Purpose and Design of the universe including Life
Introduction
We live in this world observing various phenomena. There are cycles of days and nights, seasons, vegetables, fruits, rains, storms and so on, which follow the same pattern year after year. The creatures are conceived and born; they grow, age and die in the same sequence, except that the life span may vary. This pattern is maintained without variation except when disturbed by unnatural factors such as illnesses, accidents and killings.
Support systems have been established for these. The mother has milk ready when the baby is born. Wherewithal is made available to creatures born under rocks and in water. The farmer harvests the grains, the mills convert it to flour, stores dispense it and everyone eats. The system of rains ensures water for drinking, washing and irrigation.
At a higher level, the celestial bodies have been placed in orbits with detailed planning. The sun and the moon rise in the east and set in the west. The sun and earth in their preplanned orbits create daily phenomena of day and night as well as annual phenomena of seasons. The moon has a 29-day cycle.
The universe is vast and diverse. The sun, earth and moon have specific roles, for which they are designed and maintained in orbits. The sun provides light and heat. The moon takes light from the sun and lights up the earth at night according to the lunar cycles. The earth provides physical support, holds water and is the source of minerals. It feeds the creatures like a mother looks after her children. These phenomena direct activities of the creatures in a rhythm of working during the day and resting at night.
The body of every species is designed to suit its allotted role. And the universe design enables that as explained above.
This short introduction should be enough to establish that the universe has been carefully designed, and has a specific purpose This is reflected in its systematic functioning.
This also confirms existence of a well-informed and intelligent designer, who is the Creator and executor of all this.
Despite the above clear evidence, some naysayers and scientists question existence of the Creator and are allergic to the term Intelligent Design. This term initially sought to counter evolution but covers the entire universe including life.
The Creator has created species of numerous types and granted an exalted position to the humans with sublime intellect. They have the ability to learn, perform, earn and enjoy. The have compassion, initiative and emotions. This enables them to mutually help one another and other species.
They also have the double-edged ego, which they use both positively and negatively. On the positive side, they make use of the resources provided by the Creator to make this world a better place. On the negative side, they become possessive, try to create rivalries, use unfair means to fulfil their aspirations and hurt fellow-beings. The negative ego also causes them to believe they achieve everything by themselves. The most apparent example of this is people flaunting lineage, physical beauty or build and inherited wealth as if they got these by their own efforts.
What is science? Science is the observation of natural phenomena as described above, their repetitive patterns and deducing laws of nature from them. The scientists did not create the phenomena or make laws of nature. The Creator did. They use the laws IT created while at the same time questioning and denying IT’s existence. They learn laws of nature, which they call laws of science, from orderly functioning of the universe created by the Creator, but say there is no Creator and Intelligent Design is not scientific.
Scientists of this latter category see no purpose in the universe or of life and scoff at the very idea of Intelligent Design of the celestial bodies and species. Their ego and keenness to prove importance of science makes them oblivious to the orderly functioning of the universe. They deny existence of a Creator, and have invented the Big Bang theory according to which the universe owes its origin to an explosion. They forget that an explosion can only cause destruction and chaos, not create orderly functioning.
The objective of religions is to guide their followers to understand the purpose of their existence as directed by the Creator. However, misguided and overzealous followers of religions distort the very basis of religion. They forget God and glorify personalities and rituals, creating discontent and divide between religions. Religion is meant to be a vehicle for peace and amity but has been turned to one of turmoil and killings.
This has led some people to hate religion and deny the Creator.
The Sikh scripture Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), represents pristine teachings of all religions. It rejects focus on personalities and unlike most scriptures is not the life account of its founder or anyone else. There is no particular holy place. Any place where the Creator is praised, is holy. Its teachings are logical and reject dogmas, garbs, symbolism and rituals. The concept of prayers is not to ask of benedictions but ability to conform to divine directions, which are present in everyone’s conscience but masked by other ideas.
Its concept of the Creator is the Spirit, which is the source of laws of nature. The physical universe including the creatures is manifestation of the Formless Creator. This Spirit gives life to all existence by conforming to the laws of nature. It is a guide on conformance to the Creator’s directions and how to conduct ourselves in life. SGGS contains discourses of the gurus and saints and is confluence of spiritual, temporal and ethical aspects of life. It also cautions on role human ego as impediment to complying with the Creator’s directions.
Contents of SGGS are called Gurbani meaning the gurus’ words.
Gurbani deals with the subject of cosmology in fair detail, covering purpose of the universe and design. It gives a scientific sequence of the process of creation of the universe and life. This will be covered in another paper.
The SGGS was initially compiled in 1604, which coincided with beginning of the scientific era. It may surprise many to know that it provided scientific information centuries before the scientists knew. Here are a few examples.
This is a profound subject and needs to be approached with an open mind, forsaking blind faith or dogmas on the one hand, and ego on the other, but relying on logic.
Gurbani says anyone who thinks s/he knows the Creator’s creation needs to reflect. This is how it goes
One who claims to know what the Creator does in the creation should reflect. S/he would then know that what the Creator does, cannot be known by anyone.
Some people think that a white bull supports the world. (Similarly, the Greek believe Atlas carries the heavens on his shoulders).
No, the bull is metaphor for the Creator’s inevitable powers – the cosmic laws, with which the universe/celestial are in space bodies in space without support.
S/he should reflect how much weight a bull can carry.
There are more cosmic bodies farther and still farther.
Who bears their weights?
Then there are creatures of various classes and hues.
The Creator has laid down their roles.
Who can write/count the detail of all this? How large will that data be?
Who knows the measure of the expansive creation?
What powers created this beautiful universe?
How much wherewithal is needed to sustain this creation?
The Creator created this expanse with a single command.
And, from there millions of streams flowed.
Who can imagine powers of the Creator?
Why shouldn’t one accept divine supremacy and sacrifice the self/kill ego once for all, and conform to the system
Things can happen only according to the system established by the Creator.
O Creator, whatever you do is right.
The Creator is forever eternal and unchanging, i.e. the cosmic laws are the same from age to age. Japji Paurri 16. . Jey ko bujhai hovai sachiaar
By looking at the creation, it is clear that the Creator created the universe for on-the-job training of the creatures to develop them both spiritually and materially and make this world a paradise. It crated the rest of the universe as support for them.
The Creator IT-self is the school and IT-self the teacher and IT-self brings the students learn. P 552. Aaapey chaattsaal aap hai paadha. The adage “God helps those who help themselves” follow this.
In the spiritual field, the holy congregation is the school and the true guru, the teacher. Page 1316. Sat-i sangat satigur chatt saal hai jit har gun sikhaa.
The equivalent of the place of worship of other faiths is the holy congregation where divine virtues and commands are learnt to obey in Sikh faith. Following teachings of the true guru is real worship. Page 669. Sevak sikh poojan sabh aavahgaavaihar har ootam baani.
The process is similar as seen for advancement in any field. It is like this. The person sets an aim, works hard and is motivated to find a coach to guide. The latter teaches how to focus on the aim. S/he achieves the objective if s/he follows the guidance sincerely. Gurbani describes this as a two-stage divine grace. First being guidance to have the capability, and second with success in fulfilment of the aim. Japji Paurri 38. Jin kau nadar karam tin kaar. Nanak nadri nadar nihaal
The Creator gives three things to every human being. P 639. Sabh jag jinah upaaia bhaaee.
The Creator has provided numerous avenues for pleasure and worldly achievement. For the humans these take the form of defeating competition, attaining higher status or make more money. One who becomes a slave to them forgets divine directions and cannot achieve his/her aspirations. One who follows the correct guide, overcomes the allurements and achieves his/her objectives.
This is real, not abstract. After all, the purpose of achievement should be to attain satisfaction. One who runs after money, sex, authority and so on is never contented because his/her craving never ends. Gurbani guides:
O Almighty, asking for anything else except union with you is adding more and more suffering – craving continues and one dies in that state. Please grant me the ability to obey Your commands to overcome craving and obtain satisfaction Page 958. Vin tudh hor ji mangna sir dukkha kai dukh.
Every human being is born with consciousness of how s/he is to conduct him/herself. This includes:
Put in another way.
O human being, make effort to make a living; earn to live in comfort. Remain focused on divine commands to remain connected with the Almighty and end the anxiety of separation from the Creator. Page 522. Udam kareydiaa jeeo too.
Here are two contrasting states.
A self-willed person eats, drinks, laughs/makes merry and sleeps – ignoring duties and falling prey to temptations.
It is disgraceful to forget the Master who provides the resources for enjoyment. One should be conscious that forever and all possessions will be left behind on death. Otherwise, one is frustrated in obtaining union with the Creator. Page 1254. Khana peena hasna sauna.
Lest it is misunderstood, Gurbani does not ask to withdraw from the world or forsake pleasures. It asks not become slave to them and fail to distinguish between right and wrong. It says.
One who finds and follows the true guru, knows the right way of living. S/he attains liberation while laughing/enjoying, playing, wearing good clothes and eating good food. Page 522. Nanak satgur bheytteeai poori hovai jugat.
This is how design of the universe serves the above purpose
The Creator created air, water and heat energy needed for life to exist. IT also created days/nights, seasons, lunar cycles and days of the week and thus programmed activities of the creatures. Page 7. Raati ruti thiti vaar
Days and nights act like nannies for the creatures. Page 8. Divas raat duey daaee daaiaa
Crops, vegetables and fruits grow based on seasons for round the year supply. The system of rains irrigates the soil.
The Creator created the means of subsistence before creating the creatures. P 130. Pahlo dey tai rijak samaahaa
Examples of this are the mother has milk ready when the baby arrives, creatures born under the rocks and in water get their sustenance there.
The male and female reproductive systems match perfectly for pleasure and procreation. The system of formation and growth of the fetus, birth of the baby, growth through childhood, youth to old age, culminating in death has been established. Nobody can change these.
The humans have intellect and emotions that help to overcome animal instincts and act responsibly. Unlike other species, they look after their offspring. The father and mother facing each other while copulating has laid the foundation for this. They do not just have sex; they make love.
Death is preordained for anyone who takes birth. Medical help does not work when the end comes.
A human is conceived by fertilization of the mother’s egg by the father’s semen. The fertilized egg grows to be the fetus with various organs and umbilical cord providing nourishment from the mother’s body. The Creator introduces the soul into the fetus for it to start breathe and grow. In most cases, the fetus is upside down. All the above activities happen in a preordained timeframe. A normal birth takes about nine months after conception.
All this cannot happen in any other way, rejecting the concept of origin of life by evolution. It is Creator’s creation as such.
Human body is like a complex machine designed to perfection. It has numerous complex systems in it like the skeletal, muscular, digestive respiratory and so on which are common to males and females. Then there are the male and female reproductive systems in their respective bodies but perfectly matching for procreation and pleasure. There are five sensory organs, namely eyes, ears, nose, tongue for taste and skin. They pick up information and convey to the brain. They also pick up temptations. Then there are five action organs, namely hands, feet, tongue for speech, genital, and anus for excretion. These are all planned and located in the body according to its design.
An aspect of perfect design and location of organs may be seen from how we eat food. The food is laid out, we see, pick up and place food in the plate. The eyes see, the hands break and pick up morsel size. The nose smells for suitability, the lips open, hands put food in mouth and the tongue tastes for agreeability. The salivary glands produce saliva, which moistens the food and the teeth chew. The food then goes to the digestive system through the esophagus.
The mouth is designed such that the teeth chew the food, but do not harm the tongue. A parallel design in nature is of fire present in wood, or oil
present in the earth. They do not cause fire except when intended, except by accident. These are all planned and designed.
The Creator has established a system of natural justice. Here are a few examples.
One reaps what one sows
Nothing can be achieved without effort. Japj Paurri 6. Jeyti sristt upaaee veykha vin karma kai miley laee.
One gets consequences of own deeds and should not blame anyone else.
The hand does something, the same hand gets the consequences. None is caught for another person. Page 406. Page Ah kar karey so ah kar paaey.
Machinations are ultimately exposed. P 303. Koorr tthagi gujhi na rahai.
The Creator treats everyone equally like the sun provides light and heat to all. P 272. Jaisy soor sarab ko sokh
As may be seen, this is one total integrated perfectly designed system. We should be grateful for this.
This should leave no doubt there is a Creator who has created this perfect Design of the universe, and life, for orderly functioning.
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