Why Only The Earth?

On the side of the earth away from the sun, the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are, according to scientists, too cold to sustain life, and their surfaces are reportedly enveloped by layers of methane and ammonia, which are poisonous gases. Again using the earth conditions as a criterion for life possibilities, scientists speculate as to whether life exists on Mars, the planet most similar to earth. They have perceived seasonal color changes that appear to be some kind of vegetation, but they have discarded the idea that the Martian canals were dug by intelligent beings. Hence they conclude that in our solar system only the planet earth provides the proper condition for life. It does not follow logically that living entities can exist in the elements earth and water and not in the other elements. Most major scientists agree, however, that earth is not the only planet in the entire universe containing life. They claim that there are other innumerable solar systems with planets that duplicate the earth. No doubt there are, but their insistence that life can exist only on this particular type of planet is a conjecture ethno-, geo-, and egocentrically based.

Here we are reminded of the example of Dr. Frog, Ph.D, an eminent scholar who lives in a well. One day a fellow frog went down to see the Doctor and inform him that there is such a thing as the Atlantic Ocean. Upon hearing about this ocean, Dr. Frog enquired, "Tell me, how big would you say it is compared to this well? Is it as big or twice as big?" "No, much, much bigger," said the visitor. "Oh, much bigger then?" asked the Doctor. "Then tell me, is it five times as big, ten times as big?" "Oh, no, much vaster." "Vaster? How is that? Maybe a hundred times or a thousand-how can it be so much bigger?" In this way Dr. Frog goes on speculating about the breadth of the Atlantic Ocean, but it is obvious that he will never comprehend its vastness because it is totally outside his experience. It is natural to compare that which is unknown to that which is known, but it is narrow-minded to insist that the unknown must correspond with the known.

So from Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures we can understand that in every planet and in every atmosphere there are living entities. All these living beings are numberless; the various species alone number over 8,000,000. These countless entities are being maintained by the singular entity, Krsna or God. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that this is the major difference between the Supersoul and the individual jiva: the jiva is maintaining itself in its own body, but the Supersoul is maintaining infinite jivas in infinite bodies all over the universe. It is illogical and contrary to experience to state that life is supported in one part of the universe and not in another.