Reason one: Mayan calendar

The first to predict 2012 as the end of the world were the Mayans.

Thousands of years ago they managed to calculate the length of the lunar moon as 329.53020 days, only 34 seconds out. The Mayan calendar predicts that the earth will end on December 21, 2012. Given that they were pretty close to the mark with the lunar cycle, it's likely they've got the end of the world right as well.

Reason two: Sun storms

Solar experts from around the world monitoring the sun have made a startling discovery. Our sun is in a bit of strife. The energy output of the sun is, like most things in nature, cyclic and it's supposed to be in the middle of a period of relative stability. However, recent solar storms have been bombarding the earth with lot of radiation energy. It's been knocking out power grids and destroying satellites. This activity is predicted to get worse and calculations suggest it'll reach its deadly peak sometime in 2012.
 

Reason three: The atom smasher

Scientists in Europe have been building the world's largest particle accelerator. Basically, its a 27 km tunnel designed to smash atoms together to find out what makes the universe tick. However, the mega-gadget has caused serious concern, with some scientists suggesting that it's properly even a bad idea to turn it on in the first place. They're predicting all manner of deadly results, including mini black holes. So when this machine is fired up for its first serious experiment in 2012, the world could be crushed into a super-dense blob the size of a basketball.

Reason four: The Bible says it

If having scientists warning us about the end of the world isn't bad enough, religious folks are getting in on the act as well. Interpretations of the Christian Bible reveal that the date for Armageddon, the final battle between good an evil, has been set for 2012. The I Ching, also known as the Chinese Book of Changes, says the same thing, as do various sections of the Hindu teachings.

Reason five: Super volcano

Yellowstone National Park in United States is famous for its thermal springs and old faithful geyser. The reason for this is simple -- it's sitting on top of the world's biggest volcano and geological experts are beginning to get nervous sweats. The Yellowstone volcano has a pattern of erupting every 650,000 years or so, and we're many years overdue for an explosion that will fill the atmosphere with ash, blocking the sun and plunging the earth into a frozen winter that could last up to 15,000 years. The pressure under the Yellowstone is building steadily, and geologists have set 2012 as a likely date for the big bang.


Reason six: The physicists

This one's case of bog -- simple maths mathematics. Physicists at Berkely University have been crunching the numbers. They've determined that the earth is well overdue for a major catastrophic event. Even worse, they're claiming that their calculations prove that we're all going to die, very soon. They are also saying that their prediction comes with a certainty of 99 per cent; and 2012 just happens to be the best guess as to when it occurs.

Reason seven: Earth's magnetic field

We all know the Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field that shields us from most of the sun's radiation. What you might not know is that the magnetic poles we call North and South have a nasty habit of swapping places every 750,000 years or so -- and right now we're about 30,000 years overdue. Scientists have noted that the poles are drifting apart roughly 20-30 kms each year, much faster than ever before, which points to a pole-shift being right around the corner. While the pole shift is under way, the magnetic field is disrupted and will eventually disappear, sometimes for up to 100 years. The result is enough UV outdoors to crisp your skin in seconds, killing everything it touches.

Dear Ila dd,

Hare Krishna! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you for prevoking me to write on the website with your interesting letter containing the 7 likely arguments for the end of the world in 2012 predicted by scientific experts, historians and followers of the Bible. I know it is creating a stir and some of our devotee friends are also very interested.

But if we get back to our basic Krishna conscious methodology we can see these predictions for what they are,-imperfect speculations. They are based on pratyaksha and anuman, that is direct perception and logic and argument.So, as such, they are not counted as absolute knowledge. Unless these lesser forms of evidence are supporting sabda (or hearing from Vedic authority) then they are not conclusive in themselves. Especially our seeing power is subject to imperfection as humorously revealed in the following morning walk in Chicago. Srila Prabhupada is of course representing the Vedic authority (shabda pramana) coming down in disciplic succession.

Prabhupada: ...we get so much description of the sky and planets, but they had no observatory. How it was possible? [break] ...they can see with the observatory? (laughs) [break]

Visnujana: ...see it themselves, Prabhupada. They don't want to just read it in books, they say.

Prabhupada: No, what they will see? That is my question. With these limited eyes?

Satsvarupa: But they say that even what they can't see, it's more of the same.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Satsvarupa: They've made some conclusion by their mathematics as to what they can see. Whatever they can't see, it's still more of the same, material sky and planets. There's nothing beyond it.

Prabhupada: Then seeing and not seeing, the same thing? That is, means you see or not see... Is that mean, that seeing or not seeing? This is contradictory. Either you see or you don't see. These are two things. (laughter) But what is this "I see, I don't see"?

Visnujana: For that, they spend millions of dollars on a telescope.

Prabhupada: And just see. That which is impossible, they are trying for that. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30], chewing the chewed, that's all. When your senses are imperfect, then what you will see? Whatever you see, that is imperfect. So what is the meaning of seeing? Therefore our seeing is sastra-caksusat: "We should see through the authorized scriptures." That is our... You will see in the description of Sukadeva Gosvami of the whole universe, conclusion, Sukadeva Gosvami, "So far I have described as I have heard." He never says, "As I have seen." This is required. [break]

...that we believe in the creation. And others also, just like Christians, they also believe God created. But who has seen God is creating? Who has seen? Simply hear from God. He says, "I have created." That's all. But if you challenge, "I have not seen that You have created; neither I have seen You," then how can you believe? God says, "I have created," so those who are God believers, they will accept that. So what is the use of seeing again, observatory?

We trust in God, but don't trust in His word. This is going on. You write in America, "We trust in God," but don't trust in His word. (laughs) Just see.

If God you trust, then whatever God says, you believe. "No, that we cannot do." This is the (indistinct). [break]

Visnujana: Krsna is so opulent, why did He appear in the form of Lord Caitanya in such a poor village atmosphere?

Prabhupada: That is His opulence. Here the material man, if he is rich man, he cannot become a poor man. That means he is lacking that opulence. [break]
.
..opulence. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan. He can become the bigger than the biggest and the smaller than the smallest. That is opulence. You cannot manufacture a mosquito. You can manufacture a 747, but manufacture a mosquito, then we shall know your science. (laughter) ...the same machine.

Otherwise how it is flying? [break] ...seen, so imperfect you are, that what are the machine there? And you are proud of seeing, nonsense. See the machine, where it is there, how the mosquito is flying.

Tamala Krsna: And one mosquito can produce many mosquitos.

Prabhupada: Yes. Everything is there complete.

Brahmananda: It doesn't crash either.

Prabhupada: No. (laughter) And still, these rascals, believing their eyes. What is the meaning of your eyes? You see, study mosquito. Not only mosquito, you will find at night I see a small insect, less than the magnitude of full stop. (Makes insect sound:) "Gu, gu, gu, gu." The same machine is there. Now see what is the machine there if you have such eyes. What is their answer? "In future." Just see. In future they will be able. Yes. [break]

Brahmananda: ...will say that nature has created such a...

Prabhupada: Then nature is greater than you. Then you are rascal. He knows, You have to accept, somebody is greater than you. He knows, you do not know. Learn from him.

Brahmananda: Well, they say that they can control nature.

Prabhupada: Again foolishness. That irritates me. When they speak like that, rascal, that irritates me. (laughter) Therefore I simply call them rascal. [break] Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. They are claiming very, very, big man, but as soon as we see that he is not a devotee of Krsna, we reject, "He is a foolish." [break] There is... That is a fact, one case was going on, and the judge was dozing, like that. So his clerk warned, "You are dozing. Big, big lawyers, they are talking." "So let these rascals go on talking. I have already concluded my..., (laughter) what judgment I shall give. Let them..." (laughs) So our is like that. We don't hear these rascals. Our judgment is already there. They are rascals. That's all. Let them talk whole day and night. The judge said to the clerk that "I have already made my judgment, so let these foolish men go on talking." [break]

Morning Walk --
July 4, 1975, Chicago