17 Mar 2009 —
Question
Q110: Human Origin?
Question 110:
“Do you think that anthropologically, humans really originated from monkeys? On what is based your opinion?”
To post your answer, click on ‘Add Comment’. Please think well before you answer, and make your answer brief and clear.
Atman is a part of Parmatma whether it is in shape of monkey or human or anything else. I remember my Divine Amma’s teaching that different ornaments are made from gold when the goldsmith looks at them his eyes only sees the gold and not ornaments.
This scientific evolution theory is sheer non-sense. Out of infinite compassion, God bestows on the soul the form of a human being with intelligence to evolve into the True nature of the Self. (TAT TWAM ASI). Those who have base desires have to be born in the animal bodies and those who seek after higher values of life such as love, compassion, intelligence, discrimination are bestowed human bodies. Human birth is a rare gift of God and not evolved from any mean theories.
Yes, I am almost fully convinced that humans followed the laws of evolution and were some monkey species that developed a bigger brain with time and higher intelligence to become the human race as we know it in recorded history. And I don’t think that this affects in any way any religious or spiritual belief or theory. The soul, the Self and pure consciousness are beyond the physical body form and beyond the mind and intellect.
Maybe we’ve evolved (outwards!) and maybe not be also…
the question is, have the real change come within us which distinguishes us from the so called monkeys…?
we may refer this to be, our own mind… so according to me we still are monkeys even though we call ourselves to be more human like…
in other words we are not better than animals if we don’t control this wild jumping monkey (our mind)…
🙂
Yes, we did evolve from monkeys, but it was God’s will that some monkeys evolved to start the human race. Humans didn’t just appear out of nowhere! That would not be possible under the laws of this world. God would not break the laws He created! So he allowed some monkeys to evolve into humans!
(that’s what I decided about evolution. It’s probably completely wrong, but that’s what I made up!!)
Well actually, we resemble monkeys more than other creatures. And even the vedas attribute a difficult and crazy “monkey mind” for unenlightened humans. I do believe the Darwin’s theory of evolution, but i think it’s still inadequate in that it doesn’t explain why complex physical evolution stopped with the humans. On the level of bacteria, mutations take place at a high rate and could possibly be a form of evolution. Indian scriptures talk about spiritual evolution wherein the intelligent human ascends to self realization after transcending his animal and lower instincts. I believe that’s where man’s evolution ultimately ends – in oneness with the cosmic being/maker aka God.
We didn’t evolve from monkeys as such but from the ancestors of both humans and monkeys. This is a scientific fact, and doesn’t in any way affect spirituality. Evolution is correct as a history of life, but the materialistic interpretations of some scientists are not. Remember that the bodily form changes, the Self within remains.
how can we really know? i don’t know… amma loves all creatures whether we are animal fish or reptile. it doesn’t matter where we came from but where we are going.
Anthropologiclly/ biologically humans originated from humans only.
The subject species is still strong on earth, but till date not heard a human like evolved from monkeys!!!!!!!
I think humans might have looked like monkeys anthropologically… i mean one can even see how ones own body changes depending on the use u give to it and on what you eat…biologically we are animals, after all. Anyway i believe God abides in the whole creation but i don’t know who i am so what makes me different from an animal? The faculty to think? Well i don’t know.
Since God abides in the whole of creation, the theories of evolution must also be attributed to Him. Just like the theory of evolution came into place wherein we believe each species arose from an earlier one, the Universal mind can tomorrow choose another theory which may be well explained and attested to for the creation of man. Until then this evolution theory prevails which has the wide support of scientists and others who have spent lifetimes researching it.
On another note our Hindu scriptures have also documented detailed theories on creation etc. Unless the modern man delves into it and spends time and effort to unite the modern scientific thinking with the spiritual aspects of life, the realities of evolution cannot be clearly understood.
Our experience as a spirit in embodied human form is limited by our physical bodies. Science has shown that this form has evolved from apes. The universe is striving towards perfection, and it has been said that the human form is the ultimate form for experiencing divine bliss. So it just took nature time to evolve into a form that was suitable for the spirit to reach this perfection.
Excellent Question.
Shape is a perception of mind. Evolution is dynamic and changes with perception. It’s all about how things take different shape. Reason for existence of that shape and size is related to usefulness, like why a chair is in that shape or why a knife is in that shape. Utility certainly defines the extent of usefulness that is nothing but quality. So Evolution – Formablity – Utility – Quality. We have evoloved for a purpose to be useful and the extent of usefulness is going to decide the quality of Humans. With Amma around us realising our usefulness is a transcended phenomenon of happiness.
In the last century, there has been a lot of interpretations about the origin of life and consciousness in different angles. I would say these are mere speculations from circumstantial evidences. I think everybody agrees that from a conservative point. With five senses, how can we get more evidences? But some of us are foolish to believe that these evidences are real. Actually it is a study our imagination or perception presented to us. When we think about it is highly skewed. For e.g. Do we know that we have a blind spot in our vision? We cannot see some part of our visual field. Funny thing is that we don’t know that we don’t see that. Brain some how patch it up and make a smooth image in front of us.
If the evolution ever happened what happened to the rest of the living monkeys?? didn’t their ancestors undergo any changes?? …I have heard Amma telling about this, but unfortunately I don’t remember the exact words. But that itself proves that we are not originated from monkeys.
Why do humans assume that our intelligence makes us superior to other creatures? Are we really better than monkeys and other animals? If so, why is it that they live in perfect harmony with Mother Nature and we do not?
Perhaps the next stage in our evolution is to re-learn what we have forgotten so that we too can live in harmony with Nature instead of destroying this beautiful world.
All creatures can evolve and all creatures contain Brahman. Would you consider yourself superior to Hanuman or Ganesha?
P.s. The fossil record shows the evolution of many species. The evolution of horses and elephants is especially well demonstrated. Good evidence exists for the evolution of modern humans (homo sapiens) from more ape-like humans. However, archaeologists have not found the ‘missing link’ which proves we share a common ancestor with other types of ape. So, the fossil evidence is strong but not conclusive. DNA evidence shows that we share nearly 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees? But that means little because we share 94% with bananas!!
I am unable to agree with the evolution theory. I believe that humans originated from humans only. As Amma says: “our this life is an infinitesimal portion of our total life”.
That would be the same case with human intellect. The knowledge/information we acquired through invention etc. are the infinitesimal portion of total.
To know the truth, I would be happy if somebody at Amritapuri put forward this question to Amma.
I understand from Amma that we have evolved from the lowest form of life to take the birth of a human being which is the most evolved birth.
The monkey does have the closest resemblance to us so it could be the birth just before being born as a human being.
When we loose a little self control we tend to behave like monkeys and the more we loose control of our senses the more we resemble more primitive animals. I understand from Amma that nature records all our actions and thoughts and the more we behave like animals the higher the chances are that we will be born as one in our next birth which is why Amma says we should watch our thoughts and actions and not lose focus of the goal of the human birth.
Thank you for asking such an important question.
I’ve been researching this subject for almost 10 years now. It is a very deep question, at the high point of debate between Religion and Science.
Firstly I’ll answer the question I don’t think we originated or evolved from monkeys neither does modern science. The scientific claim is that Homo sapien sapien (or Modern Human Beings) evolved from ape-like ancestors not monkeys which are our modern cousins (according to evolution). Evolution is a account based on current evidence, based on a philosophy of science which holds a basic assumption that the world and consciousness are separate. The real discussion is not one restricted to modern science. In Ancient Indian philosophy the debate runs back to the debate between, parinama vada (evolutionary theory) or Vivrta vada (instant creation). I want to try and make this as simple and a short as possible. So i’ll go the the crux of the problem. In vedanta there are two ways of answering a question:
1. to resolve the problem i.e to give an answer
2. to dissolve the problem i.e to provide an understanding that eliminates the grounds on which the question was asked.
– Science and evolutionary theory belongs to the first class. Science is ever changing and adapts its theories as and when new evidence presents itself.
– Vedanta or the philosophical or spiritual approach was not to simply ask from where humans originate but to ask what is man. Only when you completely know what man IS can you proceed to even start to give a full account of where man came from. In exploring the human being in its wholeness and consciousness, the ancient rishis taught the ways of a state beyond description beyond, question and answers. Quantum Physics is reaching a stage similar to the rishis and is at odds with a modern scientific account.
So in conclusion the answer to the question will be always speculative when based on our definitions and current knowledge. In order for a conclusive answer one must transcend both the question-answer duality itself and ultimately oneself and become the all-knowing consciousness.
i don’t know what is anthropology. i only know Amma loves all living beings. whether we are animal or human beings, it doesn’t matter. We all are blessed children of Amma.
According to my understanding .there are two aspcets for each and every cause. One is seicentific and the other is spiritual. I don’t know whether it is right or wrong.Any way i believe in the spiritual aspect.Dalvin’s Theory of evolutin proves that human originate from monkey ,not only human but every beings with cells originate by the process of evolution froma cell less Ameebia.But in the mahapuruana like Srimad Bhagavadam mentioned that the origin of human is like this.When Bhrama the authority of creations,tired of becoming mnay from himself he created 4 Manasa putras(Sanatkumaras)and asked them to create.But they are also not interested in this difficult job and rejected their fathers request.At last Bhrama created a male human praja and female human praja and send them to earth ie Sayambhu Manu and Satarupa.And orderd them to create the prabhanjam.From there started the creation of human beings.Means the first Purusha and Sthri.
Yes.Thankamani.Not only in Sreemad Bhagavadam but in Sreemad Bagavad Geeta also some declarations of Bhagavan about the origin of human.In the upnishads also there are descripions of origin of Human. But in 6 sentences it is impossible to say for me.
“Annaad bhavanthi bhuthani parjannyadanna smbhava:
yjnad bhavatiparjannya:yjnakarmasamudbhava:—(Verse 14 to 16.chapter .3)All these three slogas saying about our subjaect.
From food come forth beings;from rain food is produced;from sacrifice arises rain; and sacrifice is born of action.Action come
“BHRAMAJI” and the” BHRAMAJI”come from the Imperishable.Therefore the all-pervading BHRAMAN (GOD PRICIPLE)ever rests in sacrifice.