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The Creation -- A Sound Explanation

 
Dear Ray,
 
I have just started reading your papers and I am very excited about it. You have
predicted that the universe may originate from one vibration and have a scientific
theory to support it. The Vedic scriptures state exactly the same thing... That
the source of everything is sound... It's very exciting.
 
For me the idea of everything coming from sound is somewhat difficult to come to
grips with but the Vedas says it does and it appears you have confirmed it with
your work.
 
I have included below part of one of the lectures from my spiritual master, His
Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, it is about "Creation - a sound
explanation"
 
"When egosim in ignorance is agitated by the sex energy of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead the subtle element sound is manifested, and from sound comes the
etherial sky and the sense of hearing" (Srimad Bhagavatam Third Canto 26.32)
 
So the beginning of this creation is sound. The modern physicists they also agree,
sound and light, according to their theory. But the sound is the origin of
creation mixed with the mode of ignorance.
 


Everything here in the material world is a spiritual reflection covered by the
material elements. So when this sound is purified, or when you catch up the
spiritual sound, then your spiritual life begins. As from the material sound this
material creation has begun, beginning with the sky or either. From either air is
created, wind. From air fire is created, electricity. You can see from the sound
[thunder] there is immediately electricity in the sky. Electricity means fire. So
from the sky the sound is created, from the sound air is created, by the friction
of air the electricity or fire is created, then within the fire there is water,
and after water there is land. These are the five gross material elements. It is
coming from the subtle elements. From the subtle elements the gross elements
gradually develop.
 
So in the either there is sound and from the sound the instrument of hearing is
created. Similarly our subtle senses, rup [form], rasa [taste], sabda [sound],
sparsa [touch], gandha [smell]. So sabda [sound] is first then sparsa [touch].
When there is air there is touch, the touching sensation is created. When there is
fire then the form sensation is created. When there is water the rasa, taste
sensation, is created. And from rasa, water, the earth is formed, then gandha
sensation or smell is created. How scientifically it is described. Rup, rasa,
ganda, sparsa, sabdha... They are the sense perceptions. The sense perceptions are
created from the five elements: earth, water, air, fire and either. And above this
there is still finer materials: mind, intelligence, ego, and then behind that the
soul is there.
 
Behind everything the Supreme Personality of Godhead is there. The creation is not
automatically taking place. Just like sex. When the seamen is discharged by the
man then there is pregnancy. Not automatically. Similarly, here also the same
thing, bhagavat bija coditar, that means the origin of this creation is tamo-guna.
The whole creation is tamo [ignorance]. Everyone of us is in ignorance, we do not
know. Therefore Vedas says "tamoasi mam", don't stay in this tamosi, "joti gama",
joti is brahman, so try to come out to the light. The whole Vedic knowledge is
based on this principle, how to give up the association of tamasi guna [ignorance]
and come to the sattva-guna [goodness] and then surpass it and come to the
transcendental position of brahma-bhuta. This is the process.
 
So as this material creation has begun from material sound under the impelling
method by the Supreme Personality of Godhead similarly by spiritual sound you can
get out of it. Because sound is the central point. When it is mixed with tamo-guna
[ignorance] then the material creation begins. So similarly if you directly catch-
up that sound, the sound is sabda-brahman, sound is actually spiritual, the Vedic
sound, OM, omkar, omkarsmi sarva vedasu, so Vedic sound begins with OM. So if we
capture that sound and make further progress. Sabda anana vritti, in the Vedanta
Sutra this verse is there, "anna-vritti", no more repeation of birth and death.
Omkar. If one can chant Omkar at the time of death he is immediately transferred
to the spiritual world. The impersonal spiritual sky. But if you can chant Hare
Krishna then immediately you can enter into the spiritual planets. This is stated
in the Bhagavad-gita. Anta-kale, at the time of death, if you can capture this
sound, Omkar or Hare Krishna, if you capture Omkar then you are transferred to the
spiritual sky but if you chant Hare Krishna you can enter Krishna's planet.
 
There is a point where the material sky begins and beyond this there is the
spiritual sky. The original sabda, or spiritual sound, is resounded from this
spiritual sky. Because there is sky therefore there is sound. Because there is
sound therefore the instrument for hearing sound, the ear, is there. So our
material position and spiritual position -- the ultimate point is sound. And the
sound is presented in its original spiritual form, that is called Veda, sabda-
brahman, tene brahma hrdye adi kavaye. This brahma means sabda-brahman. The sabda-
brahman was imparted or vibrated by Krishna in the heart of Brahma [the first
person born in the universe], tene brahma hrdya adi kavaye. Then he could realize
what his position was. After hearing the sound he compiled this Brahma-Samhita.
That Brahma-Samhita we have recited many times. Lord Brahma, by personal
realization, through the mercy of Krishan, on account of this transcendental sound
being injected within his heart, could see the whole spiritual world as it is.
That is described in the Brahma-Samhita. cintamani...govindam adi purusam tam aham
bajami.
 
Brahma is not claiming he is the original creator, the first person. Even though,
in this material world, Brahma is the first person, then Lord Shiva, Rudra and
before Brahma there is Vishnu. Therefore it is said: aham evasam agre, agre,


before the creation there was only Vishnu or Krishna. There was no Brahma, no
Shiva. These are Vedic statements. In the beginning Lord Vishnu was there.
 
And we know the method of creation. There was water and in that water Maha Vishnu
is lying there. From Maha Vishnu in His sleeping condition there are so many
universes created in His exhaling breathing process and when He inhales all the
universes are annihilated. In this way this material creation is coming and going.
Bhutva bhutva paralyite.
 
So we have to understand that the creation actually begins in the tamo-guna [mode
of ignorance] impelled by Bhagavan [Krishna]. Here it is stated: vikurvanad
bhagavat bija codittah. Not that it happens automatically. Just like if you take
two chemicals, soda bicarb and citric acid and mix them together there will be
bubbles. So these bubbles do not occur because of the chemicals, they are caused
by the chemist who mixes the chemicals. Then the bubbles can form.
 
So modern scientists are unable to see who is mixing the chemicals. Because
Krishna says. naham prakasa sarvasya yoga maya samarvrta. Therefore the scientist
cannot see bhagavat bija coditah, they cannot see it. They are simply seeing two
mixtures mixed together. They know it is mixing according to a certain process,
but who is mixing it? That they cannot see. But that is bhagavat bija coditah.
Maya daksina prakriti surayate sa char... Nature is working, the interaction of
two chemicals, or many chemicals. The scientists accept that the chemicals were
already there. But where did the chemicals come from? They say that hydrogen and
oxygen mixed together produces water. Now we can see the vast water not only here
but there are so many other oceans, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and not
only on this planet, but there are innumerable planets and innumerable Pacific
Oceans are floating in the air. Where did so much chemicals come from? Who
supplied them? If the hydrogen and oxygen is the cause of water then how did so
much chemicals come into existence? Of course they came into existence by the same
process as it is stated here. It is coming from the sky. And the sky is generated
by bhagavat bija in the tamo-guna.
 
Originally everything is coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore
Krishna is simplifying the matter and informing us, "You fools, try to understand,
aham sarvasya prabhavo, I am the origin." And Vedanta Sutra says, janma adi yassa,
janma adi, from whom, that is Brahman, that is Krishna. Janma, or the creation of
this material cosmic manifestation, phenomenal world, who is the cause of janma?
The cause is Krishna. Aham adi he devanam. Then He is the cause of Brahma,
devanam, Shiva. Therefore another name of Vishnu is Padmanabha. He causes the
lotus flower from His navel and Brahma is born on this lotus. Then Brahma creates
the whole universe. But the original creator is bhagavat bija coditah. Not the
material. There was no existence of the material. The materials are created by the
supreme living being, nitya nityanam cetanas cetananam. That is to be understood.
 
So the modern theory is that the phenomenal world, or this cosmic manifestation,
is due to chemical combinations. They have written books, "Chemical Evolution".
But we can quote the same example.  If a solution of soda bicarb and a solution of
citric acid are mixed together there will be bubbles. But who is mixing it? The
mixer is bhagavat bija coditah. This is to be understood.
 
So the beginning of the creation is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
That is to be understood. And the beginning of creation is sabda [sound]. I think
modern science also admits the beginning of creation is sound. There are so many
sound theories. Sound and light... they have written so many books. Chemical
compositions. Here also this is confirmed that from the sound the sky is created,
then air, then fire, then water, and at last this land. So in the land there are
five perceptions. Rup [form], rasa [taste], gandha [smell], sabda [sound], sparsa
[touch]. Five perceptions. In the earth there is form and there is taste, if you
taste earth, dirt, you will find a salty taste, because earth contains 60% soda.
That is a chemical analysis. So you will find taste, rasa. You will find also any
metal you strike together there will be sabda [sound], gandha, there is smell. You
see so many plants are growing, flowers, where are they getting their scent from?
It is coming from the earth. The bad smells and good smells, everything is coming
from the earth. And where is the chemist who can take out rose scent from the
earth. That is not possible. But the scent is there in the earth, there is no
doubt about it, otherwise where is the scent coming from? The rose flower smells
so nice, but where has it got this smell from? From the earth. And sparsa [touch].
Then in the water one perception is subtracted. In the fire two perceptions are
subtracted. In the air three things are subtracted. And in sound four perceptions

are subtracted -- only sound is there. The sound is the original cause of this
creation.
 
Here we are materially bound up. Because I am a spirit soul. I have nothing to do
with this material atmosphere. asangayam purusha. This spirit soul has nothing to
do but on account of his material association by different processes we have grown
this material body and we are now entangled. Just like a fish becomes entangled in
the net of the fisherman. Similarly we living entities are entangled in the
network of this fabrication of the material energy. So it is a very difficult
position. Just like the fish caught up in the net of the fisherman, similarly we
are now caught up in the network created by the material nature. Prakriti kryamani
gunai karmani sarvasah, because we have associated with the particular type of
modes of material nature we are now entangled. Just like the fish is entangled
similarly we are also entangled. This material world is supposed to be like a big
ocean, bhava nava, nava means ocean bhava means the situation where repeated birth
and death take place. This is called bhava 'nava. Somehow or other I have fallen
into this ocean of bhava 'nava, the ocean of repeated birth and death. As the fish
caught up in the fisherman's net struggles for existence, how to get out of the
net, he's not peaceful. As soon as he is caught in the net he is flapping this way
and that way... He wants to get out. That is our struggle for existence. How to
get out? We do not know.
 
So to get out of this struggle for existence is possible only by the mercy of
Krishna, He can do everything. He can immediately free us from this entanglement,
otherwise How could He be called almighty? I cannot get out, the fish cannot get
out, but if the fisherman wants he can immediately let the fish out, throw him
back in the water, and he gets life again. Similarly, if we surrender to Krishna
He can let us out immediately, He says: aham twam sarva-papabhyo moksayisyami ma
sucah. So this human form of life is meant for surrendering to Krishna. In other
forms of life it is not possible, the fish cannot, but I can. That is the
difference between the life of the fish and my life. The fish is entangled in the
net -- he has no power, he is doomed.
 
By natures arrangement the fish gets evolution. He has to go through 900,000
species of aquatic life. There are 900,000 species of aquatics in the water, who
knows this? The sastra [scripture] says. Who has seen how many varieties of fish
are there? But there are many, many varieties. From the sastra we get information
of the whale fish, timi, and there is another fish, which is called timingal.
Timingal means he is so big that he can swallow up this timi, whale-fish, like a
small fish... They are called timingal. We have not seen, but the sastra says,
therefore we have seen. Because sastra caksusa, you should see through the
sastras, otherwise what can you see with your tiny eyes? You cannot see much more
than three yards clearly. Imperfect vision. All our senses are imperfect. You
cannot see. You are seeing the sun. But what are you seeing? You see a small disc.
But it is so much bigger than this planet. So this naked sense perception has no
value. Don't try to gather knowledge through these naked senses. Try to gather
knowledge, just like how the creation occurred, that is stated here in the sastra,
by the authorities, Kapiladeva. If you take this knowledge then your knowledge is
perfect, and if you imagine, "Perhaps there was a chunk and there was this, there
was that..." It is all nonsense. At least we, Krishna conscious men, we don't
accept these nonsensical propositions. Our knowledge is derived, tad vijnanam sa
gurum eva abigachet, this is a Vedic injunction: "If you want to get perfect
knowledge you must approach the guru." Here is the guru -- Kapiladeva or Krishna,
God. God is guru , original guru. God gave lessons to Brahma. Brahma gave lessons
to Narada. Narada gave lessons to Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva gave lessons to us. This is
Vyasadeva's contribution [the Srimad Bhagavatam] and if you follow this disciplic
succession then you will get perfect knowledge. Otherwise if you speculate then
you are in darkness, tamasi. What power do you have? All your senses are
imperfect. How can you get perfect knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore the
injunction is: tad vijnanam sa guru eva 'vigachet, you must go to the guru, and
who is guru? This param para [diciplic succession] system.
 
So this is the process. If you want perfect knowledge you must approach guru. And
who is guru? Guru means the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Acarya mam vijnanay mam na vamanyeta na karhacit. Krishna says the acarya, he is
Myself. Because he is My perfect representative. He won't speak any nonsense. He
will speak something or everything that he has heard from Me. Therefore he is
acarya. Acarya means one who knows the sastra and practally applies it in his life
and he teaches the same thing to his disciples. That is called acarya.
 

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya!
 
Thank you. Hare Krishna!
 
Madhudvisa dasa       
(madhudvisa@krishna.org)     /sudarsana
 
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
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