大象传媒

The worldOrigins of the universe

Hinduism teaches that accepting responsibility for the natural world brings good karmic consequences for everyone. Many Hindus believe that the Big Bang is a scientific theory that sits alongside their religious beliefs and offers no challenge to their faith.

Part of Religious StudiesLife and death - Unit 1

Origins of the universe

Hindu views about creation

The big bang theory of the origin of the universe
Figure caption,
A timeline from the Big Bang to Earth's first oceans

In the 1920s the theory was proposed as a possible scientific explanation for the creation of the universe.

Put simply, around 14 billion years ago, all matter and energy in the universe was at a point of infinite density and temperature. It then expanded rapidly, and eventually stars, galaxies and planets formed. This expansion was the beginning of time and continues to this day. The Big Bang theory is supported by evidence that space is expanding, including the redshift of light from distant galaxies and the existence of cosmic background radiation in all directions.

It is thought the Earth was formed around 4.6 billion years ago from dust and gas left after the Sun formed.

As the Earth gradually cooled, creating conditions in which life was possible, living things appeared on the new planet Earth.

Not all scientists agree with the Big Bang theory, but many of their objections are to do with the details within the process, not the underlying principle that it happened. Similarly, there are different about how life began on Earth. These can be tested, but scientists cannot be sure which are correct because it happened long ago.

How Hindu views conflict with the Big Bang theory

Many Hindus believe that the Big Bang theory offers no challenge to their belief in creation. It is a scientific theory that sits alongside their religious beliefs. It does not deny the position of Brahman nor the belief in the continual cycle of creation, preservation and destruction. Nowhere in the Big Bang theory is there discussion of the or any attempt to diminish its eternal nature.