Those of us who are scientists, it is nothing knew but with the modern advancement in science lots of questions are continuously being asked whether religions are relevant to our lives in the modern computer age. They say little knowledge is a dangerous thing but equally the religions themselves have fallen of their true statii and gone into degradation of ritualism, making hardly anything they do, relevant to the modern life. No wonder, we call religions as mumbo jumbo.

It was Einstein who put some sense in us by stating that "religion without Science is blind and Science without Religion is lame." What sort of religion is that which needs changing! A true religion, would be a way of life, that is relevant at all times, would be ever perennial, would involve no useless rituals and would pertain to One with the exclusion of all others for other wise love won’t develop.

I shall outline few fundamentals about Sikhi and Science and then proceed to answer few burning questions of the day from Guru Granth Sahib Ji as to :-



Sikhi and Science:

Ever since the dawn of human species consciousness, one question has always been pertinent: where have I come from? Before we attempt to answer this question by Sikhi/Science, we shall outline what Sikhi or Science is. Sikhi or Sikhism is the terminology used to describe the Nirmala Panth commenced by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It has acquired the following names in its evolutionary development: the Panth, Utam Panth and Khalsa Panth (Bhai Gurdas).The latter is more recent and appropriate to use since 1699 with the creation of Khalsa by the Tenth Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, by Khande the pahul. It is based on total revelation from Akal Purakh. It is not an evolutionary in its process.

Science is that discipline or order based on question(s) and reasoning processes to find the correct answer. What may be correct answer at one time may be replaced by another. It is therefore evolutionary in its process.

Similarities and differences in Sikhi and Science:
1. Human awareness of what is perfection as narrated in Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
1. Human awareness of astonishment, based on questioning, reasoning and answers, hence evolutionary in process.
2. Based on revelation (direct experience with Almighty)
2. Based on human perception of objects and then reasoned by brain power.
3.The Truth never changes, its interpretations may according to time and place.
3. Questions, reasoning and answers may change.
4. The ultimate truth cannot be found by reasoning: "shs isafxpf lK hoih q iek n clY nfil]" jpu jI, g[g[s, p[1
4. The only truth known and acceptable is through reasoning and must be reliable and valid.
5. Wholesome approach and to free creation from cycle of birth and death
5. Destructive in evidence. Both constructive and destructive approaches apply to serve humanity in its daily needs.

We shall take few of the fundamental questions that human mind asks repeatedly and see how the two disciplines cope with them. The most obvious ones are the Creator and the Creation but there are many more.



The Creator:

(a) Sikhi - The Creator is the foundation of all, both living and non-living, visible and invisible and shall always be forever more.
"afid scu jugfid scu] hY BI scu nfnk hosI BI scu]1]" jpu jI, g[g[s, p[1|

All that is visible in the gross form has emerged from the miniature form in the mind. Neither anything is born nor dies, all the creation is within His command, and He alone mobilises it. He alone exists in all; He creates and destroys in many ways.
jb dyKAu qb sBu ikCu mUlu] nfnk so sUKmu soeI asQUlu]5] g[g[s 281 (14/5)

nh ikCu jnmY nh ikCu mrY] afpn cilqu afp hI krY]

afvnu jfvnu idRsit anidRsit] afigafkfrI DfrI sB isRsit]
afpy afip sgl mih afip] aink jugiq ric Qfip AuQfip] g[g[s 281 (15/1)

The visible form and formless is He himself.
He alone controls the game,
srgun inrgun inrMkfr suMn smfDI afip]
afpn kIaf nfnkf afpy hI iPir jfip]1] g[g[s 290 (21)[ "afpn Kylu afip vrqIjf]" g[g[s 290-291 (21/1)
That which appears in the universe is also in the body
" jo ibRhmSzy soeI ipMzy ………" Bgq pIpf jI
Everything resides in the body: the continents, worlds and nether regions, including the Akal Purakh who cares for all. In the body resides the three forces known as Brahama, Vishan and Mahesha (creative, sustainer and destroyer forces).

kfieaf aSdir sBu ikCu vsY KMz mSzl pfqflf]
kfieaf aSdir jgjIvn dfqf vsY, sBnf kry pRiqpflf] (rfg sUhI, m[3, g[g[s 754)
kfieaf aSdir bRhmf ibsnu mhysf sB Epiq ijqu sMsfrf]8]2] (rfg sUhI, m[3, g[g[s 754)

Is there any truth in this you may say? Well a great deal actually: look around you next time you are on your Nature spree. The seed contains all the information that once sown germinates into a tree; the zygote (fertilised egg of any species) evolving into a total organism is another (The sizes of human egg and sperm are 0.01mm, and 0.05mm respectively. All the information is written in genes in the zygote for what sort of individual the baby would be, but note that it cannot be seen but its effect is visible - e.g. colour of the eyes etc.,. - hence indirect proof). Of course we cannot prove/disprove whether the Creator is there; we can only realise this, and even realisation is, says Gurbani, in His hands alone: we must pray for His kindness.

"nfnk hukim n cleI nfil Ksm clY ardfis]
"ieknf hukmI bKsIs ieik hukmI sdf BvfeIaih][" jup jI, g[g[s 2

(b) Science: Science does not recognise Creator or its existence. It is possible to trace life/non-life down to few fundamental principles which are basic and repeatable. Everything appears to evolve and change through these principles: understanding of them means mastery over the whole.

Science has used this quite successfully since hypothesising, reasoning and proving have to be reliable and valid, wherever, whenever and by whoever they are done. Clearly then most things which are observable would fall under these categories; quite a few invisible ones would also fit into this category, so long as their effect can be detected indirectly.

Example of visible things: petrol in a car would make the car move provided engine (a device to convert one form of energy into another) is there. Who moves the car? Energy. Can we see it? No, but its effect is apparent.

Example of invisible things: Cathode Ray tube, where high energy electrons hit the zinc sulphide coated screen and causes it to fluoresce, the energy of which falls within the visible part of the spectrum. Remember, electrons are not visible and cannot ever be seen by the human eye since they would penetrate the light sensitive cells in the eye and will destroy them in the process.

Clearly then in Science, so called "belief "in the realm of religion is replaced by 'proof', which must be reliable and valid even if obtained indirectly. Whilst this makes Science a very powerful discipline, and in today's world counts for its growing fortune, it is also its misfortune; the latter is not realised by many - neither by scientists (majority of them!) nor by their followers (brain washing!). Some of you are beginning to ask yourself this question as to whether what I am saying is true: can scientists be really brain washed by their own activities?

The answer is YES. Clearly if we look back what we have discussed, we see that while Science will always strive for perfection too, it will never quite reach there! Why? It asks question, it solves it by the best possible tools available at the time. It gives rise to ten more questions in all directions. Solving these ten in a similar way as above raises further hundred. Take an example of any modern or past invention and see that ideas emerge from the mind as hypotheses, then reasoned and give rise to some crude model. When it is tried and tested, the process of refinement begins since its side effects become apparent. The process of perfection, based on reasoning continues for ever ……. ?
Science or Sikhi-Conclusion:
Science and Sikhi are not mutually exclusive though science and other religions may be. While in science things happen because of a favourable chance, according to Sikhi they happen because of the Will of Akal Purakh, Viz.

hukmY aSdir sBu ko bfhir hukm n koie] jup jI, m[1, g[g[s 1
Listen to Guru Granth Sahib Ji again:
"shs isafxpf lK hoih q iek n clY nfil]" jpu jI, g[g[s, p[1
(that is: even if thousands of thoughts and wisdoms were possessed, none shall accompany (me)).
So, the ultimate truth, the Creator, cannot be reasoned out. As opposed to Science, religion is a belief. You may say then that if God cannot be found by reasoning, does this mean that the people should just submit themselves to the Will of God? How do we know what we are doing is right?
After all what we are trying to sort out is being reasoned ….. ? ?
Answer to the first question is that we do need to submit TOTALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY. Second question is more serious and in fact relates to the first in the sense that some of you may say that it is a "blind faith" then, surely Science is lot better than this! Precisely, so, I will quote Guru Nanak Dev Ji again:

…[aklI sfihbu syvIaY aklI pfeIaY mfnu]
aklI piVΩ kY buJIaY aklI kIcY dfnu]
nfnku afKY rfhu eyhu hoir glF sYqfnu]1] (m[1, 1245)

Wise thing to do is to recite the Lord and be honoured; wise thing to do is to read (the bani that praises Lord), understand its deep intricate secrets and to expound to the others. Says Nanak! This is the only righteous path of life; s/he who tells otherwise is a Satan.

Clearly then in submitting to His Will, Guru does not want us to lose our senses, to discern right from wrong; He only wants our total belief, so far as we don't doubt God. So we are instructed to be warned and look out for fake sadhus and sants and gurus (and there is no shortage of them in today's world !). Answer to the third question has automatically been given; while we have used reasoning to find out right from wrong, once on the right path, the time must not be wasted; INVOLUTION must begin.

"mY Kojq Kojq jI hir inhclu su Gru pfieaf] ……"
sUhI, m[5, CMq, g[g[s, 785
"……[[Kojq Kojq Koijaf nfmY ibnu kUru]
jIvn suKu sBu sfD sMig pRB mnsf pUru]2]"
iblfvlu mhlf 5, g[g[s 811
"Kojq Kojq pRB imly hir kruxf Dfry] ……["
kydfr, CMq m[5, g[g[s 1122
"soDq soDq soiD qqu bIcfiraf]
nfm ibnf suKu nfih srpr hfiraf]4]" sUhI, m[5, g[g[s, 761

Clearly then what we should believe must not by pass of our scrutiny, whether we are on the right path.
From here on ward, the Guru's Shabad, the Nam, the Amrit, begins to lead you in leaps and bounds. The state of reasoning, while supremely high in the scientific world, is very low in the search for the ultimate truth, the Creator. Where Science ends, Sikhi begins. Those who have found Him have become like Him; He is beyond description and so are His saints! No body created Him, He is rootless and free from illusion.
" Qfipaf n jfie kIqf n hoie]
afpy afip inrMjnu soie]" m[1, g[g[s 2
Says Guru Gobind Singh Ji that Akal Purkh is neither reduced nor increases, He pervades His creation uniformally at all times. He who remains in command from the beginning to the end, know Him to be my Guru.
" n vfD hY n Gft hY n vfD Gft hoiq hY ……"
akfl Ausqiq, d[g, p[10
" nf Ehu bZY n Gtqf jfie] akul inrMjn eykY Bie]"
gAuVI, kbIr jI, g[g[s 383
Now lets have a look at how Guru Granth Sahib Ji answers the questions we put in the beginning, namely,

• who you are and why you are here?
• beginning of creation and how it is going to end?
• cloning and playing God?
Says Guru Granth Sahib Ji that you are part of that big play which has been played for countless number of ages. In the beginning was this singularity and nothing else; through shabad the whole visible and invisible game began:
kIqf psfAu, eyko kvfAu,
iqs qy hoie lK drIafAu]16]

From one word (the Lord) evolved everything; thousands of rivers of life sprang - (cf. with big bang; it is big alright but without a bang). The visible form therefore is an expansion of the formless. The Lord has no colour, caste, creed, nor any physical shape or form. The actual account of creation in detail appears under:
"arbd nrbd DUMDUkfrf,
Drin n ggnf hukm apfrf] (mfrU, m[1, g[g[s 1035)."

In essence, Sikhism states the followings:
From Lord came air, from air came water and from water came lower beings, evolving into higher beings, including plants, culminating in humans as the supreme product of evolution. It does not advocate instant creation neither that the evolution is at an end. I do not know whether Prof. Hawking has made up his mind yet but Sikhism says that anything and everything that is created shall change and vanish one day, including the earth and the sky and the multiple universes.
"Driq afkfsu pfqflu hY cMdu sUru ibnfsI] m[5, g[g[s 1100
The earth, sky, nether regions, moon, sun - all shall vanish.

This game has been played many times before:
"keI bfr psirE psfr] sdf sdf ieku eykMkfr]"
suKmnI, m[5, a[10, g[g[s

• So why are you here on this earth?
BeI prfpq mnuK dyhurIaf goibMd imln kI ieh qyrI brIaf] m[5
It is your supreme duty, inter alia, that you received this body for one purpose and one purpose only: to realise that this is the time to unite with the Lord. Once the game is over, it is too late, - seek therefore here and now; heaven and hell are here and now. Imperfect shall transmigrate again and again.

~Mjogu ivjogu dooie kfr clfvih lyKY afvih Bfg] m[1, jpu jI (29)
To unite and depart are the two ways bestowed by the Lord, according to our deeds.
• Why do we want to be cloned?

Sikhi supports all such research which is beneficial for the whole and which is both morally and ethically observed. For example, experimentation on the stem cells for producing organs would be acceptable - this is helping but creating a designer babies or cloning to live for ever is morally wrong and unethical. Here is Guru Granth Sahib's answer to this:
jy jug cfry afrjf hor dsUxI hoie]
If one could live a life equivalent to four ages and were to extend it by further ten folds;
nvf KMzf ivic jfxIaY nfil clY sBu koie]
Became popular/famous in the nine continents (of the world) and all were to be obedient;
cMgf nfAu rKfie kY jsu kIriq jig lyie]
Acquired a good name, became praised and fame worthy world over;
jy iqsu ndir n afveI q vfq n puCY ky]
But if one did not come under the gracious eye of the Akal Purakh (despite all the name and fame), one be ignominious and insignificant;
kItf aSdir kItu kir dosI dosu Dry]
Worm amongst worms; guilty of being forgetful of the Name;
nfnk inrguix guxu kry guxvMiqaf guxu dy]
qyhf koie n suJeI ij iqsu guxu koie kry] 7]
O, Nanak! The Creator confers virtues on the virtue less, and greater virtues upon the pious ones. There is none else who could match Lord’s blessing (7).
So in Sikhi, contentment is very important. To have happy and healthy body with healthy mind that is enlightened (conscious) with Lord is far more important than living for ever. So, I return to the question being asked in the beginning: whether religions are relevant to our lives in the modern computer age?

I cannot speak for the others but the religion of the Nam, the Guru Granth Sahib,shall march on and on and on, undented by science’s discoveries. After all, the religion of the Nam is also discovery not ours but bestowed upon us as a realisation by the Lord, that it is He who is in control and shall remain so for ever more, no matter what, for Guru Nanak says:
hukmY aSdir sBu ko bfhir hukm n koie] jup jI, m[1, g[g[s 1
Everything that happens is within His command, none is outside.



Essence: