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Hare Krishna Prabhu
While criticizing the big bang theory Prabhupada says “But how all of a sudden there can be explosion? What is this nonsense proposition? As soon as there is question of explosion, before the explosion takes place, there must be some arrangement—the bomb…, time bomb explosion…, explosion. So the bomb is prepared by something, some bomb is kept by somebody, and after some times it explodes. So how all of a sudden? Where does he get this idea? Just like if there is bomb explosion here, a child may think, “All of a sudden there is a bomb explosion.” But a sane man will not think that. There will be inquiry, “Who kept this bomb? Who brought this bomb?” That is sanity. And “All of a sudden explosion,” this is all rascal proposal. Therefore the people have become so rascal, guided by these rascals—”All of a sudden, by chance”—and they accept them as scientist.”
Prabhu can you explain the point that Prabhupada is making because what I understand from this is not making sense to me. It is not making sense to me because in my understanding there is a difference between the explosion of the big bang as scientists porpose and the explosion of a bomb or any other explosive.
Big Bang is a hypothesis not a theory. A hypothesis is one where you assume that such thing might happen and you try to make a theory to explain how it happens. If you don’t get a theory, it remains a hypothesis. Big Bang is like that. A hypothesis without a theory. You can read the book Mystic Universe if it is not clear.
Thank you for replying Prabhu but my original question was about Prabhupada’s argument. I am actually trying to understand his argument. The problem I have is that I feel it is inorrect to extend our common experiences to a hypothesis like Big bang. In his argument Prabhupada takes the experience of a time-bomb explosion and extends it to the hypothesis of Big bang. I have problem in understanding that argument. Sorry to disturb you with my inability but if you like then please explain it Prabhu.
Prabhupada did not know Western concepts such as Big Bang or evolutionary theory. He went by how people explained it to him. Most people explained Big Bang by saying that it was an explosion. They explained evolutionary theory by saying that life arose randomly from chemicals. Prabhupada responded to that. Prabhupada also asked his disciples to explain Western philosophy to him and his disciples always gave crude caricatures. Prabhupada responded to those caricatures.
Prabhupada’s disciples were not educated. They were hippies. Hardly anyone had gone to college. Having a bachelor’s degree was a big deal. Having a Ph.D. made you a demigod in that world. The situation has not changed since then. There is still disregard and antipathy for education among the “devotees” even today.
To know what Big Bang means, you have to know the theory of general relativity where space and time curve to form blackholes. Big Bang then means that there was a state of the universe where the space and time were so curved that they formed a singularity. If you don’t know the theory of general relativity, then you don’t know Big Bang. Factually, nobody in the devotee community knew what it means then just as hardly anyone knows it today because they don’t know physics.
Your question assumes that Prabhupada knew what Big Bang was (i.e., the expansion of space and time from a previously super-curved state) and his disciples knew that too and they simply did not object. Both of these assumptions are false. His disciples knew almost nothing about science and they still don’t. Prabhupada also did not know. The conversation occurred between people who did not know. Trying to analyze that discussion to see deeper meaning is not a good use of time.
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