My forthcoming book

Dawar's New Collection of Children Poems

Ten Commandments of Science Dharma

Ten Commandments of Science Dharma




1. You did not come into this world from somewhere else; nor did you materialize out of nothing. You grew out of your parents – body, brain and behaviour. You owe your life to your parents and they in turn to their respective parents – you have a long chain and a wide web of ancestors. In fact, none of your ancestors has died or perished. All of them are alive. They are living in you and through you. You shall therefore regard your ancestors as your past and consider your present life as continuation of their lives.



2, You have passed through billions of sieves. At each juncture millions of your competitors died – vanished, without leaving a trace. Your ancestors were found it and selected to breed further. Your life is therefore precious. You shall love your life Cherish it, nourish it and protect it against all odds.



3.You shall also make copies of yourself and bring up your children with utmost care and dedication. In so doing you will also become immortal as your ancestors are.



4. All humans and all other living beings – animals, insects and plants - are descendents of common ancestors. You shall therefore regard them as your cousins and claim no intrinsic superiority over them.



5. No supernatural power willfully created this Universe. No body intentionally designed, directed and supervised its evolution. The Universe came into being of its own accord and is evolving on its own steam. You shall therefore not waste your time and energy in trying to communicate with a mythical designer, creator or master of the Universe; Spare your thoughts for your, your children's and your fellow beings' welfare.



6. Soon after the Universe came into being it evolved into structures and systems. The systems became rooted in their respective pasts. The development of everything at every stage was now deeply inhibited by its past and influenced by its surroundings. From every system that evolved there emerged new properties - the properties that did not initially belong to the elements constituting the system. The unique properties of a molecule of water, for example, do not belong to its constituents, namely oxygen or hydrogen atoms. From out of a system of replicating molecules there arose a property that we now call life. From out of a hierarchical system of living cells there emerged a property we call behaviour. It is a state of subtle behaviour that we call consciousness. From out of a population of humans bound by a social network there emerged properties we call culture and morality. How and why the new properties and phenomena emerge is being keenly investigated further and further and deeper and deeper by humans. – their effort is called science. You shall participate in this effort or, at least, follow its progress. In the meanwhile, you shall not jump to supernatural explanations.



7. Our ability to speak and articulate words and our ability to hear and interpret them are inherited from our parents, no doubt. But the meanings of the spoken and heard words are not inherited. The meanings are given and standardized by society. Language emerges from society. And language is just one product; the society produces skills, arts, crafts, sciences, technologies, literature, music, sports and a whole range of cultural wares. You are invited to enjoy these gifts of society. Be thankful. Be social. Be helpful. Widen your social circle. Social life will lift you to a higher level of existence, a more fruitful life.



8. The society also produces superstitions, hatreds and afflictions like parochialism and nationalism that divide mankind. It produces governments that suppress. You shall work for liberation, enlightenment and harmony.



9. Because of man's over exploitation of nature at the cost of fellow inhabitants of the Earth a serious imbalance in ecology is looming large over the planet. There is a real danger of Earth's atmosphere becoming hellish like that of its sister planet Venus. Fortunately, however, humans have a versatile brain, an ingenious science and powerful technologies at their command today. You shall therefore stand for the Earth and protect its fragile atmosphere.



10. Science Dharma is not divine, holy or sacred. It does not look beyond the known Universe. The tenets of Science Dharma are based on verifiable observations of the real world as far as human mind can discern. These tenets are open to question by enquiring minds. They are open to correction in the light of new findings. You shall therefore. while dispelling all delusions, nourish no dogma..

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Baldev Raj Dawar, Convener, SCIENCE DHARMA

Author of Vigyan Gita, Prithivi Mera Desh Science Mera Dharm and other works.

Ten Commandments of Science Dharma

Ten Commandments of Science Dharma


Baldev Raj Dawar

1. You did not come into this world from somewhere else; nor did you materialize out of nothing. You grew out of your parents – body, brain and behaviour. You owe your life to your parents and they in turn to their respective parents – you have a long chain and a wide web of ancestors. In fact, none of your ancestors has died or perished. All of them are alive. They are living in you and through you. You shall therefore regard your ancestors as your past and consider your present life as continuation of their lives.


2, You have passed through billions of sieves. At each juncture millions of your competitors died – vanished, without leaving a trace. Your ancestors were found fit and selected to breed further. Your life is therefore precious. You shall cherish your life, nourish it and protect it against all odds.


3.You shall also make copies of yourself and bring up your children with utmost care and dedication. In so doing you will also become immortal as your ancestors are.


4. All humans and all other living beings – animals, insects and plants - are descendents of common ancestors. You shall therefore regard them as your equaals and claim no intrinsic superiority over them.

5. No supernatural power willfully created this Universe. No body intentionally designed, directed and supervised its evolution. The Universe came into being of its own accord and is evolving on its own steam. You shall therefore not waste your time and energy in trying to communicate with a mythical designer, creator or master of the Universe; Spare your thoughts for your, your children's and your fellow beings' welfare.


6. Soon after the Universe came into being it evolved into structures and systems. The systems became rooted in their respective pasts. The development of everything at every stage was now deeply inhibited by its past and influenced by its surroundings. From every system that evolved there emerged new properties - the properties that did not initially belong to the elements constituting the system. The unique properties of a molecule of water, for example, do not belong to its constituents, namely oxygen or hydrogen atoms. From out of a system of replicating molecules there arose a property we call life. From out of a hierarchical system of living cells there emerged a property we call behaviour. It is a state of subtle behaviour that we call consciousness. From out of a socialy net-worked population of humans there emerged properties we call culture and morality. How and why the new properties and phenomena emerge is being keenly investigated further and further and deeper and deeper by humans. – their effort is called science. You shall participate in this effort or, at least, follow its progress. In the meanwhile, you shall not jump to supernatural explanations.

7. Our ability to speak and articulate words and our ability to hear and interpret them are inherited from our parents, no doubt. But the meanings of the spoken and heard words are not inherited. The meanings are given and standardized by society. Language emerges from society. Similarly, the society produces skills, arts, crafts, sciences, technologies, literature, music, sports and a whole range of cultural wares. Be thankful. Be social. Be helpful. Widen your social circle. Social life will lift you to a higher level of existence, a more fruitful life.


8. The society also produces superstitions, hatreds and afflictions like parochialism and nationalism that divide mankind. It produces governments that suppress. You shall work for liberation, enlightenment and harmony.


9. Because of man's over exploitation of nature at the cost of fellow inhabitants of the Earth a serious imbalance in ecology is looming large over the planet. There is a real danger of Earth's atmosphere becoming hellish like that of its sister planet Venus. Fortunately, however, humans have a versatile brain, an ingenious science and powerful technologies at their command today. You shall therefore stand for the Earth and protect its fragile atmosphere.


10. Science Dharma is not divine, holy or sacred. It does not look beyond the known Universe. The tenets of Science Dharma are based on verifiable observations of the real world as far as human mind can discern. These tenets are open to question by enquiring minds. They are open to correction in the light of new findings. You shall therefore. while dispelling all delusions, nourish no dogma.

---------------------------------------------

Baldev Raj Dawar, Convener, SCIENCE DHARMA
Author of Vigyan Gita, Prithivi Mera Desh Science Mera Dharm and other works.