Hinduism and Science - Cosmology

[seeker5128]

I have been studying Hinduism for the past few months and I do not consider myself that knowledgeable of it at all. I am curious what Hindus think about the whole modern scientific notion of the origin of the universe. It seems that scientists today think that the universe had a beginning in the past. In other words, the universe is not eternal. Does the universe have to be eternal for Hinduism to be valid?

Please forgive me if this is just an ignorant question. I am just learning. Thanks!

[TheOne]

Most Hindus don't have any problem with the modern scientific theory of the origin of the universe. Yes, there are a few hard liners who will take scripture absolutely literally in spite of scientific evidence but they are definitely in the minority.

I think the scientific model of the origin(and death) of the universe actually supports Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism.

The reason why I say this is because all 3 of these say that the universe has cycles(kalpas) and although the exact time differs about the length of the kalpa most will agree that its not the exact time but its the immensity of time in which the universe expands and then dissolves. India was the first culture to posit that the universe was not thousands, not millions, but BILLIONS of years old.

I can't say whether it is due to some "mystical knowledge" or whether it was due to the belief of ever increasing cycles of existence and since existence is deemed the biggest "wheel" of existence it therefore had to have the most time.

Regardless, I find it interesting and refreshing that India & China were bastions of logic in a world which was succumbing to dogmatic religions.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Roger Penrose from the University of Oxford, looking at data from the Cosmic Microwave Background suggest that space and time perhaps did not originate at the Big Bang but that our universe continually cycles through a series of “aeons,” and we have an eternal, cyclical cosmos.

( now I think we're getting closer to Reality - but I may be one of those hard liners )

http://www.universetoday.com/79750/p...fore-big-bang/


Here's his ~model~
http://www.newton.ac.uk/webseminars/.../1107/penrose/


praṇām

[saidevo]

Hindu scriptures do not differ with modern science in the concept that the universe has an origin and end and that the cycle repeats over eons of time.

• The difference is only in how the universe and its beings spring forth.

• While modern science rules out (or it doesn't?) creation by God as a possibility, all Hindu traditions agree on the truth that the universe and its formful life is created by and out of God at every cycle and that the evolution is not in the form but only in the spiritual progress.

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Originally Posted by TheOne

Most Hindus don't have any problem with the modern scientific theory of the origin of the universe. Yes, there are a few hard liners who will take scripture absolutely literally in spite of scientific evidence but they are definitely in the minority.

Even taking the scriptures literally, there are a lot of points that are still in tune with modern science when you apply some symbolical translation.

[kallol]

As a scientist & engineer, I find it fascinating to understand that there are so much of alignment between the thoughts of Hinduism and the modern science.
In fact I feel that as the science progresses, it will move closer to the thoughts of hinduism.

Even in Gita, where Krishna gave the information about the cyclic birth of universe - He said about 8 pre-matter states (are they the god particles we are in search of ?), which ultimately combined to form the different elements and elementals.

There are plenty other areas which encompass many of the facts of science have been also discussed upon.

I really wonder how the people of those era (without much scentific background) could come up with such astonishing theories which we are seeing now in science. More to come with future science.


In fact it reminds me of one incident in Ramayana. Viswamitra asking Rama & Lakshmana about which path they would like to take - 14 days or 14 months ?

14 days is full of hurdles, tough (this is the spiritual path - abstract, non physical, difficult to prove, etc - Path to Bramhan directly).

14 months path is relatively easy (this is the science path - physical most of the way, logical, easy to prove, etc - path to Brahman through Maya).

Yes today we are more in the path of Maya and that is why the path is long. This path is from micro to macro. This path is to use our limited external senses to explore all.

In past Indian scientists were more in path of Brahman which was a shortcut way to the holistic knowledge. This path is from macro to micro. This path is to use our internal senses to explore all.

Love and best wishes

[Obelisk]

Hindu cosmology seems to be pretty similar to the "Big Bounce" model, where the Big Bang is only the one for the present cycle, which repeats itself over and over again. This particular model is also gaining more recognition in the field of science, if I'm not mistaken. There are concepts like the Day and Night of Brahma and the Nataraja (cycles of creation and destruction of the universe with parallels to electromagnetic and force fields) which are very much in harmony with science, from what I've read. I've almost never met any Hindu who antagonizes science in favour of religious texts. I do feel its harmonious relationship with modern science is a great strength of our dharma.

[Jainarayan]

Originally Posted by yajvan

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Roger Penrose from the University of Oxford, looking at data from the Cosmic Microwave Background suggest that space and time perhaps did not originate at the Big Bang but that our universe continually cycles through a series of “aeons,” and we have an eternal, cyclical cosmos.

( now I think we're getting closer to Reality - but I may be one of those hard liners )

http://www.universetoday.com/79750/p...fore-big-bang/


Here's his ~model~
http://www.newton.ac.uk/webseminars/.../1107/penrose/


praṇām

Namaste yajvan,

Last night I was watching a Science Channel program that featured Roger Penrose, Neil Turok and others, including Param Singh. Param Singh is one of those who do not believe the "the" Big Bang, that is, one and only one with nothing before it. Neil Turok takes a different view... he subscribes to 'brane theory as to the actual formation of the universe(s). But I don't think (iirc) that he denies a cycle of creation and destruction; I could be wrong on his views.

Many cosmologists are coming to accept the cyclic nature of universes coming into and going out of existence. I don't know how much of their claims are rooted (maybe subconsciously) in Hindu cosmology, but their mathematics bear it out.

Moreover, there are calculations as to when this universe will end. If it expands "forever", all matter will dissipate in 10x1076 years, letting it die on its own. But I think it will end long before that in Lord Shiva's dance of destruction. And is not a life of Brahma 311,040 trillion years?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degener...rmation_ceases

I think that once stars cease to form in 100 trillion years, that will be the beginning of the end. The numbers calculated by cosmologists that far into the future may not jibe with Hindu beliefs, but the concepts are there and in agreement.

[The Occult]

@Touched by the Lord, I watched the same program a few days back and it was interesting.Infact I have been watching a whole series regarding reality,quantum world and cosmology

From what I see, I dont see any form of theory ca contradict views of Hindu origin