 0@6 <4
204
+ + ) + ) + / 03 :04 + +> ) # / 06:24
101
stationary it will remain stationary for ever unless an external
force makes it change its course.” (Newton’s First Law of
motion).

The Sikh Gurus have also expressed their ideas about this
force ( ) D invisible mysterious power of God, gravitation4 that
keeps revolving bodies in position. The Guru says, “The force of
His Will keeps worlds in place. He suspends the heavens upon the
feet of His Command.” (AGGS p. 1071)205

6.5 Expansion and contraction

“The actual space of an aged universe ought to be
either expanding or contracting and the various objects in it
all rushing away from one another, or all rushing towards one
another, at a great rate”(Sir James Jeans The Mysterious
universe p. 80)

Russian scientist Friedman proved through his

calculations that the universe is expanding and the density
throughout the universe is getting thinner and thinner. Later De
Sitter independently proved the same. The great scientist Edwin
Hubble using the Doppler Effect206 further confirmed their
findings.

Adrian Lee of the University of California and Brian

Shmidt from the Australian National University have recently
discovered that the farther the galaxies, the greater are their
205
) + " 5 - " / 01 ? 04
, % - ) / 01 3? 4 # ) + =& -+ + / 633 4
206
An Austrian scientist Christian John Doppler (1803-1853), discovered that a change in
sound wave results if the source of sound and the observer are both in motion. For example
when a police car blowing a siren approaches us, the sound pitch goes on rising but as soon as
it passes us the sound waves begin to spread out and the pitch lowers. He called this effect the
Doppler Effect. The Doppler Effect applies to all waves including water, sound or light waves.
This principle is used to find if the galaxies are moving closer to us or are moving away. If the
colour of light changes to red, the light source is taken to be moving away but if it changes to
blue then it is approaching the earth. The amount of red or blue tinge reveals the velocity of
movement. Our radar systems use this principle to measure the speed of an aircraft, the
movement of the clouds and the speeds of cars on the Motorway.
102
velocities of expansion. The mysterious cosmic anti-gravity force
with which they are flying away has been called by them “Dark
energy.” They estimate that this dark energy is 2/3 of the whole
energy in the universe and may be emanating from unseen “dark
matter” ten times more than ordinary matter. They also say that
this mysterious energy is all pervasive in the Universe.

According to Sikhism God (Sat) existed and pervaded

everywhere in indeterminate form ( " D Transcendent,
indefinable consciousness4. There was neither matter nor mind.
The universe came into being as a result of His involuntary
impulse. “He willed and it came into existence”207 His manifest
form is determinate ( " D immanent, definable
consciousness)@ Sikhism believes that Sat is present everywhere
and is eternal.208 Like a tortoise Sat expands and withdraws into
himself at will. When it expands, the universes come into
existence, when it contracts it withdraws them back into
Himself.209 `The Guru explains the relationship of the universe
with God through metaphors like ‘Ocean and waves’, ‘seed and
the tree, ‘snake and its coils’, or an actor who appears in many
garbs and remains the same.210 This process of expansion and
contraction goes on without end. “The Creator is still on the
job.”(Millikan)

The Quality less Sat ( D Zero or void) expands and turns

from indefinable ( " transcendent indefinable consciousness)
to Immanent ( "D definable consciousness)). To give a

207
/ 3 4 %& ) / 01 ? 24
208
A -+ - # -B /+ + 4 L # " " " / 03 204
209
# , 5 # / :7 64Kabir gives the analogy as follows:-
“ Just as the gigantic banyan tree is latent in its seed, so are the universes in the Lord. They exist
only in His Will,”
210
(i) - ; + + + " 5 + ) ) # )) F ) ) ) )# ) )
" / 7 ? ? 4 /ii4 & , % 5 % % / 3 C ? 4 (iii 4 + +#
+ 5 % %) 5 , K> 5 / ? 324 % #
> + # / :@7 04
103
mathematical analogy we can say that Zero ( "
Transcendent) expands to become ONE ( " Immanent4. The
unknown becomes known. Like the number ‘One,’ which forms a
part of every conceivable number great or small; God expands
from Sunn (zero) and becomes a part of every created object.
Thus the immanent Sat is “many and one at the same time.”211

This Sikh idea finds favour with German Philosopher

Eckhart when he says the Nicht (Nothing) becomes Icht
(Something)

“Just as the zero added to any number increases its

intrinsic value ten times so does God (R 4 join his creation to
expand it by putting Himself in His creation. Like putting zeroes
with a number He expands the creation enormously.”212

“When the Lord manifests Himself, He expands and

creates worlds and life. When He contracts Himself every created
thing is assimilated back into Him” (Chaupai)213

“When He wishes to create, the world comes into

existence. When He wills otherwise it is retracted into Himself.”
(AGGS p. 292)214

211
% / :<1 4
# /? :24
212
“ ) ) ) - ) B @ 3 @0< When zero
sits with nine numerals, it works wonders. Such is the love of its intoxication that the more the
number of zeros, the greatest is the value of the numeral.
213
, * / ? 3 24 + /
23 <4 A # " 5 F " 5 E ) 5
%- , B/ C C 24@ Like the beads in a rosary he keeps the objects as separate
knots. He runs the world in many ways. When He withdraws the string all knots disappear into
one thread.”(AGGS p. 886) # %- P P / 21 <4
214
A+ # ;! 5 "#) B( :7 :) “ %) %# %) -#
#/ % :0 ? 4 A #% # E P P #B / 0:664@ It is significant
that unlike scientists using the words Explosion and Implosion, the Guru uses exactly the same
word KAWAO ( 4 for expansion and contraction. / 3 4 and
+" # )# + / 623 4 Kawao literally means ‘Word’ or ‘Hukm’(volition or
law).
104
6.6 Death of the Universe
Robert Kirshner, known as the supernova hunter, thinks
that the expansion of the universe has started slowing down and
that a time will come when the stars and galaxies will have moved
so far away from each other that there will be horrible cold and
the universe will die.

Another explanation given by scientists is the irregular

orbits of some planets like Pluto. There may be a time when the
planets may crash into each other or on to our earth and bring
about catastrophic destruction.215 They argue that such a
cataclysmic event killed dinosaurs from our planet. A meteorite
caused incalculable damage in Russia in 1908 at Tunguska
knocking down and burning all trees within a 20-mile radius.216
The earth may cross the path of a big irregular comet orbiting the
sun and as a consequence may get destroyed causing enormous
gravitational chaos in the universe.

According to the world famous Cambridge physicist

Stephen Hawking, two black holes217 may collide and bring about
the end of our universe (Theory of space time singularity). He
also predicts that at some stage all matter will end up in a black
hole and the black hole will convert its mass into radiation and
thus the universe will disappear altogether. Einstein’s theory also
alludes to such cataclysmic astrophysical events due to space-time
curvature.

215
When Immanuel Velikovsky published his famous book Worlds in collision in 1950 his ideas
were mocked and ridiculed as nonsense and scientists tried to have his book banned. Guru
Nanak also mentions irregularity of some planetary motions. See section 6.2.
216
According to scientists 50 tons of small meteorites enter the earth’s atmosphere every day. Only
about one tenth of them reach the earth or our oceans (Nearly 70% of our earth is occupied by
oceans). The others get burnt up in the atmosphere.
217
Black holes are collapsed stars. They attract matter, compress it and then do not let it escape.
Even photons of light cannot escape it. Scientists have observed a black hole, which is three
million times the weight of our sun. Some scientists believe that there are white holes as well.
They believe that all matter entering the black holes eventually ends up going into the white
holes. It is also believed that there is anti-matter (anti-protons and anti-electrons) in the
universe so there must be an anti-universe, a sort of mirror image of our universe.
105
 Scientists Abbe Lemaitre and De Sitter of Leiden say that
the death of the universe is certain. They have proved that
periodic expansions and contractions of the universe are taking
place with enormous velocities. At present the universe is
expanding at a tremendous speed and the various galaxies are
rushing towards or moving away from each other at speeds of
hundreds of miles per second. According to Dr. Hubble and Dr.
Humason their telescope at Mount Wilson recorded the terrific
receding speed of a galaxy at 15000 miles per second. Ultimately
the galaxies will end up in a black hole and that will be the end of
the universe we know. If the galaxies start contracting, they will
end up in a pinpoint. Either way the death of the universe is
certain.

Some modern scientists believe that protons- previously

thought to be stable in atoms- will decay and bring about the end
of the universe. Others think that every particle in the universe has
its antiparticle with properties opposite to that of the particle
itself. They think that somewhere in the universe there are stars
and planets, which are composed of anti-matter. When heavenly
bodies composed of matter collide with those made of anti-matter,
the universe will come to an end. This could happen at any time
because scientists believe that there are tachyons (particles of
matter that move faster than the speed of light) 218 and also there
are neutrinos (particles of anti-matter that travel at tremendous
speeds in the universe).

Astronomers calculate that the sun has mass to allow

thermonuclear reactions only for 13 billion years. It has existed
for 6 billion years. In another 7 billion years the whole of the
sun’s hydrogen will fuse into helium and it will bring disaster to
solar system causing gravitational disturbances and turmoil in the
universe as a whole.

218
If Tachyon can be harnessed, man would be able to communicate anywhere in the universe
instantaneously. So far they have not been detected.
106
 In 1982-83 it was recorded that the rotation of the earth
slowed down by 1/5000 of a second and in 1990 the earth’s day
lengthened by 1/2000 seconds. The time required by the earth to
complete one revolution round the sun is decreasing at a rate of
0.53 seconds per century. Changes like this may be happening
throughout the universe and as a consequence a time is bound to
come when the universe will be adversely affected or be
destroyed altogether.

We end this section by quoting the view of Albert Einstein

as quoted by Lincoln Barnett. “The sun is slowly but surely
burning out, the stars are dying ambers, and everywhere in the
universe the cosmic heat is turning into cold, matter is dissolving
into radiation, and energy is being dissipated into empty space.
The universe is thus progressing to an ultimate heat death and
there is no way of avoiding this destiny.” (The universe and Dr.
Einstein p. 102)

“About a million million years in the future, the universe

will just die” (Reader’s Digest Exploring the Universe page 183)

6.7 Sikh view of the death of our universe

There is absolutely nothing new in what Einstein is saying
in the above quotation. The Sikh Gurus said so a long time ago
when they wrote, “Beauty disintegrates, islands disintegrate, and
the sun, the moon, the stars and sky are fading away. The earth,
mountains, forests and all lands will fade away.”219
(AGGS p. 1354)

As for the expansion and contraction of the universe we

find this fact mentioned in the Sikh scriptures at various places.
The Sikh Gurus say that expansions and contractions of the
universe have occurred many times. This process of appearance
219
'! '! '! %G ; Q5 ' ! %& / 03 <64
) #- / 001 1 4 + # " " / 001 1 4 +
- 9F #+ ) 5 , #+ ) / 06:7 4
107
and disappearance goes on forever.220 It is not peculiar to our own
earth; the numerous suns and other planets also meet the same
inglorious end. The universe emerged from void and will end up
in void.
The Guru says, “He has unfolded the universe in many ways. He
has expanded it umpteen times. Only the Lord Himself is
immortal.”221 And “All the continents, nether worlds, islands and
worlds — God Himself has made them all subject to death. The
One Imperishable Lord Himself is unmoving and unchanging.”222
(AGGS P. 1076)

Some times the language used today by scientists tallies so

exactly with that used by the Sikh Gurus that one is wonderstruck.
For example Sir James Jeans writes,” A soap bubble with
irregularities and corrugations on its surface is perhaps the best
representation, in terms of simple and familiar materials, of the
new universe revealed by the theory of relativity…. And the
substance out of which this bubble is blown, the soap film, is
empty space welded on to empty time” (The mysterious Universe
p. 139).Our modern scientist Dr Branch (University of Oklahoma)
also compares the impermanence of the universe with a bubble
when he writes, “We could simply be exploring the nature and
future of just one bubble in a cosmic sea of champagne” (Sunday
Telegraph dated 11.1.98 p. 18). The 9th Guru of the Sikhs had
written the same thing 300 years ago when he wrote, “As the soap
bubble on the surface of water appears and disappears, Nanak
says, hear my friend this is exactly how the universe behaves”
(AGGS p.1427)223

220
Maya people of Central America were the first people to have floated the idea in their religious
book Popol Vuh (Book of council) that the existence of the universes is cyclical, one that
experiences recurring creations and destructions without end. They called the cycle ‘Baktun’
and believed that our universe has passed through 13 Baktuns.
221
+ , 5 > 5 / :? 24
222
%& ) ) 5 )# ; / 01 ? 24
223
+# +) + + - # - " / 06:? 4 +) E
5 +) / * 6C <4 A %# E P P #/ 0:664
108
 Lincoln Barnet says that according to Einstein’s unified
field theory “The Universe is revealed as one eternal field in
which each star, each atom, each wandering comet and slow-
wheeling galaxy and flying electron, is seen to be but a ripple in
the underlying space-time unity.”(The universe and Dr. Einstein
p.120-122. We find similar words written by Guru Arjan Dev.

“He pervades everywhere like an unfathomable ripple. No one

can understand His play.”
(AGGS p. 2754 224

224
“ > /ripple45 ) % + ; B / :? <4
109
 Chapter 7
Laws of Nature
“There is nothing in nature which is not bound by law, and
that means that whatever happens once must go on and must
have been going on”
(Swami Viveka Nanda What Religion is p.315)

T he humans try to interpret nature from their own angle. For

example Plato said that God constructed the universe using
five regular solid shapes a cone, a cube, an octahedron, a
tetrahedron and an isohedra. Kepler related the sizes of planetary
orbits to musical intervals and claimed that the Creator of the
universe (God) was a musician. He wrote, “The intense pleasure I
have received from this discovery can never be told in words.”(Sir
James Jeans The mysterious universe p.163)

Galileo wrote,” Nature’s great book is written in

mathematical language.”225 This idea became so ingrained in the
minds of people that when the question of contacting people
supposedly living on Mars arose it was decided to burn fires in
the Sahara to form a diagram of the famous theorem of
Pythagoras226. It was believed that the Martians would hopefully
recognise the theorum.

225
Galileo quoted on page 154 of The mysterious universe. “God is a mathematician of a very high
order, and He used very advanced mathematics in constructing the Universe” (Scientific
American May 1963 p. 53)
Mathematics is not a perfect science. Mathematicians have so far failed to divide 1 by 3 or 22
by seven exactly. The Perfect God cannot be imagined to have imperfection in His creation.
226
Pythagoras theorem: “The sum of the areas of squares on the two smaller sides of a right angled
triangle is equal to the area of a square on the hypotenuse.
110
 It appears simplistic to imagine that nature models her
behaviour on the whims, fancies and passions of human
philosophers. Theories like these are simply reflections of the
fertile minds of their thinkers. They are fanciful attempts of the
humans to mould Mother Nature to their own pre-conceived
notions. It is like different people watching a scene through
different coloured spectacles each claiming that reality exists only
in one colour.

Scientists discover one law and when it does not hold

good they make another one better. For example at one time they
believed that liquids flow downwards only to find that tons and
tons of water is sucked up skywards into every leaf of the trees.227
So they developed the law of capillaries. At one stage they said
that water always keeps its level but later found that it forms a
downward curve (called meniscus) in capillary tubes. At one stage
they believed that light travels in straight lines but now they
believe that it can bend. Science is merely the accumulation of the
discovered laws of Nature but it does not explain who made these
laws. The fact remains that Nature makes laws and scientists
simply discover them

It may seem utterly futile and a sheer waste of time to

attempt the corroboration of scientific laws in the scriptures of the
world. Yet it is interesting to find that even religious leaders
expressed their ideas about nature and human experiences in a
language, which often coincides with the scientific language and
in some cases conveys exactly the same sense.

The Sikh Gurus were mystics and as such their theories

are theological. Their primary concern was man’s social amity
and spiritual relationship with God. However it was only natural
that they touched other spheres as well that influenced and shaped
the world around the human beings. The Sikh Gurus gave a
227
Even otherwise the law does not hold good always. Helium is liquid near absolute zero
temperature (-2730C) but becomes super fluid. If it is put in a container it strangely flows up the
walls of the container.
111
generic term to the innumerable laws of Nature. They used the
word Hukm ( 4 for the universal laws and said, “All creation
obeys the Hukm but the Hukm can not be fully explained.”228
Lamarck puts the same idea succinctly as follows:

“Nature is but an order of things subject to laws

originating from the Will of the Supreme Being of whose
existence and boundless power man from observation conceives
an indirect though sound idea” (Lamarck: System Analytique P.
43). There is nothing in nature, which is not bound by the Laws of
the Almighty.

Although the Sikh Gurus have stated their ideas in the

context of spiritualism, it is surprising to find that many of their
ideas are expressed in a language, which, when interpreted in
modern scientific jargon, matches with many of the physical laws
enunciated, by the modern scientists. Here are some examples.
The researcher may find many more in the Sikh scriptures.

7.1 Law of conservation of mass & energy

“The universal laws of nature and the eternal decrees of God
are one and the same thing. God means unchangeable laws of
nature.” (Spinoza. As quoted on p. 66 of SVD)

Science recognises three laws of conservation, which were

established by Antoine Lavoisier (1743-94). They are (a) Law of
conservation of mass (b) Law of conservation of energy229 and (c)
law of conservation of matter (other minor laws like those of the
conservation of linear and angular momenta were later added to

228
+ / 04 + ;! / 01 63 4 )
/ 0<1 4 + / <<4 Here and there the Guru also calls
it Bhau ( 4 or Bhai ( #4 as A ) )% ) %5 - /
6264
229
Energy is of many kinds. Kinetic energy, Potential energy, Solar energy, Nuclear energy,
Radiant energy, Chemical energy, Heat energy, Light energy, Electrical energy and Sound
energy etc. All of them obey the law of conservation. This was proved by Hermann Helmholtz
in 1847. In the process of production of nuclear energy mass changes into energy.
112
the above as corollaries). These laws state that matter, energy or
mass can never be created or destroyed by any known physical or
chemical means; they only change their form. For example water
may change into snow, ice, steam or cloud but its mass remains
the same. Our speech (sound energy) is mechanically converted
into electromagnetic waves and broadcast on the air. At the other
end the electromagnetic waves are once again converted into
sound energy. When we burn anything it does not disappear from
the surface of the earth. It changes into carbon dioxide, water,
ashes, light and other products. Atoms in the matter do not change
their identities but play different parts in differing guises. Their
total mass remains constant.230

At one stage this law was challenged. If Hydrogen

peroxide (H2O2) is left in a bottle in the light, it changes into
water and releases oxygen (2H2O2 = 2H2O + O2). Scientists found
that the mass of newly created water when added to the mass of
released Oxygen was more than the mass of original Hydrogen
peroxide. In another Similar experiment a photographic plate with
Silver bromide on it was exposed to light. It gained weight.

It was Einstein who in 1905 proved that the theory was not
wrong. He found out that sound, heat, light and other conceivable
forms of energy also have a mass of their own. He therefore
modified and restated the law saying, “The rest-mass and the
energy-mass always remain constant.”

“One simple fundamental entity which may take many

forms, matter and radiation in particular,231 is conserved through
230
When coal burns it leaves ashes behind. The weight of the ashes is less than the weight of the
coal. The scientists explain that if we add the weight of light, heat and gases produced by the
burning to the weight of the ashes then it will come to be equal to the original weight of the
coal.
231
Scientists believe that the whole universe is nothing but an ocean of waves of energy. The
bottled-up waves are called matter. It is a sort of congealed radiation. Un-bottled-up waves are
called radiation. All through the universe conversion of matter into radiation and radiation into
matter is going on continuously. Material worlds disappear into radiation to reappear again in
matter elsewhere. Rest mass is weight of matter and energy mass is weight of energy.

113
all changes, the sum total of this entity forms the whole activity of
the universe which does not change in total quantity” (Sir James
Jeans The Mysterious Universe p. 96-97)

This fact is mentioned in the Sikh scriptures at many

places. Guru Nanak says, “On all the worlds created by Him there
are storehouses of His bounties which have been replenished once
for all”232 At another place the scriptures tell us more clearly
“Nothing is produced and nothing is lost. I say it by God’s grace.”
(AGGS p. 695)233 The principle is further applied to the death of
living organisms and matter. The Guru says, “Nothing is born and
nothing dies. Birth and death are only the Lord’s game.” (AGGS
p. 281)234 When a living organism dies, “The wind merges into the
wind. The light blends into the light. The dust becomes one with
the dust. What support is there for the one who is lamenting?
Who has died? O, who has died? O God-realised beings meet
together and consider this. What a wondrous thing has
happened!”235

“All things resolve into configuration of four dimensional

continuum236 which is the universe”
(Nature of physical world- Einstein p. 120)

232
" ) ) & 5+ = 5/ ?4 )# / 007 1 4 +
/ :<C 4@ The Sikh belief is that “The vacuity between the earth and the
skies is filled with light (+ energy) which neither increases nor decreases”. The word +
literally means light and light is a form of energy.
233
= = + / 27 <4 A = = + %) >
> / :1 7 4 # + # + / 01 ? 64
234
= + # = # -) #/ :C 04 # #+ / C C <4
235
# 5+ + ) + 5 ! ! 5 ! 5
5 ; ) - -) / C C <4
236
Things can move forward, backward, right, left, up or down. This makes three directions. Since
every thing moves in time as well as space, time is the fourth dimension. These four
dimensions are known as Space-time continuum or four-dimensional continuum.
114
7.2 Law of displacement

This law states that no two or more objects can occupy the
same space. For example when a dropper is dipped in a liquid,
pressed and released, the liquid rises into the dropper replacing
air. Chemically when sulphuric acid is poured on copper,
Hydrogen is displaced from the acid and copper takes its place.

Copper + Sulphuric acid = Copper Sulphate + Hydrogen (displaced)

Cu + H2SO4 = CUSO4 + H2
Magnesium + Sulphuric acid = Magnesium Sulphate + Hydrogen
Mg + H2SO4 = MgSO4 + H2
Here one molecule of magnesium displaces one molecule of
Hydrogen from the Sulphuric acid to form Magnesium sulphate.

Sometimes there is double displacement. For example if

we add common household salt to silver nitrate, the NO3 and Cl
radicals swap their places.

Sodium Chloride + Silver nitrate = Silver chloride+ Sodium

nitrate
NaCl+ AgNO3 = NaNO3 + AgCl

The principle is succinctly stated in the Sikh scripture as

“When one element is to get into another it displaces something”
(AGGS p.474)237

Using the law of chemical displacement Lord Rutherford

changed nitrogen into Oxygen in 1919 by bombarding nitrogen
gas with a stream of Alpha particles from uranium. An atom of
nitrogen (7 protons and 7 neutrons) captured an alpha particle (2
protons) and later discarded one proton leaving 8 protons in the
nucleus. Thus an atom of nitrogen changed into an atom of
oxygen.

237
# + # / 6? 64
115
 Chemistry also admits that the constituents of a newly
formed compound lose their individuality in the chemical
reactions. This is reflected in the Guru’s words as,” When a thing
becomes part of another, then it loses its individual identity”238

7.3 Latent heat

Scientists have discovered that when a solid melts and
turns into a liquid or Gas, it absorbs heat. This heat is known as
the Latent heat of vaporisation. On the other hand when a liquid
or Gas becomes solid (for example water becoming ice) it loses
heat. This heat is known as the latent heat of crystallisation. The
law says that Heat gained is always equal to heat lost. During the
time these changes take place the temperature of the substance
remains constant.

This fact is mentioned in the Sikh scriptures in very

simple terms. The Guru says, “The latent heat from the sun rays
turns the ice floe into water” 239 (AGGS p. 846)

7.4 Composition of water

For a long time all gases combined together were known
as air. In 1766 AD Henry Cavendish (1731-1810) discovered
Hydrogen and called it ‘inflammable air’ (phlogiston) and when
Sheeley and Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) discovered Oxygen
they called it ‘fire air’ (dephlogisticated air). Later the French
scientist Antoin Laurent Lavoisier (1743-94) decomposed water
and proved that it was composed of Hydrogen and Oxygen gases.
In 1784 Henry Cavendish proved that water was composed of two
parts of hydrogen and one part of Oxygen (H2O).

238
) & $ + / :C <4
239
+ " ) +) +) / C 624 @ For a fuller explanation see Professor Sahib
Singh’s Guru Granth Sahib Darpan Vol. 6 page 279

116
 The Sikh Gurus had already stated that water was a
compound and not an element (in scientific terms) and that it
transformed itself from air. The Guru wrote, “The True Lord
created air, air transformed itself into water and water gave rise to
life in the three worlds (of skies, land and oceans)” 240

7.5 Law of combination and decomposition

Scientists have discovered that atoms241 in the universe
join together or separate from each other and result in
compounding or disintegrating the substances. This is a universal
law that works equally in living and non-living matter. Scientists
have also discovered that chemically there are two types of
substances called acids and alkalis. When substances join together
one is from the group of acids and the other is from the group of
alkalis (or bases)242 and the resultant compound has properties,
which do not exactly match up with either constituent. In other
words it is like a husband and a wife copulating to produce a
child.243 The child may look like father or mother but is a unique
product having a unique individuality.244 A common domestic
example in chemistry is water. Hydrogen gas catches fire and
oxygen gas supports burning. They join together to produce
water, which does not catch fire and does not support burning.
The soap in our homes is made from oil, which stains a cloth and
caustic soda, which burns it, but the soap does neither.

240
- # +) 5 +) ; " + '! '! + / 07 4
241
An atom was once considered the smallest solid particle of matter. Now scientists believe that it
consists mainly of space. At its nucleus lie protons and neutrons. Protons have positive charge
whereas the neutrons are neutral. Circulating around the nucleus are even smaller particles
called electrons, which have a negative charge. An atom is only a few hundred millionth of a
centimetre across. A proton is so light that 160 million million million million of protons
would weigh only one gramme. An electron is 1800 times lighter than a proton. The number of
protons in an element is known as its atomic mumber.
242
Chinese call them Yang (active,warm,bright and creative positive male force) and Yin (passive,
still cold,dark and fertile negative female force)
243
5 / 01 ::4 +
) & / 01 03 4 ) & 5 " " ) + / 01 :24
244
These days DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is used to detect culprits because no two DNA’s
(except those of twins) are alike. There is only one in 3 million chance for two persons to have
the same DNA
117
 When the process is reversed, things disintegrate back into
their constituents. This is known as decomposition.

The Sikh Gurus used the words Sanjog for combination

and Vijog for disintegration and said, “Combination and
disintegration run the play of the universe and the resultant is
unique (Bhag).”245 The Guru says that Sanjog (combination) and
Vjog (decomposition or disintegration) have been “created by God
right from the beginning of the universe.”246 “He Himself is the
cause behind both Sanjog and Vijog”247. Living organisms are
composed of antagonistic elements of fire, water and air etc.
Scientifically speaking the negative and positive charged atoms
exist side by side in the body. It is like saying (+1) + (-1) = 0
(neutral). Nature abides in the law of the union of opposites. No
living organism can survive with only one type of charge. It is
like saying; if a road goes to the East it must also be going to the
West. The Sikh scripture appears to have a literal and a spiritual
meaning of Sanjog (Chemical combination) and Vijog (Chemical
decomposition).

In modern science we find exactly what Guru Nanak had

said more than 500 years earlier. For example modern scientists
call the union of nuclei as Fusion (Sanjog - implosion) and the
disintegration of nuclei as Fission (Vijog- explosion)248

The Guru also applies this principle to the birth and death
of living creatures. For example the Guru explains the birth
through the law of combination when he says, “From the union
(Sanjog) of the sperm and the female egg, the body was formed

245
+ + -) )% 5/ 24@ The term Bhag ( 4 is used in
mathematics for the result when a number is divided by another number. Bhag is also used to
mean the punishment or reward of one’s good or bad deeds (in other words the effect of a
cause). also means luck , fate destiny or something that happens without plausible human
explanation.
246
+ + > ;! ) - / <1 7 4 + + / 01 1 ? 4
247
+ 8 =8 / 01 6<4 + 8 + 8 =8 = 8 +8 + + #/ 0:3C 4
248
Atom bomb was constructed by splitting the atomic nuclei. Fission and Fusion both produce
enormous amounts of energy. Modern nuclear power plants use this principle to produce
electricity.
118
(AGGS p.1026).249 Referring to human death the Guru applies the
principle of disintegration and says, “Light blends into light,
elements disintegrate into dust. What support is there for the one
who is lamenting (AGGS p. 885)? The Guru further says, “The
Creator Lord created this creation. It comes and goes, subject to
the Will of the Infinite Lord. No one dies; no one is capable of
dying.” (AGGS P.885)250 The Guru said, “The universe is bound
by the Lord’s law and no other law can operate within it” (AGGS
p.432)251 and this is exactly what Aristotle had said, “Divine
providence coincides completely with the operation of natural
causes.”(SVD p.66)

It is also a fact that properties of positivity and negativity

exist within the atoms where negative electrons orbit around
positrons which are positive. Similarly male (positive properties)
and female (negative properties) sometimes exist side by side in
the same matter. For example in a magnet the positive and
negative poles exist on the same bar magnet. This fact is also
manifested in some living organisms. For example in 1958 a
lizard was discovered in Armenia. It reproduced itself by
parthenogenesis (without fertilisation by male sperms from
outside). Among plants we know that bananas fertilise their
flowers through self-pollination.

7.6 Change of matter into energy (E=MC2)

Conversion of energy into matter and matter into energy is
now commonly known. In nuclear reactions mass is converted
into energy. Mystics believe that God is all-powerful. In other
words God is the storehouse of all energy and hence invisible.
This state of God is called " in Sikhism. In this state God is
by Himself and is indefinable. When God Wills, His energy is
manifested in forms, which human senses can detect. The whole
249
) & / 01 :24 ) & / 7C 74
250
- - 5 + 5 "#+ 5 #
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251
+ # + / 63 :4
119
world is the manifested form of God. In Sikhism this change of
God from His unmanifested form into His manifested form is
termed as a change from Nirgun / "4 to Sargun ( "4252

“By His Command we come, and by His command we merge

into Him again. By His Command, the world was formed. By
His Command, the heavens, this world and the nether regions
were created; by His Command, His Power supports them. ”

(AGGS Page 1037)

“By His law, the sky is spread above. By His law, His
creatures dwell in the water, on the land and throughout the
created worlds. By His law, we draw our breath and receive
our food. Through His laws, He watches over us, and inspires
us to see.” (AGGS page 949)

252
;! / :<1 4 " " / 0:C 4
F / ? 624 The nirgun Hari establishes the sargun
World ( D 4 and in it creates various types of abodes ( F D F D storhouses of
energy). And there are numerous varieties of such storehouses.
120
 Chapter 8
The Moon
“Our earth is the third planet that came out of the Sun”
(Exploring our Universe -Branley)

E ver since man became aware of his environment and his

position in the universe, he has been trying to understand the
marvels of nature. One of the marvels of nature is our moon. A
number of myths have been associated with the moon. In some
countries, like India, the moon has also been the object of
worship.253 People end their fasts by looking at the moon. Full
moon ( ( 4 is considered by some people as very auspicious
and religious gatherings are held on the day of the full moon.

Although the Sikh Gurus loved nature and its glory in all
spheres, they did not attach any special spiritual importance to the
moon in general or the full moon (Puranmashi). The Guru says,
“The glorious night of the full moon is effulgent but God alone is
perfect; He is the All-powerful cause of causes.” (AGGS p.
300)254 The Guru said there is nothing new or sacred about the full

253
According to the Hindu belief the moon is one of the 14 precious objects, which the gods
discovered on churning the oceans. The moon travels on a three wheeled cart pulled by ten
milk-white horses. Another belief tells us that the moon was born to Anusuya, wife of Atri
Rishi and was married to the 27 daughters of King Dakhsha. It is depicted as the king of
Brahmans in Vishnu Puran. Hindus and Muslims do not end their fasts without seeing the
moon. Romans worshipped the moon as goddess Luna or Diana. Moon goddesses of the
Greeks were Solene and Artimis. The Egyptians worshipped the moon as Khousu. The English
word ‘Lunatic’ means ‘struck by the moon.’ Sikhism rejects Moon-worship. “ + -
( #5 " " # + ; #5 E ! ) #/
8 0C @04
254
; " " , / 3114
121
moon. “On the night of the full moon, the full moon fills the sky.
Its power is diffused through its gentle light.” (AGGS p. 344)255

Giordano Bruno was the first person to have stated that the
moon was one of the planetoids like our own earth. Galileo later
supported this theory in 1610. The theory contradicted the current
religious ideas about the universe held at that time and therefore
even intellectuals (like the Professor of Philosophy at the
University of Padua) declined to look through Galileo’s telescope
and stuck to their deep-held beliefs. In 1665 Newton once again
talked about the moon and its gravitational pull. It was only in the
20th century that our ideas about the moon underwent a sea
change when on 21 July 1969 Neil Armstrong and Edwin Arnold
actually set foot on the moon.

Scientists have now discovered at least 60 other known

moons in addition to ours. Saturn has at least 20 going round it.
The Earth and Pluto each have one moon. The fact that there are
innumerable moons and suns was mentioned by Guru Nanak
when he said, “There are many Indras, moons and suns and many
other worlds and galaxies” (AGGS p.7)256

8.1 The origin of our moon

Numerous theories about the origin of the moon and its
light have been advanced from time to time. George Darwin, son
of Charles Darwin, surmised that a part of the fast spinning earth
flung off from it and formed the moon. This is known as fission
theory. The place left by it on our earth is the Pacific Ocean.

A similar but slightly different theory was propounded in

1980. According to this theory a Mars-size object struck the earth
and the cataclysmic impact of this strike threw a large part of the
earth into space. This part later accreted to form the moon.

255
- 5 ) + / 3664
256
- &) / ?4 , / :C 7 4
122
 The Capture theory states that the moon is an independent
body. It was captured by the earth as it travelled past it and has
since been going around it.

In 1879 George H.Darwin, an English mathematician

suggested that the earth and the moon were once a single body.
The latest theory also states that both the moon and the earth
formed side-by-side from one and the same nebula material.257

According to Sikhism the Lord created both the sun and

the moon together. This view seems to support the last theory
given above. The Guru says, “Both the sun and the moon were
created together from the void258 (AGGS p. 1037)

8.2 How Far is the Moon?

Until astronauts visited the Moon, man was not sure what
the moon was and how far it was from the earth. Now we have
moon rock available for analysis and we also know the distance
between the moon and the earth. Using a mirror left on the moon
by the Apollo astronauts, an international group of scientists fired
laser beams to the moon from Hawaii, France, Germany and
Texas. The laser beams returned to their respective telescopes
after 2.652584 seconds. Using the technique known as laser
ranging scientists discovered that the Moon was 15,654,023,458
inches (247064.76417298 miles) away from the earth. This is so
far the most accurate calculation of the distance between the earth
and the moon. The distance keeps changing and the mean distance

257
Some scientific calculations conclude that the moon was closer to the earth 4.6x109 years ago, a
time, which approximates to the formation of our earth. According to World Book
Encyclopaedia at one time it was a mere 10,000 miles away from our earth. Analysis of the
moon rock brought back by Apollo astronauts proves that the moon is 4.2 billion years old.
258
- + #" 5 + ; " / 01 3? 4 - + , -) / 6C 64
123
commonly used by Scientists is 238,866 miles.259

Dr. Peter Shelus of McDonald Observatory in Austin

(Texas) was one of the scientists conducting the above
experiment. He says, “Although we can measure the distance to
an inch of accuracy, it is only correct for a moment in time
because the earth and the Moon are rotating, and both are in
elliptical orbits.”260

The Sikh Gurus were not scientists and were not interested
in calculating distances between planets. But we find a story261 in
the Janam Sakhi (Biography) of Guru Nanak where the earth-
moon distance is said to have been estimated by the Guru. It is
given as 52000 Yojan.262 This gives us the distance between the
earth and the moon as 236363.63 miles. The difference between
the scientific calculations and the Guru’s supposed estimate is
merely 2503 miles, which is very insignificant when we measure
such long distances. Even scientists had calculated this distance as
225742 miles when the astronauts first visited the moon in 1969.
It is also a fact that this distance keeps changing because the
orbits of the earth and the moon are elliptical (egg shaped). It also
depends on the moment of measurement. The distance of the
Moon from us at its farthest point is 250,000 miles.
(Origin of our solar system p. 264).

259
Depending on the position of the moon there are three distances. (1) Perigee distance is 222,756
miles (2) Apogee distance is 254,186. The mean of the two (3) is 238,866 miles. These

distances keep changing. The scientists have been monitoring the distance of the moon from
the earth since the visit of the Apollo astronauts and now testify that the moon is one foot
farther from the earth than it was then.
260
The scientists have discovered that the moon is moving away from the earth at a rate of a few
centimetres every year. This will mean that the moon may eventually end up being so farther
away from the earth that its revolution may then be 47 days. Our day on the earth is also getting
longer by .00000002 seconds everyday.
261
See story No. 42 p. 291 of Janam Sakhi Bhai Bala published by Messrs Kirpal Singh and sons
Amritsar.
262
A Yojan is equal to 4.5454545 Kos. And a Kos is equal to 1.1363636 miles.
124
 Taking these facts into account one marvels at the distance
given in the Janam Sakhi, which is so close to the accurate
distance.

8.3 The Moon’s relationship with the sun

Some scientists believe that the moon was once a part of
the sun. Although it came out of the bright source it has cooled
down and does not have any light of its own. In 1564 Galileo
proved that the moon did not have light of its own and that it only
reflected the light from the sun.

The Sikh Gurus had already said so earlier than Galileo,

“He has given us two lamps but the Sun lights up the Moon.”263 It
is marvellous that the Sikh Gurus stated these facts at a time when
no one even believed that the moon and other heavenly bodies
were planets and earths.

263
- + % ' / 01 3 3 4
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125
 Chapter 9
Religion & Social sciences
“Most of what is popularly regarded as evolution of man is
social, not biological evolution”
(Encyclopaedia Americana Vol. 10 p. 613)

A ccording to the noted biologist Sir Julian Huxley, “man’s

evolution is not biological but psycho-social” (Evolution
after Darwin V.iii. p. 251). Professor Wilson in his book “Socio-
biology” and Robert Alexedo (University of Michigan) in his
book “Evolutionary Psychology” argue this point at length and
agree with Julian Huxley’s views. The Sikh Gurus had realised
this five centuries ago and were therefore, interested in reforming
both the spiritual and the social fabric of man’s life. They
expressed their opinions on almost all aspects of human life,
temporal as well as spiritual. We shall briefly discuss the Gurus’
opinions on some global challenges and issues touched by modern
psychological, physiological, political, and social sciences.

9.1 Religion and Politics

“Church is a distinct institution entitled to govern the
spiritual concerns of mankind independent of state.” (History
of political theory- Sabine)

Politics are the science of government. True religion helps

purify the thinking of those in authority and gives direction to
their humanism. Only purified altruistic thoughts can prevent the
erosion of social values and bring about the realisation of
responsibilities.
126
 According to Wilson, “A state is a people organised for
law within a definite territory.” The main duty of the state is to
bring about the greatest happiness of the greatest number of
people, by maintaining law and order, progress, social service and
justice. There was a time, when these duties were performed
either by the bigot religious elite or under their guidance by
autocratic kings. They used religion as their handmaiden. For
example, the chief Shaman Tebtengri had pronounced that
Genghis Khan (Real name Temuchin), the greatest and the
cruellest dictator, was God. Intoxicated with such divine sanction
from the corrupted religious authority of the time, Genghis Khan
made his oft-quoted speech, “Be afraid of me, for I am the
punishment sent by God on you. If you had not committed
great sins, the Almighty God would not have punished you by
sending me.” (Chronicles of Rashid al Din 1 Book 2) 264In the
history of India, we find a similar example in Manu. He wrote that
even an infant king cannot be despised because he is, as he put it,
“God in human form.”265 It was under such sanction from the
priests that the phrase ( )( (The Emperor of
Delhi is God incarnate) became current in India and was ingrained
in the psyche of the Indian people. Up to the Second World War,
the king in Japan was considered as the vice-regent of God.

As time passed the church and the state both became

corrupt. They trampled the human rights, became intolerant to
opposition and acted as the machinery of repression. They

264
Rashid Al Din, a Jewish doctor, was the court historian and Vizier of Genghis Khan and
Tebtengri (Tebtengri means “Most heavenly”. His real name was Kochuchu) was his priest.
Tebtengri said that he held conversation with God through trance and, “God spoke to me saying,
I have given the whole earth to Temuchin and his sons and I have named him Genghis Khan”
Encouraged by such blatant lies Genghis Khan claimed, “ My strength was fortified by Heaven
and Earth; fore-ordained by the Almighty Heaven. I was brought here by Mother Earth”(See
Genghis Khan-His life and legacy by Paul Ratchnevsky Page 98). Although Tebtengri and his
father Monglik had rendered very meritorious services to Genghis Khan, the tyrant had
Tebtengri killed through stratagem under the law of Yasa because the later was getting too
strong.
265
) 5 The priests were also considered sinless and they assumed great powers to
themselves. “Even an illiterate and morally degraded Brahman is an angel” (Manu smirti 317,
319). See Gita XV, II-47 and iv-131
127
committed many atrocities in the name of religion. Reaction
started against their absolute authority, which soon challenged
their powers. Some stalwarts, whose motivation was drawn from
true religious conviction, have left a very pacifying influence on
the society. The Sikh Gurus were prominent among them. They
had the strength and the moral courage to face the violent
opposition with non-violence and spirituality and to advocate that
true and unbiased religion should be the torchlight for the
politicians.

The Sikh Gurus were not against any established

Government but they denounced dictatorship and oppression.
They challenged the divine right of kings and the superiority of
Brahmans so vehemently preached by Manu and others in India.
According to Sikhism, a state must not be co-terminus with
religion neither can it transcend religion. Sikhism preaches that,
whereas the spiritual interests are the exclusive territory of
religion, secular interests are not fully governed by the state alone.
In all secular fields, the guiding principle must be ethics. This
later came to be known as the principle of two swords (
4@266 The Sixth Guru of the Sikhs demonstrated this by
wearing the two swords one of Meeri (Temporal authority) and
the other of Peeri (religious authority), signifying religious
freedom and political tolerance, where moral obligations remain
the guiding principles. Where the two duties conflicted the Gurus
suggested that man should stick to religion.

266
In Christianity Pope Gelasius preached the concept of Meeri and Peeri. He used to wear two
swords. “Martin Luther challenged the doctrine of the two swords, with its claim that the Pope
was the ultimate source of all authority, temporal as well as spiritual”(Read Political Ideas
edited by David Thomson, Pelican Book 1972 p. 36) At one time a Muslim Caliph too wore two
swords claiming to be the spiritual and temporal authority. In Sikhism the concept was clarified
by Guru Arjan Dev, who wrote ' - & , ) #5 > ! )# "# %
%)#/ 3:1 4@ ABuild your home on the unshakable pillars of truth and righteousness and seek
the protection of the Lord to stand by the oppressed and the needy.” Guru Hargobind
established Meeri and Peeri by wearing two swords and later Guru Gobind Singh bestowed the
Meeri and Peeri on the Khalsa.
128
 Sikhism’s concept of religious involvement in statecraft is
not that of big brotherly attitude of dictatorship but that of
friendly and fatherly condemnation and censure of the
Government when it deviates from justice in doing the greatest
good to the greatest number of people.

The Guru’s concept of rulers and administrators is

encapsulated in the word Panch ( -).267 A Panch ( - 4 is a
truly religious, God-fearing person who is totally secular in his
official dealings with people. Plato had called such people
“Guardians,” and had recommended strict, rigid discipline to
build up their character. People like Thomas Carlyle, Nietzsche
and Hegel have all supported this idea.

Explaining this concept the Gurus wrote that the right to

the throne (authority) should not be hereditary but should be
based on the merits of the candidate.268 In a nutshell the Gurus
proposed that only truly god-fearing and just people should be
permitted to come forward to form Governments.

Today the direct authority of the church in Government

has nearly disappeared but here and there we still find
protagonists of complete religious control over everything
(including Government). Conflict between religion and politics is
still raising its head in some countries. Therefore once again a
question has risen whether religion and politics should go together
or remain separate. The loudest slogan of the politicians today is
“Keep religion out of politics.” Others value the contribution of
religion to politics but, like the French writer Charles Peguy, feel
that “every spiritual ideal is perverted and strangled when the
world gets hold of it.”

267
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268
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129
 On this topic M.K.Gandhi wrote, “I can say without
hesitation, and yet in all humility, that those who say religion has
nothing to do with politics, do not know what religion means.”

Plato was of the view that “Police is a brutal and costly

method. There should be some sanction of supernatural authority
and we must have religion. A nation cannot be strong unless it
believes in religion.”(SVD p.111) “Render unto Caesar the things
which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” said
Christ.

Religion has the onerous duty of correcting and

influencing the functioning of the state, to improve its delivery for
all. The two must exist side-by-side and be complementary to
each other. The state must not exercise absolute authority but
recognise the autonomy of religion and receive guidance from its
moral power to establish the rule of justice.269The Guru termed the
process cleansing.

“For the Brahmin, cleansing means contentment; for the

householder, it is truth and charity. For the ruler, cleansing means
justice; for the scholar, it is true meditation.” (AGGS p. 1240).270

Plato said, “Until kings are philosophers, or philosophers

are kings, cities will never cease from ill: no nor the human race,
nor will our ideal polity ever come into being.” (Republic Book v)
Guru Nanak might have said the same thing by substituting
Panches for philosophers.

9.2 Secularism
The word ‘secular’ is derived from the Latin word
Saeculum (meaning present age or this world). It was first used in

269
“+) ) ( L + ( + * + #- H B /
)4 Whether it is glorious imperialism or a democratic show, separation of religion from
politics leaves behind barbarism and brute force. (Sir Muhammed Iqbal)
270
“ ; " -) % 5 + -) 8 - B/ 0:61 4
130
1648 in the treaty of Westphalia at the end of religious wars in the
west. At that time it denoted “the removal of territory or property
from the control of ecclesiastical authorities.”271 George Jacob
Holyoake (1817-1906) was the main exponent of this doctrine and
defined it as “well being of mankind in the present life to the
exclusion of all considerations drawn from belief in God and a
future state.”272 Soon it acquired negative connotations and began
to be used as a weapon of counter-religious ideologies. It was
defined as non-ecclesiastical, non–religious and non-sacred anti-
clerical act. Its simple definition became “Liberation of modern
man from religious tutelage.” The dictionary meaning of
secularism is ‘concerned with the affairs of this world, worldly,
not sacred, not monastic, not ecclesiastical, temporal, profane”
(The concise Oxford Dictionary 1958 page 1124)
Considered in this context secularism can mean
individualism and goodbye to morality, truth, justice, compassion
and fair play. In Sikhism sacred and secular are co-mingled but
purified. The Guru condemned the secular authorities as “beasts
and animals” (AGGS p.1288)273 and the religious leaders as
“butchers and liars.”(AGGS p.471)274 He said that ‘truth, fair play
and justice have taken flight from both.’275He secularised religion
by divesting it of mystery, miracles, magic, divine incarnation and
supernatural mediation between man and God and purified
secularism by investing it with equality, mutual respect, goodwill,
morality, equal opportunity, religious toleration and openness in
administration.

271
“The Social Reality of Religion” by Peter L. Berger page 10. He defines the term to mean “the
process by which sectors of society and culture are removed from the domination of religious
institutions and symbols”(page 197) Professor Roger Mehl defines it as “the process by which
a society disengages itself from the religious ideas, beliefs and institutions which have ordered
its existence in order to constitute itself an autonomous reality, and in order to enclose religion
in the private sector of life” (The secular and secularisation” page5)
272
“Shorter Oxford Dictionary” page 1164. For further reading refer to Archbishop of Canterbury
A.M. Ramsey’s “Sacred and secular” or Harvey Cox’s “The sacred city”
273
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274
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) + % & 5 8 -- ; # -8 / 06<4
131
 Even in the most advanced western countries like
England and the U.S.A, secularism is not practised in the real
sense. For example only a Protestant Christian can become the
head of state in Britain. In America President Ronald Reagan
declared 1983 as “Year of the Bible” in his speech in the House of
Representatives on 5th April, 1982 and celebrated it at the state’s
expense.

In the Sikh concept of secularism, “All have equal rights

in affairs. Nobody is an outsider.”276(AGGS p. 97)

The Guru treated all religions equally and wanted all to

share in the bounties of nature. “O Nanak a truly religious leader
should be known as such only if he brings all people together.”277
To demonstrate this Guru Granth Sahib contains verses of Dhana,
a farmer from Rajasthan; Sadhna, a butcher from Sindh; Sain a
barber from Rewa; Ravidas, a cobbler from Benares; Namdev, a
calico printer from Maharashtra; Jaidev a Brahman from Bengal
and Farid and Kabir who were Muslims. Hindus, Muslims and
Vaishnavites all find a place on the pages of the Sikh Holy
Granth.
“Everybody is my friend and I am a friend of everybody”
278
(AGGS 671)

9.3 Unionism
Modern society consists of trade unions, cultural
associations, colleges, universities, political parties, religious
groups, charitable bodies and economic organisations. In Sikh
terminology, the word used for a joint body of all such

276
9 ) # + / 7?4 + ) " /
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277
# +" #+ #) ) + / ? :4
278
A + B/ 2? 04
132
organisations is Panth.279 It is similar to the term ‘continuity’ used
by Rousseau. On joining the ‘Panth’ each member surrenders
his/her individual interests to the collective whole and the
collective decision, known as Gurmata ( 4 becomes the
accepted policy. Every member of the ‘Panth’ must be a Khalsa
(a person pure in thought, word and deed) and must work for
Sarbat da Bhala (common good of all). These two conditions are
compulsory and the Gurmata (based on truth, morality and
justice) is religiously binding on every member of the Panth. It is
like saying, “What is good for the hive is good for the bee.” This
was the pattern of society that Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru
of the Sikhs, tried to establish in 1699, long before the French
revolution of 1789, which brought with it the slogan of liberty,
equality and fraternity. The contribution made by Guru Gobind
Singh to democracy is now the aspiration of the whole world. It
was to such people that the great Guru is said to have dedicated
everything.

9.4 Right of self-defence

In modern times the thorniest issue is that of the “right of
resistance.” If the state is atrociously oppressive and persecutes
people, do people have the right of resistance? The political
philosophers such as Althusius, Grotius, Milton and Karl Marx
justify resistance. Some, like Mahatma Gandhi, justify only
passive resistance quoting scriptures, “If someone slaps you on
one cheek, turn to him the other too” (Luke 6.29).280

The Sikh Gurus suggested, “reconciliation first through

indirect contact (by letter or media etc), if that fails through direct

279
The concept of panch preached by Guru Nanak was for an individual. It was changed to Panth
in the time of Guru Arjan Dev when many differing communities started joining the Sikh faith.
“ + - ) , -) B/ 4 . Guru Gobind Singh used it
extensively for the society. The word Panth literally means “path or way of life.” Sikh nation is
now called ‘Panth’.
280
“They that take the sword shall perish with the sword”(Matthew 27:51-52). It should be noted
that The Bible also instructs, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Burn
for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Exodus 21-24,250)
133
contact person to person and then to try any other method of
conflict resolution if available” (AGGS p. 371).281 When all
means fail, then, as a last resort, it is lawful to engage in active
resistance. The Guru says, “If your living means suffering
indignities then fie on your being alive”282

The world came to this conclusion only after two bloody

world wars. Today in the human rights charter of the U.N.O,
dated 10th December 1948, we find similar words to those of the
Guru. It reads, “It is essential, if man is not to be compelled to
have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and
oppression, that human rights should be respected by the rule of
law”

The fifth Guru of the Sikhs was summoned by Emperor

Jehangir to Lahore because of his stand against intolerant policies
of the Emperor.283. Before he departed to Lahore he left the
following message for his son. This fully explains the policy of
the Sikhs when it comes to resistance by force.

“My dear son, very hard times are ahead for the Sikh
community. The forces of Evil are cutting down the very roots of
fundamental human rights. I have tried to break the shackles of
slavery of common man in a peaceful manner but now the times
have changed. The Moghul kings have lost all humaneness and
have turned into beasts. I will still persuade Jahangir to leave this
policy but if the peaceful persuasion, even at the cost of my bodily
tortures fails, then take it for granted that it is no use enduring
tortures for changing the conscience of the Moghul rulers just as
281
;, + ; -) 5 % - 5 ; = (
3 ? 0)
282
+ + # ), + 5 + = % / 06:4 " " #+
" / <? 7 4 “it is the right of the just to fight and die for a just cause.”
283
Jahangir killed the Guru under the law of Yasa ( L 4 on 30.5.1606 by making him sit
on a hot iron plate. Under the law of Yasa the victim was killed through tortures without letting
blood. Full details of the Guru’s tortuous death are said to be recorded in a newspaper
published from Portugal in 1609. His body was floated away in river Ravi (H )
% 4
134
it is useless to lie down for sympathy before a horned beast. In
that case, then, try to meet the Evil with armed
resistance.”(C.H.Paine as quoted by Satbir Singh in History of
the Punjab)

Sikhism advises a citizen to meet the political offence with

political defence. But for the sake of protecting his just rights, the
citizen is justified and entitled to use the force of arms if all other
methods of peaceful persuasion have been exhausted. It was under
this directive, that the sixth Guru of the Sikhs raised an army and
thus declared that Meeri (temporal) and Peeri (spiritual) power
must exist side by side for the sake of justice.

9.5 Status of women

Modern society is based on social equality but it is only
recently that women have been accorded equality with men.284
Even the so-called socially advanced western countries labelled
women as inferior to men. For example, up until 1998, women
were banned from looking at the Goya frescoes in Spain.285 On
August 26, 1970 the Women’s liberation movement conducted a
long march in New York asking for equal rights for women. They
called it ‘strike for equality.’ Little did the women in the west
know that what they were asking for through this movement
(known as the suffragette movement), had already been granted
by the Sikh Gurus when Guru Nanak wrote, “From woman, man
is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is
284
“Men are in charge of women because Allah hath made the one to excel the other and because
they spend their property (for supporting women) Holy Quran 4-34. Also see Quran 4:3, 4:129,
and 2:223. “ A man can divorce his wife by simply saying Talaq, Talaq, Talaq three times
(Holy Quran 2:229). “Men have authority over women” (Quran 4.31).
A good woman is worse than a bad man (Taitriya samhita) “The Hindu woman, religiously, is a
shudra and is not entitled to the gaytri mantra.”(D.P. Mukherjee Modern Indian culture. p. 17)
Padma Purana gives details of Sati (immolation of women on the funeral pyres of their dead
husbands) rites. Basing his views on Rig Veda (10-85-45) and Athrav Veda (14-2-18) Hindu
scholar Swami Dyanand advocated and justified Nyoga (sexual involvement of a woman with
eleven men) as religiously sanctioned. (See Rig Vedadebhashya Bhumika). Although he
advocated worship of women (See our women p.41) and called them embodiments of divine
mother, he forbade them from touching the Saligrama Sila (household idol) –(see Our women
p.64). Hindu lawgiver Manu permitted polygamy and he himself had 10 wives.
285
Ironically these pictures were painted by women themselves in 1774
135
engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through
woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he
seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her
inferior? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born;
without woman, there would be no men. O Nanak, only the True
Lord is without a woman. The mouth (male or female) that praises
the Lord continually is blessed and beautiful. O Nanak, such faces
shall be radiant in the court of the True Lord.”(AGGS P. 473) 286

Sikhism accords full equality and social status to

women.287 Women can hold property,288 perform all social and
religious functions and lead the nation.289 Guru Amar Das put an
end to veil wearing and Sati (The Hindu custom of widows burning themselves
alive at the funeral pyres of their dead husbands).

The Sikh Gurus denounced celibacy forbade adultery and

advocated equal status for women.

9.6 Caste
Caste is a Portuguese word meaning ‘social division’.’
The Hindu word for caste is Warna (colour). Indian historians
think that Caste in India came into being when the fair skinned
Aryans, who conquered India around 1500 B.C, enslaved the dark
skinned aboriginals and hated them as inferior breed. Around 200
B.C Manu codified the castes into four broad groups Brahman,
Kashatrya, vaish and Shudra. This division later became such a

286
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Women got right to property in England only in 1875.
289
Mai Bhago, Maharani Sada Kaur and Sahib Kaur of Patiala led the Sikh armies. Ahmad Shah
Batalvi in his Tarikh-e-Panjab mentions a Sikh woman Rajinder Kaur whose intelligence,
courage and bravery he extols to the skies. See also History of the Sikhs by Hari Ram Gupta V.1
p. 81 for bravery of Sikh women.
136
rigid social structure that nobody could dare to cross the caste
boundaries.
According to Dr. Radhakrishnan the chief features of caste
are (1) Heredity: One cannot change his caste. 290 (2) Endogamy:
A member of one caste must marry members of the same caste (3)
Communal restrictions: accepting food and drinks from other
castes or mixing with them in convivial meetings as equals. (See
Indian philosophy) Heredity, occupation, intermarriage, social
intimacies, drawing of water from wells and visiting temples are
all considered factors deciding one’s caste.

Although modern society does not approve of

discrimination, it is still practised on the basis of skin colour in
the western countries and, on the basis of caste and social status in
India. Sikhism preached perfect equality between human beings a
long time ago. The Guru said AGod created light and infused it in
everybody. How can then some be good and others Evil?” (AGGS
p. 1349) 291

Guru Nanak condemned ‘Caste’ or any other

discrimination between human beings as humbug and said that
human beings are judged according to their deeds. He explained it

290
A Shudra named Matanga so pleased Indra with his devotion; prayers and austerities that Indra
agreed to fulfil Matanga’s heart’s desire. When Matanga asked Indra to obliterate his caste and
thus liberate him; Indra flatly refused saying, “This is impossible.” Another Shudra
Shambhook was beheaded by the Hindu god Ram Chandra because the later being a shudra,
had no right to engage in religious rites. (See Ramayana chapter vii 74-76)
“In its social doctrine, the Gita was not egalitarian, but staunchly attached to the caste system,
and to it only the Brahman and the Kshatriya were noble by birth” (Hinduism by Nirad
Chaudhri p. 266). A ; " L % + L L L #( L (
+ L B (Rig-Veda X 90-12). “A Brahman must be honoured though devoid of every virtue
and merit; but a shudra never, though distinguished for every virtue and learning” (Living
religions of Indian people by Macnicol p.67). The teachings of Vedas are considered
( S (Not written by man). According to Manu, the Vedas descended from God but
others say that Brahma wrote them. Arya Smajists believe that Vedas came into existence on
the day of creation.
291
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137
by saying, “Your caste is betrayed by your actions and behaviour”
292
(AGGS P. 1330).

“False is the distinction of caste and status. Everybody has

equal protection of God” (AGGS p. 83).293The Guru’s life-long
friend Mardana was twice condemned by the society of the time,
first because of his low caste and second because he was a
Muslim whose association with Guru Nanak was galling to the
Hindu society in which Guru Nanak was born. Yet the Guru loved
Mardana and kept his friendship with him right up to the end of
Mardana’s life without even once asking him to renounce Islam.

9.7 Food and drink

(a) Food
Modern doctors and dieticians preach moderation and
selection in eating. Five centuries ago Guru Nanak preached that
man must be selective in his eating habits. He said, “O Brother,
the pleasures of foods are false. Eat not that with which the body
is ruined, and wickedness and corruption enter into the mind”
(AGGS p.16)@294 The general instruction to the Sikhs is to eat
simple food in moderation and to avoid too rich (in cholesterol)
food. (AGGS p.1287)295 “Fareed, my bread is simple and hard,
and hunger is my appetizer. Those who eat buttered bread (food
rich in cholesterol) will suffer terrible problems.”
(AGGS p.1379)296

292
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138
 In some religions restrictions are placed on the
consumption of certain foods. In some others restrictions also
exist on the preparation of food in a certain way (Halaal)
otherwise the food is not permissible to be eaten (Haraam).297 The
Sikh Gurus only stressed the need for cleanliness and moderation
and did not place any restrictions on the methodology of food
preparation.

The Guru redefined the words Halaal and Haraam. He

said Halaal is that which is earned through honest work and
Haraam is the one, which is earned through dishonest means (like
bribery, theft, skiving, shirking, malingering and trampling over
other’s rights). To those who earned their living by cheating,
trickery and skulduggery and then called it Halaal, he said, “To
take what rightfully belongs to another is like Muslim eating pork,
or a Hindu eating beef.298 Our spiritual guides stand by us only as
long as we do not eat those carcasses. By mere talk, people do not
earn passage to Heaven”299 (AGGS P.141). “By adding spices to
forbidden foods (Haraam), they are not made acceptable
(Halaal). One wrong act only Leeds to another”300 “Let what you
earn righteously be your blessed food. Cleanse the dirt of sin from
your mind.” (AGGS p. 1084)301

297
In Islam only an animal killed slowly by cutting the jugular vein is considered suitable for
eating (Halaal). Some Sikhs eat meat but they kill the animal by one stroke of the sword so
that the animal does not suffer unnecessary pain.
298
Pig meat is forbidden for Muslims and beef is forbidden for Hindus.
299
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139
(b) Drugs
These days, abuse of substances such as paint, glue,
gasoline and cleaning fluids mainly by teen-aged children is
common. They are very toxic to the liver, heart and kidney. It has
been established that some of them even cause progressive brain
degeneration. One way or another, all intoxicants alter the normal
functioning of the human body and in the long-term cause serious
damage.

Quite recently, it has been discovered that athletes use

anabolic steroids to enhance their athletic performance. It is true
that they stimulate the growth of muscle tissue and slow the
process of tissue breakdown but they also cause irreparable
damage to the human body in other ways. They have been known
to cause such behavioural changes as Psychosis, mania, homicide,
impaired judgement, impulsive and anti-social behaviour. Some
even cause coma and eventually death.

The first international attempt to study the effects of

drugs302 on human body was launched with the establishment of
the Opium Commission in Shanghai in 1909. For years the world
slept over the issue and nearly abandoned it. In 1961 once again,
the UN held its first convention on drugs but the control over their
sale began to be applied only in 1971 when the UN held its
convention on Psychotropic substances. In their 1988 convention
for the first time, the UN addressed the question of drug
trafficking. Up until then, drugs were extracted from plants (For
example cocaine from coca plant, Opium from poppies) but from
that year onwards, most drugs of abuse began to be mass-
produced by synthesising various chemicals. Their harmful
effects; included elevated blood pressure, violent and aggressive
behaviour, impaired judgement, paranoia, sensory distortion,
302
The most common drugs used today are Cannabis (also Marijuana or Hashish), LSD,
amphetamines, cocaine, morphine, opium, and codeine. New synthetic drugs are being
produced day after day and peddled to gullible school children. Some of them are definite death
warrants.
140
visual hallucinations, depression, neurological disorders and even
death. 303

The use of all kinds of intoxicants and drugs is forbidden

for the Sikhs.304

(c) Alcoholism
The use of alcohol is still very common in the world but
doctors and nutritionists agree that it causes cirrhosis, impaired
cognition and motor dysfunction. According to Nigel Hughes, the
chief executive of British Liver Trust, our liver is a very vital
organ in our body. It is involved in metabolism and re-circulates
blood in the body after removing toxins and useless by-products.
Although it continuously repairs itself (through a process called
fibrosis- thickening of connective tissue damage), it can be
damaged beyond repair through continuous and too much
drinking which leads to cirrhosis. Once cirrhosis has occurred, the
damage is irreversible. The Sikh Guru pointed to this fact when he
wrote, AThose who have cirrhosis within — they alone know the
pain it causes.”(AGGS p. 311)305

The Sikh Gurus wrote, “The fools drink wine and their
evil-mindedness leads them to the prostitutes. True inebriation

303
Drugs of abuse like LSD etc and most of the Psychotropic formulations available today were not
available in the time of Guru Gobind Singh but his general orders ban all intoxicants by
inference.
304
See Sikh Rehat Maryada SGPC Amritsar English edition 1978 page 22
305
“+ ,) +" ) / 3 004 ,) Smeans cirrhosis (See Mahan Kosh p.
16) ,) is caused through excessive drinking and is very painful. The habit of consistent
drinking causes fat to get deposited in the liver. This causes the liver to develop alcoholic
hepatitis or cirrhosis leading to discomfort, nausea and pain in the abdomen. In some extreme
cases it leads to death. The damaged liver tries to repair itself and re-grow to its original size
and shape. If the inflammation is severe and continuous, it causes ‘scar tissue’ called fibrosis.
Irregular nodules replace smooth tissue. The combination of nodules and fibrosis is called
cirrhosis, which is very painful. The Cancer research U.K. conducted a research in 50
countries of the world. On 12.11.2002 they reported that alcohol counts for 4% of breast
cancers in the developed world and around 2000 cases each year in U.K.
141
comes only through remembering the Lord.” 306 AOne person
brings a full bottle, and another comes to fill his cup. Drinking it,
his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind. He cannot
distinguish between his own and others’ — he is struck down by
his Lord and Master. Drinking it, he forgets his Lord and Master,
and he is punished in the court of the Lord. Don’t drink the false
wine at all, if it is in your power. O Nanak, by His Grace, one
obtains the true wine, when the True Guru comes and meets him.
He shall dwell forever in the Love of the Lord and Master, and
obtain a seat in the mansion of His Presence.” (AGGS p. 554)307

(d) Smoking
Mr. A.C Selmon in his book, ‘Health and longevity,’
proves that alcohol and tobacco308 injure respiratory organs. His
findings have now been confirmed and smoking has been banned
in public places in many countries. Modern biologists and
medical men have amply substantiated the efficacy and
correctness of the instructions issued to the Sikhs by their 10th
Guru about smoking and drug addiction. It has been proved that
tobacco contains nicotine “Nicotine acts like a stimulant in small
doses but in large doses it has paralysing effects” (The habit of
smoking by Dr. W. Koskowski). The medical journal Lancet

306
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the useless, insipid wine, you have gone insane. You have simply wasted this precious time of
human life.
308
Apart from Sikhs and Parsee monks in Korea and Tibbet, Tsai-li sect of China and Ethiopian
Christians also prohibit smoking. The Mehdis of Sudan and the Wahabis of Arabia consider
smoking as incompatible with Islam. In 1604 King James I of England condemned it as
“Loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain and dangerous to the lungs. In
1642 Pope Urban 8th prohibited its use in the churches. Efforts are now afoot throughout the
world to ban its production, sale, transport and use in any form.
According to the World Health Organisation report 1999 released by Dr. Gro Harlem
Brundtland, the Director General of WHO, 3.5 million people die of tobacco use every
year. According to WHO tobacco-related illness will be the world’s leading killer by 2020.
For more information read their report and their booklet “Leave the pack behind.”
142
wrote, “We most earnestly desire to see the habit of smoking
diminished and we entreat the youth of this country to abandon it
altogether.” It is now widely known that smoking causes cancer
but unfortunately it is still being glamourised by the tobacco
advertising agencies as a sign of maturity.

Preaching against smoking Guru Tegh Bahadur is said to

have addressed the Sikhs at Barna (Karnal- Haryana) and said,
“Save the people from the vile drug. When they abandon the
degrading smoke, their prosperity shall greatly increase.”309
Recognising the importance of the Guru’s instructions to the
Sikhs Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “Faith in Guru Gobind Singh’s
injunction is the only remedy to get rid of this unclean,
unhygienic, anti-social and morally indefensible habit of
smoking” (My experiments with Truth Mahatma Gandhi, 1940)

In the field of Physiology, the idea of prohibition of drugs,

tobacco and liquor to the Sikhs finds full support in the modern
scientific research on the subject.

(e) Fasting

Fasting is a feature of many religions310. It is considered

very efficacious and meritorious in deserving God’s grace. It is
believed that it cleanses the devotee of sins. According to Sikhism
fasting may bring some benefits to health but there is no spiritual
merit in fasting. The Guru says, “One who discards food for
spiritual benefit, is practising hypocrisy”311

309
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Muslims fast for 40 days in Ramzan and the Hindus have many Varats (fasts) In Hinduism
fasting on Shivratri is considered to make a person immortal. Jains observe fast for 8 days. This
period of eight days is called Shamshri. Sins are believed to be obliterated after these fasts.
311
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143
 9.8 Power and prestige

In the world today, self-respect, social status and political

recognition are tied up solely with the accumulation of wealth.
This is creating business magnates on one side and paupers on the
other. Technologically advanced countries are not bridging this
gap but widening it, by further exploiting the helplessness of the
poor countries.

In his book, The Art of living Psychologist Erich Fromm

writes, “Not he who has much is rich but he who gives much. The
hoarder, who is anxiously worried about losing something, is,
psychologically speaking a poor, impoverished man, regardless of
how much he has.” This only confirms what Guru Nanak had said
500 years earlier when he wrote, “Earn through honest hard work
and share your earnings with the needy. This is the way to
virtuous living.”312(AGGS p.1245) Too much wealth creates ego
and superiority complex. It leads one to unbridled ambitions
resulting in moral decay. The history of mankind vindicates that
prosperity and affluence without spiritual base lead to moral
haemorrhage.

Sikhism discourages too much accumulation of wealth

without putting aside a reasonable share for the needy and the less
fortunate members of society. Excess of wealth, without holiness,
makes human beings devils. The Guru said, “Why are you puffing
yourself up with pride having acquired material possessions? You
may have acquired a few bushels of grain and earned a few coins
but that should not make you deviate from social responsibility.
You may have been gifted with a hundred or so villages yielding
hundreds of thousands of pounds. Believe me your opulence is
only a nine-day’s wonder. All this will vanish like dry leaves of
the trees which fall off at the onset of autumn.”

312
“' ) % = , =" B / 0:6<4@ The Sikhs are instructed to give away
at least one tenth of their earnings in charity. This is called Daswandh.
144
(AGGS P. 1604)313

The Guru says, “Happiness does not come from wealth,

position or power nor does it lie in entertainments”
(AGGS p. 1147)314

9.9 Education
The word ‘education’ is derived from the word ‘educe’
which means ‘to bring out’. The aim of education, therefore, is to
bring out the best in human mind. According to Sikhism, human
mind is the seat of the divine and when it is piously stimulated, it
provides its best for humanity. The Guru says, “O my mind, you
are the light of the Divine. Recognize your true self.”(AGGS
p.441)315

Our educational practices today are geared towards

materialistic considerations. Certificates and degrees are looked
upon as passports to lucrative jobs and luxurious living. This has
simply produced terrible instruments of exploitation and spiritual
degradation. Material possessions may provide a little physical
comfort but they most often impoverish the mind and lead to
depression, despair, psychosis and eventually suicide. Sikhism
provides the answer. Sikhism preaches that our education must
make us rationalists, charitable, humble, and free from greed, ego
and undue accumulation of wealth.

Sikhism places great value on education and expects every

member of the society to be well educated. The Guru says, “Some
knowledge is absolutely necessary to condition the mind” (AGGS
p.340)316 Although Sikhism advocates research based education

313
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(AGGS p.285) 317it acknowledges that science alone is not
sufficient. “One can not be emancipated though knowledge of
science alone.”(AGGS p.903)318 Says the Guru. “A truly educated
person should be able to understand the purpose of life,” (AGGS
p.343)319 “desist from degrading others as inferior” (AGGS p.
473)320 and “as long as he lives in the world he must go on
acquiring knowledge.”(AGGS p.461)321 The sole aim of education
should be ’service.’ The Guru says, “The essence of wisdom lies
in the service of humanity.”(AGGS p.356) 322

As for the teacher, Sikhism says that a teacher must be

well educated and practical. A truly educated person would be a
“fool if he indulges in ego, greed and meanness.”(AGGS p.140)
323
“The teacher is truly educated only if he practises his education
in a state of poise” (AGGS P. 937)324. He should be the example
of an ideal person for his students.

“The Sikhs keep on the track by learning daily through

contemplation on the Guru’s Philosophy” (AGGS p.1604)325

9.10 History & religion

History interacts with society and is thus an important part
of human experience but when history becomes an inalienable
part of religion, it places enormous strain on humanity because it
imposes mannerisms, which have long since outlived their utility.
Sikhism is not immersed in history as for example Judaism,
Christianity and Islam. References to ancient historical events
form a large part of their scriptures. For example the custom of
317
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318
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sacrifice is based on the story of Abraham’s dream, which
happened centuries ago. The Sikhs do value their history but their
religion is not based on history or parables of the Gurus but on
what Guru Granth Sahib says. Again Sikhism does not believe
that at some time long ago God had a son who spoke to people,
angels came and conveyed a message to a person, Satan beguiled
the humans making them sinners or that a historical personality
would come to this world again and again.

The Jews must follow Halaka (the rules by which one

walks) and the Muslims must follow Sunna (mannerisms of the
prophet). The Sikhs only follow the instructions, which their Guru
left for them, in the Holy Granth. They are instructed to “follow
the general directions given by the Guru through his word rather
than blindly copy the Guru’s actions.”326

The following three main principles guide the Sikhs:

(1) Remembering God and acting in His name.
“Remember the pure name of Lord my friend and discard
the filth of your ego.” (AGGS P. 262)327
(2) Engaging in voluntary social service and pious deeds.
“One must be unselfish in one’s deeds” (AGGS p. 274) 328
(3) Aquiring knowledge all through life.
“Everything is clear to one whose eyes are blessed with
the ointment of spiritual wisdom” (AGGS p. 610) 329

326
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9.11 Law
“Law does not change the heart, it only restrains the
heartless” (Martin Luther King)

Some religions delve into law and stipulate very severe

punishments for small anti-social acts like pilfering330 etc.
Sikhism leaves the law to secular governments because the social
ethics of man differs with change of time, place and civilization.
The Sikhs would find no difficulty in obeying the law of any
country as long as it does not interfere in their faith and is
egalitarian in character. Sikhism believes that evil exists in our
mind. The solution therefore lies not in legal remedies or capital
punishment but in reforming the mind. The Guru says,” If you
conquer the mind, you conquer the world.”331

9.12 War and Peace

“It is mere illusion and pretty sentiment to expect much (even
anything at all) from mankind if it forgets how to make war”
(Nietzsche quoted in The Outline of history H.G.Wells p. 1005)
Although man is the creator of science and technology and
all that we call culture and civilisation; he is also today acting as
the destroyer of his own creation. The biggest problem that faces
the world today is the looming destruction from the stockpiles of
nuclear, biological and chemical weapons stored by many
nations.332 It is weapons like these that prompt the nations to enter
into power block politics and alliances. Such alliances formed by
world leaders only aggravate the situation because they are based
on the premise, “My friend, right or wrong, is my friend.” Justice
is quite often thrown to the winds and expediency dictates the

330
In Islam the penalty for theft is cutting the hand of the thief.
331
“ + + + B( 1103)
332
The First World War killed 37,000,000 soldiers and 5,000,000 civilians. The Second World War
killed 22,000,000 soldiers and wounded 34,000,000. In addition thousands died of food
shortages and diseases caused by war pollution. “ The machine as an object of adoration is the
modern diabolism” (Bertrand Russell Impact of Science on Society p.77)
148
policies. Political machinations have disturbed the hornet’s nest of
hatred and awakened the sleeping ogre of religious
fundamentalism.

Perhaps the Guru foresaw the tendencies of modern

politics. He mentions the egoistic tendencies of politicians when
he says, “Some are proud that their thunder has a bite, others are
puffed because they are wealthy.”(AGGS p.1071).333 “Some form
alliances with powerful friends, sons and relatives. Some form
alliances with in-laws and influential relations. Some form
alliances with chiefs and leaders for their own selfish motives. My
alliance is with the Lord of Justice (Truth), who is pervading
everywhere. Those, with whom you form alliances, shall perish.
Making false alliances, the mortals repent and regret in the end.
Those who practise falsehood shall not last.” (AGGS p. 366). 334

The Guru depicted the image of the leaders of his time in

the words, which can easily be applied to our political leaders
today. He wrote, “By telling lies, they eat carrion. And yet, they
go out to teach others. They are deceived, and they deceive their
companions. O Nanak, such are the leaders of men (AGGS p.
139-140).335 The Guru further says, “Their turbans are crooked,
and they walk crookedly. They chew betel leaves and say that
they don’t find time for worship. They brag and say ‘I wield
judicial authority.’(AGGS p.1124)336 It is not difficult to come
across such leaders today who are law unto themselves. They
would heartily support law enforcement but react resentfully if an

333
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Bhai Gurdas was a devoted Sikh of the fifth Sikh Guru. He wrote a lot on Sikhism and wa
instrumental in scribing the Sikh Holy Granth.
334
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honest police man cautions their son or daughter for an offence. It
is a common belief that leaders themselves create most of the
rioting, hatred, crime, hypocrisy, dishonesty and immorality we
see today. The Gurus words said more than five hundred years
ago are true even today. He said, “Every beggar aspires to be a
ruler. Every blockhead sets up as a philosopher. The blind are
considered as connoisseurs of gems. The hypocrite sets up as a
spiritual leader. And thus falsehood has supplanted the Truth”
(AGGS p.1288)337

The alliances and factional rivalries have only divided the

world and blurred our concept of a just and egalitarian society.
World peace is possible only through the eradication of social
injustice and political exploitation.
“War is not man’s great and terrible disease; war is a
symptom, a result. The real disease is the virus of national
sovereignty” (The Urantia Book 1491.1).
Wars are a disease of the mind. According to Schopenheur
“The greatest of all wonders is not the conqueror of the world but
the conqueror of self” (cited in SVD p. 93).This is also the view of
Sikhism when the Guru says, “Conquer your mind and you
conquer the world”338
Sikhism preaches that peace should be the aspiration of
every member of the Society but one must always be ready to
defend one’s basic human rights. This idea is now enshrined in
the preamble of the constitution of UNESCO as follows, “Since
wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that
defences of peace must be constructed.”
9.13 Ecology
Ecology (from Greek oikos meaning house and Logos

337
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meaning study) is a term which was coined by Ernst Haeckle in
1869. It is the science of the interaction of living organisms with
their environment. Care for ecology and the conservation of
natural resources has attracted world attention only recently. It is
now common knowledge that destruction of trees and
indiscriminate use of fossil fuels is poisoning our atmosphere and
is causing the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and
harmful changes in our stratosphere.339 Man is now seriously
seeking remedies against a pending man-made disaster, which has
more or less become a certainty. The world leaders held a
conference of 180 world representatives at The Hague in the year
2001 to discuss the issue.340
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries these problems
were not as acute as they are today and were not the cause of any
international concern. However even at that early age the Sikh
Gurus recognised the human responsibility towards conservation
and restoration of the Eco-system. They impressed upon humans
the necessity of studying and respecting Nature. Guru Nanak, the
founder of Sikh religion advised humans to always remain in tune
with Nature. He said, “Air is the breath of spiritual life (Guru), the
water like our father is the cause of our being and the earth acts as
a mother for us.”341 Humans are polluting air by burning coal,

339
All vegetation breathes gases from the air to survive. Pollutants found in smog clog the stomata
of the plants by reducing the amount of light reaching them. It increases production of ozone,
which in turn damages the palisades (thin walls of the cells) of the plants. Fluorides cause leaf
tissue to collapse and nitrous oxides and sulphur emitted by the burning of fossil fuels destroys
the vegetation through acid rain and inhibits the production of enzymes. By eating the polluted
plants, the animals are developing numerous diseases. For example female pseudo-
hermaphrodite polar bears, panthers with atrophied testicles and Trout with growing eggs in the
testes, have been discovered. Bio accumulative chemicals build up in animal tissue and through
their meat pass on to the humans. Artificial manures and brominated flame-retardants get
washed into our oceans and affect marine life. Andreas Kortenkamp, a toxicologist at the
University of London says, “I firmly believe there are warning signs and if we wanted to we
could act on them now.”
340
The first inconclusive discussion on the issue was held in 1992. A conference was held in
Johannesburg (26 to 31August 2002) once again to address world poverty and environment
issues. Generally broad goals are discussed and neat achievable targets escape discussion du
to world politics.U.N.O observed 5.6.2003 as environment day but it was no more than an
academic exercise.
341
" " / C 4Bhai Gurdas explains the concept of “Air Guru” as
follows. “ " ( # ; " B
151
oil, gas and other fossil fuels342 and polluting water and earth by
chemical spills, untreated sewage, industrial wastes, landfills,
septic tanks, chemical fertilisers and garbage dumping.
Devastating actions like these have already resulted in shrinking
the world’s fourth largest sea of Russia (Aral Sea). Mono Lake in
California is currently suffering the same fate

It was to prevent such disasters that, the Sikh Gurus stated,

“The fortress of the body is created out of air, water and warmth
(from vegetation)” 343which we should use sparingly and wisely.
The Sikh Gurus saw God through nature and environment. Bhai
Gurdas explains the Guru’s philosophy when he writes, ANobody
has seen God. He only manifests Himself through His created
nature”.344 God manifests Himself through Nature but man has
ignored God by putting nature out of mind.345 The Sikh opinion is,
AIn all the ten directions, the resplendent Lord manifests Himself
through greenery and foliage. Equipoise through moderation is
the best sweet reward.”(AGGS P. 1109)346

“He Himself is the Essence of the forests and fields, and

all the three worlds. The universe is strung on His Thread”.
(AGGS p.1150)347

Scientists have also discovered that noise causes pollution.

Modern traffic, aeroplanes, industry, commercial enterprises and
even the noises from our loudspeakers, TVs and human voices

342
This has resulted in acid rain, which has destroyed large parts of forests in Scandinavia,
America and Germany. Landfills and pesticides leak out toxic chemicals into the nearby
potable surface water and cause numerous health problems. Fear of leaks from nuclear wastes
adds to the problems further. Destruction of forests is leading to soil erosion. It was to save the
environment that Guru Nanak said, “The earth is your mother”( 4@ Respect for
‘mother earth’ is the only solution to these problems.
343
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cause behavioural and chemical changes in the human body. The
Sikh Gurus advised against such pollution by saying, “The more
noise you make the more you suffer” (AGGS P. 870) and “To
speak too much and babble is a useless waste of energy” (AGGS
p. 661). 348

We humans are the most developed form of life on earth

and as such we must act wisely and responsibly, to maintain and
further develop our evolutionary process. By polluting air and
water, and by destroying vegetation indiscriminately, we are
inflicting terrible punishment on life and the future of our planet.
We can do so only at our peril.

Flora and Fauna have a relationship, which must be

respected. Fauna churn out carbon dioxide and the Flora convert it
into Oxygen. It is this mutual universal cooperation that maintains
the correct proportion of gases in the atmosphere. AGod manifests
Himself through His creation. He is present in the nature around
us,” says Bhai Nand Lal.349

“There is no such thing as a solitary organism. The

activities of plants and animals and man are interrelated in a vast
and complicated system of life which has superficially the
appearance of being in a state of balance, yet which is below the
surface seething with perpetual disturbances and readjustments.”
G.N.Ridley in The verdict of science)

9.14 Democracy
“Democracy is the aristocracy of scoundrels” (Lord Byron)
Ideas of democracy well up naturally and spiritually in
wide-awake individuals. Sikhism aspires to achieve democracy

348
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Bhai Nand Lal was a poet laureate of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs. Hi
exposition of Sikhism is considered authentic.
153
not through saleable votes, empty slogans and blind
representation but through moral conviction and leisurely
persuasion. Only democracy thus created has any chance of
success in the world today. The Guru explains, “The person in
authority should occupy his position only if he has the requisite
qualities. He should act under the direction of Panches (truthful
and God-fearing advisers).350 (AGGS p. 992)

H.L. Mencken is of the view that in the modern day

democracy “a good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest
burglar.”351 In some countries, like India, democracy is failing
today because people look towards the sky and they are pick-
pocketed. They expect basic good behaviour but the corrupt
politician keeps lining his own pockets and delivers next to
nothing. The wealthy politicians throw a few crumbs to the needy,
purchase the votes and always rule. This type of democracy is
spurious and is a contradiction in terms. It was about democracy
of this type that Lord Byron said, “Democracy is the aristocracy
of scoundrels.”

Democracy can be successful only if the people and

especially leaders are sufficiently educated, honest, just
egalitarian and God-fearing in approach and are truly spiritual in
personal life and truly secular in public life (Panch). The modern
trend towards democracy would have been acceptable to the Sikh
Gurus, only if it was run by the Panches as defined by the Sikh
Gurus.352 The Guru said, “Only Panches are acceptable, only they
are honourable and only they should adorn the places of authority

350
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351
Some large corporations like I.B.M; A.T.& T and General Motors had a meeting in New
Mexico in July 1986 to find ways and means of exploiting occult, metaphysics and Hindu
mysticism to enhance their share of the market. (See ‘The New York Times’ Sept 29,1986)
352
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because they are always imbued with the name of God.” (AGGS
p.3)353 The Panches, like the five beloved ones ( + 4 of
Guru Gobind Singh, are God-fearing people who are ready to
sacrifice their all for humanity.

The benevolent world order of the Guru’s concept can be a

worldwide possibility if individual states moderate their narrow
national interests and strive to usher in a ‘Rational world society.’

9.15 Tolerance
Tolerance is the keynote of Sikhism. Lack of tolerance
leads to prejudice, fanaticism and violence. Sikhism condemns the
artificial man-made barriers of caste, creed, colour or sex and
declares, “Let everybody share the bounties of the Lord, nobody
is an outsider for you”354 (AGGS p. 97). Thus we see that Sikhism
seeks social justice and equality through its philosophy of
classless, caste-less and egalitarian society that nurtures God-
fearing citizens. It respects all religions and accords equal status to
women.

“Live and let live,” is the slogan of today. Guru Gobind

Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs was the first person to have
openly proclaimed Liberty, Equality and Fraternity for everybody.
This slogan attracted the attention of the world leaders only after
the French revolution of 1789.

Harimander (popularly known as the Golden Temple), the

sanctum sanctorum of Sikhs, welcomes everybody irrespective of

353
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, ;, - " B/ 4@ He who controls sex, anger, enmity, avarice,
attachment and pride and develops truth, contentment, compassion, and righteousness as
preached in the Holy Granth is a Panch.
354
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155
caste, religious orientation or social status. In some other religions
this is not the case.355 The spiritual writings of Hindus and
Muslims are included in the Sikh scriptures to demonstrate
equality. Amrit (The baptismal water) is sipped from one and the
same bowl by everybody when people are admitted into the order
of the Khalsa.
The Guru’s refectory (Langar), attached to the Gurdwaras,
is open to princes and paupers alike and anyone can attend it and
dine with the Sikhs. In order to respect the religious
susceptibilities of all religions, the food served in the Langar is
always vegetarian.

Belief in racial prejudice and caste system is abhorred in

Sikhism and the Sikhs are instructed, “Call every one superior to
you. Nobody is inferior. All are fashioned from the same elements
and in all shines the same light”356

“Everybody is my friend and I am inimical to nobody” 357

(AGGS p. 671).

9.16 Selfless service

Sewa (voluntary social service) is one of the cardinal
principles of Sikhism. It is performed without expecting any
reward. Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, started a
Leprosarium at Taran Taaran. Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of
the Sikhs established a free dispensary. Sikhs run many charitable
hospitals, orphanages and schools. Many Sikh organisations cater
for the needs of blind and physically disabled people.358 The Guru
says, “Self-less service done in the society earns an honourable

355
Non-Muslims are not permitted to visit the Muslim shrine in Mecca.
356
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358
He that does good to others, does good also to himself, not only in the consequence, but in the
very act; for the consciousness of well-being is in itself, ample reward” (Seneca)
156
place in the court of God.”(AGGS p.26)359 The world today
appreciates the services performed by Medicin sans frontiers,
Oxfam and the Red Cross. A similar organisation was established
by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, under the
management of Bhai Ghanaya. The members of this organisation
are today known as Sewa Panthis (servants of society). The Guru
goes a step further when he writes, “The wandering saints,
warriors, celibates and hermits fail in life. Through the Perfect
Guru, consider this: without selfless service, no one ever receives
the fruits of their rewards.”(AGGS p. 992)360

9.17 Materialism

In his book Methods and results Thomas Huxley

condemns materialism as a philosophy of life and calls it an
intruder (Page 164-165). Materialism of the modern age is stifling
the physical sciences as well as religion.

Man’s basic needs are food, clothing and housing. There

are more than sufficient resources available in the world to ensure
that all get these basic necessities. In spite of this, the economic
exploitation is rampant in the entire world. Rich countries are
manipulating resources in order to keep the poor countries poor.
They offer aid to the poor countries like a “lion beefing up a
cow.”(AGGS p. 898)361 Individuals are engaged in a rat race for
accumulation of wealth and other resources, which they might not
even find the opportunity to consume during their lifetime.
Unbridled ambition and cutthroat competition are the established
principles of modern life. “One earns a thousand and his hunger
grows to turn it into a million. His greed is never satisfied and he
359
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Mandi Mullan Pur Panjab (see the last pages of this book) are actively engaged in Sewa.
360
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361
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157
goes on accumulating money (AGGS p. 278).”362 The Sikh Gurus
have further described this condition as follows:
“The household which is filled with abundance — that
household suffers anxiety. One, whose household has little,
wanders around searching for more. He alone is happy and at
peace, who is liberated from both these conditions.”
(AGGS P. 1018)363
“Accumulation of wealth only promotes ego, selfishness,
pride and greed.” (AGGS p.188)364 These days’ deceit, cheating
and double-dealing have become valued and respectable
qualifications for growing rich. The Sikh Gurus called it “leeching
on other people’s blood,” (AGGS p. 140)365 and stated that “With
greed within them, their minds are filthy, and they spread filth
around. They deal dishonestly in business, depend on falsehood
and suffer in pain. (AGGS p.1062)366

“The world’s resources are neither equally available nor

equitably distributed and this is causing fights”.367 Modern wealth-
dominated politics are further exploiting the gap. The solution
simply lies in following the religious view of altruism.
9.18 Communism
“Marxism was the illegitimate and rebellious offspring of the
19th Century liberalism.” (Issac Dentscher)
The roots of communism can be traced back to the concept
of Utopia in Plato’s ‘Republic’ but in our own times it was Karl

362
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158
Marx, who dexterously established it in the world in 1847 through
his oft quoted maxim, “From each according to his ability, to each
according to his work.” This was a copy of Louis Blanc’s
Socialist party motto, which was popular at that time in France.
Marx was greatly influenced by the writings of Ludwig
Faverbach, Engels and Hegel.

Marx applied Hegel’s dialectic logic to state and said, “All

philosophies have sought to explain the world, the point however,
is to change it”. He therefore totally detached religion from the
state and defined religion as, “a derivative of man’s material
conditions.” Atheism became his hobbyhorse. The principles on
which communism grew are (a) dialectic materialism (b) political
economy based on the labour theory of value and (c)
revolutionary methods to establish the supremacy of the working
class. Thus, Marx rejected spiritualism as unnecessary and looked
upon the world in purely materialistic terms. The theory ended up
in a class struggle dividing the society into ‘haves’ and ‘have-
nots’ trying to hoodwink each other, to control the means of
production.

Sikhism approves some of the egalitarian ideas of

communism but differs in that it considers society and ethics as
interdependent and therefore the guiding principle of the society
must be ethics. Again, Sikhism believes that the relations between
individuals must be regulated through morality and harmonious
working rather than through revolution, unless the state
degenerates into dictatorship and a revolution, as a last resort,
becomes inevitable. The near failure of communism in Russia
has proved that class interest does not always succeed in
strengthening the national interest.

Man is, by nature selfish and has the tendency to exploit

and dominate others. Unless he is taught to exercise control over
his uncontrolled desires and cravings, any system of Government
159
is bound to end up being run by “animal desires” and aggressive
behaviour. No Government can teach social and ethical values to
society. This can be done only through religion. Sikhism brings
the principles of communism and ethics together in its doctrine of,
“Do honest labour, Share your earnings and engage in spiritual
exercise.”368 According to Sikhism, class struggle is the most
dangerous idea. All must learn to live together amicably.

Again in communism society and state become

coterminous and everything is controlled by the state. When this
happens, the state becomes the machinery of exploitation and
extermination. This invariably results in bloodshed. The
experiment turned sour in India when the state became tortuous
and tyrannical under the Moghuls and hunted its own citizens to
kill or convert them to a set religious philosophy.369

According to Sikhism no state has the authority over an

individual’s conscience and therefore cannot impose a particular
type of philosophy (religious or atheistic) on the people through
political force. Such an attempt can only create unitary,
monolithic society at war with itself. The duty of the state is to
work for the greatest happiness of the greatest number, maintain
law and order, plan for progress and engage in social justice. In all
this, it must be guided by ethics and this is what Sikhism
preaches.

Religious conviction cannot be easily expelled from the life of a

human being. Extremes always boomerang on us.

368
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369
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160
 Chapter 10
Spiritual Interests
10.1 Claims of exclusivity

E xclusivity in religion goes against the grain and yet many

religions and their followers claim that theirs is the only true
religion, which can mould the world and lead it to
salvation.370 Here are some examples:

“The non-Christian Bibles are developments in the wrong

direction.” (Professor Monier Williams)

“The truth capable of saving humanity is and shall be the

product of Hindu Gurus forever and for ever.” (Sri Aurobindo)371

“Following a religion other than Islam is not acceptable.”

(Quran 3:85)372

Sikhism does not claim such monopolies because

monopolies invariably end up in confrontations and slanging

370
The Archbishop of Canterbury had declined to attend the Chicago Parliament of world religions
(1893) organised by Catholic Cardinal Gibbons of America saying that the very meeting of
such a parliament implied that all religions were equal. Representatives of most of the religions
of the world attended this meeting but the archbishop did not. The ‘church of world creator’ is
all white, anti-Semitic, claims monopoly and hates non-Christian religions as heathens.
371
“L L B Only he who knows the Veda, knows the Truth. “Those who do not
follow the Vedas or criticise them should be cut up, burnt and destroyed”. (Athrav Veda
Chapter 12 Sukat 5 Hymn No. 62).“Never offer religion instruction to a shudra”(Manu Smirti
Ch.4 hymn 80)
372
A #E J > > ; / ) )” The Jews claim that God
favoured the Jews and granted them the land of Israel.
161
matches. They produce only self-righteous and intolerant snobs.
Sikhism preaches that exclusivity is the most damaging feature of
any religion. Sikhism teaches, “ The world is going up in flames
O Lord— shower it with Your Mercy, Save it, and deliver it from
sin through whichever door (religion) humanity approaches”
(AGGS p. 853)373 It advises that we “should not call any religion
inferior or false” and thus, “give rise to controversies.”374 “Many
roads thou hast fashioned, all of them lead to the light.” (Rudyard
Kipling)

10.2 Salvation
Almost all religions aspire for salvation (Mokhsha,
Nirvana) and claim that it is possible only through their particular
religion.375 Sikhism declares, “I aspire for neither worldly
pleasures nor do I crave for salvation. I crave for the love of the
Lord’s feet.”376(AGGS p.534). The aim of Sikhism is stated
clearly by Guru Nanak as follows: “To live the life truthfully
(Sachiara) and to rent asunder the wall of illusion that separates
us from God.” (AGGS P. 1)377 Spiritual and moral life, free from
fear, insecurity, injustice and prejudice is the goal of a Sikh.

For a Sikh salvation is two pronged. First it is freedom

from fear, oppression, social slavery and political tyranny “Fear
not and frighten no one,” (AGGS P. 1427) 378and second,
“Freedom from the entanglement of sex, anger, greed, undue
attachment, mammon and ego.”379Therefore, salvation in Sikhism
is not something that comes after death. The term used by the

373
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“Outside the church there is no salvation” say the Christians.
376
+ - - ; - ) / <3 64
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invested with divine qualities.
378
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162
Guru is Jeewan mukt (Salvation while living).380 “O Nanak,
meeting the True Guru, one comes to know the perfect way.
While laughing, playing, dressing and eating (in other words
living ordinary, normal house-holders’ life), he is
liberated.”381Guru Nanak tied up salvation with social service and
wrote, “You have an honourable seat in the court of God only if
you perform social service in this world.” (AGGS P. 26)382
Commitment to such social service must be voluntary.

The stumbling block in the way of spiritual salvation is

man’s Ego ( #*4 or self-assertion.383 It is ego that gives rise to
superiority complex. We know what devastation was caused when
Hitler pronounced the theory of superior Aryan race and fought
for Lebensraum (more land) for that race. Man’s insatiable hunger
for self- glorification, is more dangerous for the society than even
the most dangerous bombs. When this hunger exploits religion for
its sinful end, the world sinks like lead.

“I see the world on fire because of ego that keeps it away

from common good” (AGGS P. 651)384 and hence away from
salvation.

10.3 Conversion
“Do not believe in the words of a teacher unless you yourself
are convinced of the truth contained in his words.” (Berkeley)

380
Jeewan Mukti is explained by Guru Arjan Dev as follows, “One should be imbued with the
name of the Lord, not be affected by evil and to be one with God Almighty. Greed of wealth
touches him not. Hell and heaven or nectar and poison are the same for him. Copper for him
is gold and gold is copper. Attachments or detachments, honour and dishonour flee from him.
He is equanimous to both pleasure and pain. Such a person stands emancipated” (Gauri IX
220) = "# ) 5+ # / 0204 +
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163
 Conversion385 from one religion to another is preached and
practised by many religions. In some religions, there are even
merits available in the next world for those who convert others to
their religion. Conversion restricts human freedom of thought and
most often leads to inter-religious wars. Human conscience does
not tolerate religious bigotry because it is contrary to reason.
Society cannot develop if all human beings think exactly alike.
Naturally, therefore, in almost every religion we find so many
factions and sects.

Sikhism preaches that a man is judged by the nobleness of

his character and not by labels of religion. Therefore nobody
should be converted under pressure. If a man has to do away
voluntarily with his traditional religion, he should better make
certain that he has something of value to replace it. Until a person
has strong feeling and commitment towards Sikhism and his
study, knowledge and relationship with Sikhs motivate him to
accept Sikhism he/she should not accept Sikhism. Therefore,
before a novice is baptised as a Sikh, he/she has to beg for
baptismal water with folded hands five times and every time
he/she is reminded to follow the way of God (Waheguru Ji Ki
Fateh) throughout his/her life time.

Conversion to Sikhism is through demonstration of the

quality of life a Sikh lives. The Guru’s philosophy is the ideal for
a Sikh to follow. In order to bring the Sikh to this ideal standard
the Guru’s instruction is, “Do what the Guru asks you to do. Do
not blindly copy His achievements.”386 The Guru expected the
Sikhs’ behaviour to be such as would inspire in others an urge to

385
Conversion seeks to stamp out other religions and enforces creedal and cultural conformation.
The memories of Christian crusades and Islamic Jihad have become an inalienable and
nostalgic part of human history.
386
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may not be desirable or appropriate at another time but the Guru’s general instruction holds
good at all times.
164
become Sikhs. Therefore, the only conversion that Sikhism
recommends is the conversion of manners and moral behaviour.
Such a conversion can be better achieved through example rather
than coercion.

In Sikhism a person is not baptised at birth, but only when

he/she is capable of making his/her own choice. Sikhism does not
hold promises of paradise or that of huirs of retiring beauty to its
followers.

Today’s scientific mind would only approve the

acceptance of any idea after careful analysis and testing. Most
world religions preach that acceptance of a religion does not
admit verification and questioning but Sikhism preaches thorough
satisfaction before accepting a religion. The Guru says, “First,
examine the merchandise carefully, and only then, make the
deal.”(AGGS p.1410) 387

10.4 Prayer
“The power of prayer has been devalued along with many of
the world’s currencies in recent years.” (Pope John Paul I)
Men of science usually place no value on prayer and call it
selfish occupation. They believe that running away from life and
delving into God is escapism. But the psychologists and
philosophers believe “More things are wrought by prayer than this
world dreams of.”388
Einstein says, “Nobody will deny that the idea of the existence of
an omnipotent, just, omnibeneficent personal God is able to
accord man solace, help, and guidance; also by virtue of its
simplicity it is accessible to the most undeveloped mind.”
(Science, Philosophy and Religion: A symposium. New York
1941)
387
) U " # -# / 0601 4
388
Tennyson
165
 According to Sikhism God really exists and prayer is not a
mere muttering of set mantras (incantations) but a sincere and
affectionate outpouring of the yearning soul to God. The Sikh
belief is that man is a spark of God-consciousness and the
difference between him and God is not in essence but in degree.
Prayer is thus an attempt of the part to be in tune with the whole.
It is the small consciousness speaking to universal consciousness,
a lower self, trying to ingratiate with its higher self. Just as an
agonised friend outpouring his mind to a close-bosom friend
enjoys catharsis (psychological relief) or a child sincerely begging
pardon of his father feels mental consolation, the prayer pacifies
the mind of the devotee.
Prayer before statues, angels, saints, gods and goddesses is
forbidden in Sikhism. The Guru says, “One who worships gods
and goddesses can achieve nothing from them. One washes the
stone gods in water but they sink in it. How can the gods and
goddesses ferry others across?”389
Unlike many other religions, the Sikh prayer does not
require blowing of conch shells, spreading of prayer mats
(Mussalahs), lighting candles, donning special costumes, dressing
statues,390 facing in a particular direction, burning incense, turning
prayer wheels or adopting different postures in their prayers. The
Sikh prayers are hymns, which can be enjoyed with or without
articulation at any place and at any time and a person sitting next
to a Sikh would not even know that a Sikh is praying. Sikh
prayers can be performed anywhere, whether at work, on a
journey or in company. The Guru says, “Use your hands and feet
to do all the work you are supposed to do and yet keep your mind
attuned to God.”391
(AGGS p. 1376)

389
+ # 5 " %) # +) & / 23? 4
390
The Hindus perform Pranapratishta before a statue or a photo. It is believed that by doing so the
deity becomes alive. Milk and food are offered to the deity only after this ceremony.
391
A , - + )B / 03 ? 24
166
 There are no set times or days392 for prayer in Sikhism.
Prayers can be performed at any time on any day.
10.5 Monotheism
Sikhism is strictly monotheistic. The very first visible
mark in the Sikh scripture is the mathematical figure ONE (04
representing the unity and uniqueness of God (R 4. This is
perfectly appreciated by modern thinkers. For example
Encyclopaedia Britannica says, “Monotheism is the ripest
expression of religious consciousness.”
10.6 Return of a prophet
The Jews believe that hemistich (the anointed one from the
family of David) would come and bring about an age of peace,
prosperity and harmony in the world. At that time, “each man will
sit under his own vine and the wolf will lie down with the lamb”.
He will re-build the Jewish temple.
The Muslims believe that Mehdi would come and rule the
world. The dead will rise from their graves. The Christians also
wait for the second coming of Lord Christ to claim his people.
The Parsees believe that Zarathustra will be supernaturally reborn
to a virgin from his own seed preserved in a lake and will appear
as Saoshyant (Messiah). He will raise the dead, save the
righteous and pour molten lead on the earth and hell. The Hindus
wait for the rebirth of Kalki Avtar.
The Sikhs do not believe that dead men come back. The
dead are like the ripe fruit of a tree, “which, once separated from
the branch, falls to the ground and does not come back to it”393
(AGGS p. 1366). According to Sikhism, what is important is not

392
Friday is the fixed day of prayer for the Muslims and the daily prayers must be performed at
exact times during the day. Jews keep Sabbath from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. No
work, no travelling and no cooking are permitted during this period. The Jews must say
Kiddush (blessing over wine and bread). As a bare minimum the Sikhs are supposed to say
their morning and evening prayers but unlike the Muslims or Jews their exact times or days
are not fixed. , + / C 634
393
“+ E) ) & B/ 03 224
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the person of the religious guide but the philosophy he preached.
It is a common belief that, the religious preceptors would
save their followers at the time of reckoning and ensure heaven
for them.394 The Sikh Gurus condemned this idea and said that
nobody would save anybody else. We swim or sink because of
our own deeds. “As we act, so are the rewards we receive; no one
can take the place of another” 395(AGGS p.406). Our misdeeds
and “vices are like chains around our necks”(AGGS p.
595)396while our virtues are like our saviours and friends.

10.7 Heaven and Hell

A common belief in most religions is the existence of
Heaven or Paradise. It is considered to be a place somewhere in
the imagined next world where abundance of means exist for
sensual enjoyment. The Sikh Guru simply said, “I do not know
where such a place exists.”(AGGS p.1161) 397

Hell398is a frightening place where human sinners are

tortured, thrown into infernos, squeezed between rollers like
394
Refer to Quran 99-7 and Jewish Madrash chapter 7 volume 14
395
8 # #, / 61 24 - # ,
+ / 03 <4@ Talking about the fires of hell the prophet of Islam said, “There would be
people among Muslims with as heavy sins as mountains, but Allah would forgive them and He
would place in their stead the Jews and the Christians ” (Sahi Muslim Pages 6665-6669)
396
" + 8 ) ++ / <7 <4
397
+ #F # / 00204 + #F / 3:<4 ) = % /
C 7 1 4Some Hindus believe that paradise is situated on Meru Mountain but others believe that it
is situated between the sun and the pole star in the sky. According to Hinduism the place is
ruled by Indra. There are gardens (Nandan Baag) beautifully decorated palaces inhabited by
beautiful women (Apasra). The dwellers of earth deserve this place only if they have shed their
sins. In Islam also the paradise dwellers enjoy rivers of milk and honey (Quran 77:41-44), drink
wine (Quran 78:34), 72 varieties of food and cohabit with most beautiful women.
398
Whereas the description of paradise is more or less the same in many religions, the number of
hells and the punishments therein differ from religion to religion. The Muslim Dozakh, The
Hindu Narak, or the Dujotman of the Parsees cannot be the same places. Hindu scriptures differ
even in the number of hells. For example Manu Simirti says there are 21 hells, Bhagwat counts
28 and Braham Waverat Puran lists 86 hells. Muslims believe in seven hells Jahannam for
sinning Muslims, Nati for Christians, Azma for Jews, Meer Abi for star-worshippers, Saqar for
fire-worshippers, Hajeem for idol-worshippers and Haavia for those whose fidelity towards
Muhammad is doubtful. “Be a sinner and sin strongly, but yet more strongly believe and
rejoice in Christ, who is the conqueror of sin, death and the world.” (Letter of Luther)
168
sesame seeds in the oil press, made to drink boiling water, and
suffer excruciating pains in boiling cauldrons of oil.

Modern man asks for proof and simply frowns at the very
idea of the existence of such places. The Sikh Gurus have neither
denied the existence of the so-called heaven and hell nor
acknowledged their existence.399 They simply redefined the two
terms. The Gurus say that Heaven or paradise is the state of
human soul that reaches perfection or is imbued with the elixir of
God’s presence. “Heaven is where thy praises are sung,” said the
Guru. 400 The Guru disliked craze for salvation and said, “As long
as the mind craves for heaven, there is no chance of devotion to
the Lord” (AGGS p. 325).401

As for Hell the Guru said, “Those who are imbued with
God’s name do not even have to see the Hell”402

“Whatever is Hell or Heaven? The Saints reject them

both.” (AGGS p. 969)403

“Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be

restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death”
(Religion & Science New York Times)

10.8 Sacred days and omens

Almost all religions consider some months or days
sacred404 and believe that it is meritorious to perform certain

399
+ " " + / 01 3 <4 5
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401
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403
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404
For example the Muslims consider the month of Ramadan as more auspicious than other months
and the Friday as more sacred than other days. The Jews observe Saturday as Sabbath and as
such do not work on Saturdays. Ram Naumi and Shivratri are auspicious days for the Hindus.
169
rituals on those days. The Sikh Gurus considered all days equally
good. They said, “Only idiots and fools worry about omens and
special days.405
These days astrology is as much valued as prayer.
Newspapers are full of horoscopes and predictions. Sikhism
condemns these practices as mere superstition. The Sikh Gurus
preached discriminative thinking ( 4406 and forbade the Sikhs
from believing in anything without first rationalizing it. For
example about astrology the Guru says, “The astrologer,
calculating this and that, prepares our horoscope. Little does he
perceive the reality of the Real.”(AGGS p. 904)407 For the Sikhs
magic, necromancy, numerology, tarot predictions and amulets
are all unscientific and puerile distractions.408

The Guru’s views are amply substantiated by Dr. Michael

Sonntag of the University of Lander in Greenwood (South
Carolina) who conducted a research on superstitions and reported,
“Superstitious behaviour appears to be associated with a host of
socially less favourable attributes such as neuroticism, depression
and lower intelligence.”

405
, / C 634 , + / C 6:4
406
The word means ‘Rationalization’ or ‘Reasoning’. Usually it is said that reasoning is the life-
breath of agnosticism and the death-knell of religion. Sikhism vehemently preaches
/reasoning) and rejects blind faith.
61 ?
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408
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170
 Chapter 11
The universal religion
“Sikhism contains the seeds of a Universal state and a
Universal religion.” (Arnold Toynbee)

I n the fifteenth century Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh

religion, redefined human relationships and launched a
revolutionary movement. It was a movement based on respect for
all human beings irrespective of their caste, colour, creed or
country of origin. The three simple principles he enunciated for
the emancipation of humanity were Naam japna (prayer), Kirt
karna (earning one’s livelihood through honest labour) and Wand
shakna (Share one’s resources with the needy).

The movement was started at a time when people were

divided on the basis of social status, religion, caste, sex and many
other invidious distinctions. The rulers were oppressive and
extortionate and the priests had become greedy and morally
degraded. According to J.D.Cunningham Guru Nanak “extricated
his followers from the accumulated errors of ages, and enjoined
upon them devotion of thought and excellence of conduct as the
first of duties. He left them, erect and free, unbiased in mind and
unfettered by rules, to become an increasing body of truthful
worshippers.” He was a spiritual innovator whose mind so
revolutionised the society that he can be called a link between
yesterday and tomorrow.

Guru Nanak’s movement was later nourished vigorously

by nine successors who reaffirmed the great Guru’s philosophy
through personal example and elaboration of the universal
171
principles inherited by them from the Master. They steadfastly
stood for equality of human race, social parity of sexes, rejection
of slavery and condemnation of economic and political
exploitation. They hated religious intolerance and stood as a rock
against ritualism.409 This is exactly what the society needs today.

In the previous chapters an effort has been made to explain

the salient beliefs and practices of this movement. The statements
and ideas of this movement, when tested on modern thinking, turn
out to be scientific and logical. For example the following ideas of
Sikhism will find full favour with scientific thinking because they
stand on logic.

“If salvation can be achieved by washing in water then a

frog has a better chance because he remains in water
everyday.”(AGGS p. 484)410

“You go to worship a stone image by walking over

another stone. If the stone in front is a god (or goddess) then the
other stone that is walked on is a greater god.”(AGGS p. 525)411

“If Yoga could be obtained by wandering around naked,

then all the deer of the forest would be liberated. What does it
matter whether someone goes naked, or wears a deerskin, if he
does not remember the Lord within his soul? If the spiritual
perfection of the Sidhas could be obtained by shaving the head,
then why haven’t the sheep found salvation? If someone could
save himself by celibacy, O siblings of destiny, why then haven’t

409
& +# ) ' + & 5/ C 7 04 5 & - /
02:4@ Abortion, cloning, euthenasia, blood transfusion, contraception, organ transplant, nuclear
attacks, and biological warfare etc are fairly new issues. No religion has suggested any solutions
to these problems directly but guidance on these and other issues can be easily inferred from
religion.
410
Hindus bathe at 68 religious places and claim that by doing so salvation is assured. +) # +
+ # *& / 6C 64
411
# , +# 5 +# , # 5+ > > / <:<4
172
eunuchs obtained the state of supreme dignity?” (AGGS p.
324)412

Sikhism confronts superstition with a scientific

argumentative approach. For example the Pandas at Hardwar
questioned the Guru’s so-called sacrilegious act of throwing water
to the West when everybody was throwing it to the sun in the
East. The Guru said, “I am throwing water to my crops at Kartar
Pur.” The Pandas asked, “How can your water reach hundreds of
miles in Kartar Pur?” The Guru replied, “If your water can reach
93,000,000 miles at the sun, why can’t my water reach a few
hundred miles on the earth?” The lesson went home to the Pandas
and the general public that had gathered to see the spectacle.

Thus, we see that rationalism is never lost sight of in the

Holy Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru stresses that “Only a person
of keen intellect and precise understanding is immaculate in the
entire world. In thoughtful contemplation he enjoys the elixir of
divinity.” (AGGS p. 1325).413

Society today, aspires for democracy, non-violence, tolerance,

peace, family life and respect for human rights. All these are
enshrined in the fabric of Sikhism and form an integral part of
Sikh belief. Again, it is a religion of action based on human
freedom and moral laws, which no science has ever challenged.
However much science developed, man will still require morality
to lead a happy life. Sikhism is an attempt to bind humanity
together for a spiritual and higher moral purpose.

Sikhism preaches moderation in everything. Recreational

drugs, drinks and dances so common today, do not provide

412
E +J #+ 5 5 - 5+ -
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/ 3:64@ Some world religions preach celibacy.
413
+ ) - - +#/ 03 :<4 - %
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173
happiness. Most of us confuse pleasure with happiness. Pleasure
can be achieved in external things but happiness is found only in
the innermost sanctuary of self. Some of us think that happiness
can be enjoyed through accumulation of wealth but the Guru
discredits this idea and says, “For the sake of this wealth, so many
were ruined; because of this wealth, so many have been disgraced.
It cannot be amassed without sin, and it does not go along with
the dead.” 414Accumulation of wealth by means of usurping the
rights of others is the biggest sin. The Guru says, “Usurping
another’s right is as abhorrent as pig meat for a Muslim or beef
for a Hindu.” 415

Eradication of hatred and inculcation of reverence for all,

are the cardinal principals of Sikhism. The world today is
simmering with discord and prejudice. Only Divine kinship based
on the above stated principles can stem the tide. Sikhism is,
therefore, the need of the time. In the words of the Sikh
Philosopher Sardar Kapur Singh, the Khalsa was “the emergence
of a race of God-conscious men,416 who remain earth-aware and
thus operate in the mundane world of phenomena, with the object
of transforming and spiritualising it into a higher and more
abundant plane of existence.”

Ritualism and formalism are crumbling under the

tremendous sledgehammer blows of scientific research. The
approach of Sikhism to the modern mind is based on reason.
Therefore science poses no adverse challenge to Sikhism. On the
other hand Sikhism has much to offer to the modern world. Not
only are its beliefs simple and modern but also there is no
inherent inconsistency between Sikhism and science. The reader
414
+ " '" + '" % 5 9 # , + /
60? 4
Ye seek happiness-alas, the day
Ye find it not in luxury not in gold,
Nor in fame, nor in the mired sway. (P.B.Shelley)
415
/ 0604@ Love of money is the root of half the evil in the
world, lack of money is the root of the other half” J.Weslay
416
The word ‘men’ or ‘man’ used in Sikh literature applies to both sexes. It means mankind.
174
will have satisfied himself after reading this book that there is a
great degree of concordance between rational scientific thought
and Sikhism.

Sikhism walks hand in hand with modern scientific and

technological theories. In many cases the modern theories and
scientific thought simply confirm the Sikh teachings and as a
consequence Sikhism has been ennobled and made more profound
by science. Wherever there is divergence, Sikhism offers its own
alternative views. The general instruction of Sikhism is to
rationalize every opinion before accepting it and to continuously
engage in research /%+)417

Sikhism can be called the focal point of all sciences. It is a

process of discipline based on an enlightened philosophy, which
passes the tests of spirituality and modernity at the same time. In
the modern world where individuals are losing their moorings and
floundering around in darkness, Sikhism is an anchorage.
“Eastern thought, and more generally, mystical thought, provides
a consistent and relevant philosophical background to the theories
of contemporary science” (Dr.Fritjof Capra Tao of Physics
p.25)418

In his Autobiography, R.A Millikan says, “It seems to me

that the two great pillars upon which all human well-being and
human progress rest are first, the spirit of religion, and second, the
spirit of science—or knowledge. Neither can attain its largest
effectiveness without support from the other. To promote the
latter we have universities and research institutions. But the
supreme opportunity for everyone with no exception lies in the
first.”

417
%+ 9 + # - /3 6:4 %+ %+ , - / ? 064 %+ +#
# ) ) /0:<<4 9# 9# 8 8 9# - / 7 31 4
418
Dr. Capra is of the opinion that “ the basic elements of the Eastern world-view are also those of
the world-view emerging from modern physics”
175
 We have seen that science and Sikhism are not
irreconcilable antagonists. Indeed discerning the close inter-
relation between Sikhism and science one can say that science and
Sikhism can heartily embrace each other harmoniously and bring
about all-round fulfilment of the human genius for the good of
humanity.

Modern society can learn a lot from the Sikh practice of

emphasis on respect for all religions, equality of nations and races
and service to humanity. Voluntary service to mankind in the Sikh
canon is almost a form of worship.

“I am not without hope that when enlightened rulers

become acquainted with the merits of the Sikh religion, they
will not willingly let it perish in the great abyss in which so
many creeds have been engulfed.” (M.A.Macauliffe).

! "# $%

176
 Other books in the series

1. Introduction to Sikhism

2. The Sikh Greetings

3. The Sikh marriage ceremony

4. A challenge to Sikhism

5. Sikh religion and Christianity

6. Sikh religion and Islam

7. Sikh religion and Science

Available from:- G.S.Sidhu

116 Waltham Close,

Abbey Park, West Bridgford.

Nottingham. NG2 6LE

Tel & fax:- 0115 9743423

177