Although
we might have disagreements on the idea of a God with attribute, some basic
facts are common, which can take us forward to a unitive idea of God. For example, let us examine the idea of Adam
and Eve. The Bible has not been able to explain the myth of Adam and Eve in
depth and therefore, rational minds cannot digest it and reject them as mere
myths. The idea of God manifesting as a human archetype is much older than
Bible as it comes from earlier civilizations. This idea is related to a cosmic system,
which any person can perceive in the nature around us. Our family is an
atomized version of this cosmic truth. What makes a family? A family is made up
of a man and woman. From the union of husband and wife a third comes into
being, the child. This new life is born
through the sweat of man and woman in the waters of the womb.
The
sages mention that a similar concept lies behind the creation of solar system.
Our solar system is another family unit. In it, sun is the intelligence
principle and the moon mind. The sun is the father and the moon mother. The
earth is the child from their union because it is the sweat of the sun and moon
in the form of sun rays and moon rays that sustains life on earth. In a macro
level, these examples show the possible way how life is produced and sustained
in the world. The same principle works in a micro level or astral level. Echoing this cosmic truth of creation, the
ancient Indian seers revealed thus in the Upanishads:
‘God
Himself took the form of an egg. He remained in it for a year and divided it
into two. The lower part is the earth and the upper part was the sky. In the
middle of it, God in the form of a Divine Person existed with thousand feet and
thousand hands. This Divine Person brooded. Then from His forehead a ball of
sweat fell down. That sweat became the waters and pervaded everywhere. In those
waters, there arose a golden sphere, in the form of an egg. From that egg, the
four faced Primal Father - the First Born of God was born. He then divided
himself into a man and woman. All created beings have their origin from
them...’
The
name of that Divine Person in Indian spirituality is known as Manu, the human archetype,
after whose name the cosmic time is calculated in terms of Manvantara, the age
of a Manu. This Manu or Adam is not an earthly entity. It is an astral entity
or spiritual authority governing our solar system. Life on earth began in a
scientific way in line with the theory of evolution. A scientific view of
creation is provided by the ancient Indian sages in the Sankhya philosophy as
well as in the Vedas and Upanishads much before the birth of modern science by
way of revelations or mystical experiences. The same creation myth is found
adapted in many other ancient civilizations with minor differences. We cannot
entirely negate all this as mere myth because it is the inherited spiritual wisdom
of humanity. God has not created the world through a magic wand. He has adopted
a perfectly scientific method to create and evolve life, which science would
prove in the near future. God has not hidden any truth from Him. It is man who
is ignorant.
Mukundan P.R.
