Question 1: I just wanted to know about evolution. What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say and how does it work or not work? Are WE miracles? Or just logical next steps? Or both? And why does it matter?
Answer by Romapada Swami: Leaving aside the entire question of the origin of life itself, the Srimad Bhagavatam has some very unique and profound things to say about the origins of species aspect of evolution. One of the key differences between the Bhagavatam model and the Darwinian model is on the point of ‘who does the selection’. According to Darwin, selection is driven by unguided natural forces; but according to Srimad Bhagavatam, it is the conscious self (soul) that selects a particular bodily form, while material nature (under the superintendence of the supreme intelligent being, Krishna) simply provides bodily forms – taking in to consideration two factors, 1) the desire of the soul and 2) its karma (or what the soul deserves). Thus, Darwin’s theory is known as natural selection, while the Bhagavatam’s theory may be more aptly called ‘conscious selection and natural provision’. Mother Nature has all the bodily forms in her warehouse, which she provides with customized features and details, based on the aforementioned two factors.
The Darwinian model is defective because it doesn’t account for consciousness. Because the materialists cannot perceive consciousness, they either deny its existence or claim that it is simply a by-product of material interactions. The Bhagavatam says that consciousness is the active principle of life and is non-material in nature or does not have material origins.
To understand this better, let’s take the example of cars. For example, Ford brought out several models in the last 50-60 years – Falcon, Fiesta, Escort, Focus etc. Now, fast forward by a 1000 years. Let us say, an archaeologist finds a car from each model in dilapidated condition in different parts of the world – if he is a Darwinist looking to explain the origin of life, he would theorize that through unguided natural forces Falcon became Fiesta which in turn became Escort which in turn became Focus! That’s not a very good and convincing theory. Is it?
Looking at the same evidence, a Bhagavatam-trained archaeologist would rightly conclude that it is not that one model of car changes to another, but, each car is provided by the manufacturer (nature) according to the desire and deserve of the customer (soul). He wouldn’t make the error of theorizing that humans came from apes!
Darwinists are saying YOU ARE Ford Focus, but, the Bhagavatam is saying YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER OR DRIVER who received Ford Focus to fulfill a purpose in this Universe.
Our activities and happiness in this material realm are based on our conceptions of our identities. This is why it matters.
Question 2: After reading your reply, some doubts still remain in my mind. Srila Prabhupada quoted the Padma Purana which says that the soul transmigrates from aquatics to plant life to animal life to human life to demigods; this is the progression. How does this play into conscious selection and natural provision? As animals, are we made to suffer through the chain of the animal kingdom (i.e. its hard to get out of the animal kingdom once you are in it)?
I just want to be able to answer the doubts of others (including my mind) truthfully and not mislead them further.
Answer by Romapada Swami: Yes, the Padma Purana verse you are referring to that Srila Prabhupada often quoted talks about various categories of species that make up the 8.4 million forms of life. Isn’t it amazing that this ancient text gives such a precise figure of forms of life which are available for living entities in this world to journey through!
To understand how this works as per the Bhagavatam model, let’s take the case of a soul in a human body which through ‘conscious selection and natural provision’ achieves one of the lower* forms of life. The author of Forbidden Archeology, Michael Cremo calls this human devolution. Once devolution happens the soul’s freedom is very much constrained but, at the same time, the soul doesn’t accrue new karma while in the lower forms; for example, a tiger does not get negative karmic reaction for killing its prey, because he is forced to act this way by laws of nature. He has no options, like we do. The living entities in these forms simply follow their instincts. And, by natural arrangement, through the process of transmigration or re-incarnation, the soul simply evolves up the ladder from the lower form of life to higher and higher forms until it reaches the human form again – where there is opportunity once again awarded to awaken God consciousness.
We are NOT made to suffer indefinitely through the chain of animal kingdom – we keep getting opportunities until we learn that being in this endless cycle of birth and death is not a good program.
According to Darwin, a simple bodily form changes to another more complex form but, as per the Bhagavatam, the forms are already available in the warehouse of material nature and the soul simply evolves or devolves from one form to another depending on its desires, karma and by natural arrangement – just like we may move from one apartment to another driven by our preferences, credit record and laws of the state.
*Note: the term ‘lower’ is used only to indicate that such a form constrains expression of soul’s consciousness, and in turn the range of free-will options; it is not meant to minimize non-human life.
