[Posted Apr 19, 2009]

Delusional Dreams of a Futurist

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Scientists assure their faithful, "In the future we will do it", but transcending biology means conquering death - how can they do it unless they first ascertain what constitutes life?

Vice Magazine April , 2009 - ROCCO CASTORO

RAY KURZWEIL - That Singularity Guy

In the year 2050, if Ray Kurzweil is right, nanoscopic robots will be zooming throughout our capillaries, transforming us into nonbiological humans. We will be able to absorb and retain the entirety of the universe’s knowledge, eat as much as we want without gaining weight, shape-shift into just about any physical form imaginable, live free from disease, and die at the time of our choosing. All of this will be thrust on us by something that Kurzweil calls the Singularity, a theorized point in time in the not-so-distant future when machines become vastly superior to humans in every way, aka the emergence of true artificial intelligence. Computers will be able to improve their own source codes and hardware in ways we puny humans could never conceive. This will result in a paradigm shift that sees mankind coalescing with its own creations: man and machine, merging into one.

These grand-scale premonitions are largely based on Kurzweil’s law of accelerating returns, which states that the development of technology has been increasing exponentially since the beginning of time.That concept isn’t really compelling to anyone but science nerds until you focus on the “knee” of this exponential curve—the point where the perpetual doubling of technological growth skyrockets and negates the linear models of progress that people like economists have relied on for so long. Kurzweil says we’re just about to start rounding this bend and that the rate of progress will be so great it will “appear to rupture the fabric of human history.” In other words, we will trump nature and take control of our own evolution. In your face, God. go to story

Sri Guru and Gauranga

Who's in control?

excerpt from purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.5.15

One must judiciously understand the activities of material nature. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.27):

prakriteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvashah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature."

Although one follows the dictations of material nature, he happily thinks himself the master or husband of material nature. Scientists, for example, try to be the masters of material nature, life after life, not caring to understand the Supreme Person, under whose direction everything within this material world is moving. Trying to be the masters of material nature, they are imitation gods who declare to the public that scientific advancement will one day be able to avoid the so-called control of God. In fact, however, the living being, unable to control the rulings of God, is forced to associate with the prostitute of polluted intelligence and accept various material bodies. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (13.22):

purushah prakriti-stho hi
bhunkte prakriti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species."

If one fully engages in temporary fruitive activities and does not solve this real problem, what profit will he gain?

Imitation prized more than natural

excerpt from lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.44, Bombay, Jan 19, 1975

Actually, these rules of transformation as ordained by daiva-choditat, by the supreme design, that is going on. But we, under the name of so-called scientist, we are trying to take the credit. Just like they are testing now—in the test tube they are making life. But the substance, the semina, male and female, that you cannot create. That you have to take from the male, from the female, then put together in the test tube. Then it may come. They are very much proud that "Now in the laboratory we are making life by chemical combination." But the actual chemical coming from by this transformation under the supervision of the daiva, daiva-choditat. Daiva [divine authority, supreme design] is the principle cause. Sarva-karana-karanam [Brahma-samhita 5.1: "Govinda, Krishna, is the cause of all causes. He is the primal cause, and He is the very form of eternity, knowledge and bliss."]. That they do not accept. And people are giving credit to these artificial scientists.

There was lecture of a big scientist in Delhi, I forgot his name. He gave very good example, that if a man learns how to bark like dog and if he makes a show, many thousands of people will purchase ticket and go and see how he is barking. But by nature's arrangement, so many dogs are barking; nobody takes care. You see? So similarly, in the laboratory, if a scientist can produce a life some way or other, they will go and see and give him clap. Just like this airplane is flying in the air. Little discrepancy, it will immediately crash down. So he is getting so much credit, and the scientists also saying, "There is no need of God. Now we have solved all the questions." But nobody is giving credit to Krishna, who is floating millions and trillions of stars and planets in the air. So by taking Krishna's stock, the petroleum or gas, we become scientist and fly the airplane, and Krishna has given the petrol, and He has no credit. He has no credit. That is the difference between demons and bhakta [devotee]. A bhakta sees in everything presence of Krishna. "Oh, Krishna's energy is there. Here is nice taste. Oh, here is Krishna." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg. 7.8].

So Krishna has manifested Himself in so many ways by His different energies. We have to learn simply to know or see how Krishna is working. So here it is stated that rasa-matrad vikurvanad ambhaso daiva-choditat. Krishna is working there. Transformation does not take place automatically. Just like the other day I gave you the example: there is oil and there is soda, but you can transform into soap by mixing together. That mixing process does not take place automatically. There is Krishna or Krishna's part and parcel, the living entity. We are also Krishna's part and parcel. So scientist is working. A devotee sees that Krishna is working. That is the difference between nondevotee and devotee. A nondevotee will give credit to the scientist, who is working subordinately under the orders of Krishna. That is stated also in the Bhagavad-gita: sarvasya chaham hridi sannivishto mattah smritir jñanam apohanam cha [Bg. 15.15]. In everyone's heart Krishna is there.

Advancement of technology has not solved our problems

excerpt from lecture at MIT, Boston, May 5, 1968

In India, especially in Bengal, there are many rivers. The land is full of rivers. Because it is on the bank of the Bay of Bengal, all rivers are falling. Therefore Bengal, especially the east Bengal, is full of rivers. One student of technology was going home, and he was on the boat. So the student was asking the boatman, "Do you know what are the stars?"

The boatman said, "Sir, we are ordinary boatman. What do we know about these stars?"

"Oh. Then your fifty percent of life is wasted, useless." Then he was asking, "Do you know what are these trees? Do you know any science of botany?"

The boatman said, "Sir, we are ordinary laborer. What do we know about botany?"

"Oh. Then seventy-five percent of your life is useless."

In this way the student of technology was asking the boatman, "Do you know this? Do you know that?"

And he said that "I am ordinary man. What do I know all these things?"

Then all of a sudden there was a black cloud, and there was storm, and the river began to be inflated, and the boatman said, "My dear sir, do you know swimming?"

"Oh," the student said, "no."

Then the boatman said, "Then your cent percent knowledge is spoiled. Now you have to go down to the river. Your life is finished."

In this way they dropped in the river, and the technology student, because he did not know how to swim, so the storm and the waves grabbed him.

The idea is that we are making progress, certainly, in technology, in economics, in so many other departments of human necessities. But Bhagavad-gita says that real problem of this world, or real problem of our life, it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-doshanudarshanam [Bg. 13.9]. If you are intelligent enough, then you should see the real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. Janma means birth, and mrityu means death. Janma-mrityu-jara. Jara means old age, and vyadhi means disease. So actual material problem is this, janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi. We have forgotten that "In the abdomen of my mother, how precarious condition I was living in." Of course, we can know from the description of medical science or any other science how the child is packed up there and how much suffering is there. The worms bite the child and he cannot express; he suffers the suffering. Similarly, the mother eats something and the pungent taste also gives him suffering. So these descriptions are there in the shastras, in the scriptures and authentic Vedic literature, how the child suffers within the abdomen of mother. So these are the sufferings of birth. At least, one child has to remain in that air-packed condition at least for ten months. Now just imagine if you are put into that air-packed condition for three minutes now, you will immediately die. But actually, we had that experience to remain in the mother's womb in that air-packed condition for ten months. So suffering was there, but because the child was incapable of expressing, or his consciousness was not so elevated, he could not cry—but the suffering was there. Similarly, at the time of death there is suffering. Similarly, old man. Just like us, we have got so many complaints, bodily complaints. Because now everything, the anatomical or physiological condition, is deteriorating. The stomach is not digesting foodstuff so nicely as when I was young I could digest. So the sufferings are there. Similarly, disease. Who wants disease?

So modern technology, they have advanced undoubtedly, but there is no remedy for, I mean to say, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. But because these problems cannot be solved by the modern scientific advancement of knowledge, they have practically set aside or neglected because they cannot solve it. But there is a solution. There is a solution. That solution of this problem is stated in the Bhagavad-gita ([Bg. 8.15):

mam upetya kaunteya
duhkhalayam ashashvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah

"My dear Arjuna, if somebody comes to Me..." "Me" means here the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. "If somebody comes to Me, then he hasn't got to take birth again in this miserable material condition."