Is There Life in the Universe Other Than on Earth? This timeless question has fascinated humanity for generations. In this week’s Divine Talk, we explore this cosmic curiosity through the wisdom of Shirdi Sai Baba. As a traveller gazes at the stars from a Shirdi terrace, Baba unfolds truths that transcend space, science, and the senses, reminding us that life may exist in forms far beyond our limited imagination.
Sai Baba Answers – Is There Life in the Universe Other Than on Earth?
The night sky stretched endlessly above, speckled with countless stars, each one a glowing mystery in the vastness of the cosmos. The traveller sat on the terrace of an old house in Shirdi, gazing upward, lost in thought.
The stillness of the moment was broken by a soft voice.
Shirdi Sai Baba stood beside him, His face illuminated by the moonlight, His presence as calm as the sky itself.
“You seem to be in a deep thought, child,” Baba said, settling onto the terrace beside him.
The traveller hesitated before speaking.
“Baba, do you think life exists elsewhere in the universe? Are we alone?”
Baba’s eyes reflecting the stars above.
“Look up, child. What do you see?”
“Countless stars, Baba.”
“And beyond them?” Baba asked.
The traveller pondered. “I do not know, Baba. Perhaps more stars, or emptiness…”
Baba smiled.
“mmm, but just because you do not see something, does that mean it does not exist?”
Is Life Only What We Know?
Baba reached into His jholi and took out a handful of grains. He tossed them into the air, and they scattered across the terrace.
“Look at these grains, child. Imagine each one is a planet. Tell Me, do you believe life exists only on one grain and nowhere else?”
The traveller blinked. The thought seemed absurd.
“No, Baba… that would be unlikely.”
Baba nodded.
“Exactly! Yet, many assume that life is unique to Earth, as if all other grains must be empty. But tell Me, child, what is life?”
The traveller thought for a moment.
“Life is… beings that grow, breathe, and think.”
Baba shook His head.
“Ah, but is that not only the life you know? What if life exists in ways beyond your imagination? What if it does not need air, water, or even form? Are you looking for life as it is, or are you searching for a mirror of yourself?”
The Limits of Perception
Baba picked up a lantern and placed it between them. The flame flickered, casting moving shadows on the terrace.
“Tell Me, child, if a fish in the ocean wondered whether life exists beyond water, what would it think?”
The traveller smiled. “It would assume that life only exists in water, Baba.”
“And would it be correct?” Baba asked.
The traveller shook his head.
“No, Baba. There are birds in the sky, animals on land, even creatures in deserts. But the fish cannot imagine them because its world is only water.”
Baba’s smile widened.
“Yes, child. Now, tell Me, are you making the same mistake? Are you expecting life to look like what you already know?”
The traveller’s heart pounded. “Then life could exist beyond Earth… just in ways we cannot yet perceive!”
Baba nodded.
“You see, child, humans define life by their own experience, but the universe is far greater than human understanding. Some life may exist in conditions beyond what you consider habitable. Others may not be biological at all but made of energies unknown to science. Just as the fish does not know the world beyond water, you do not yet know the full nature of life in the cosmos.”
Science and the Search for Life
Baba gazed at the sky.
“Even scientists have begun to see the vastness of possibility. They speak of billions of stars, trillions of planets, and the probability of life beyond Earth. The Drake Equation suggests that intelligent civilizations may exist in large numbers. Yet, despite this probability, you do not see them. Why?”
The traveller thought for a moment.
“Perhaps they are too far away, or… they do not wish to be seen?”
Baba smiled.
“Now you think deeply. Some call this the Fermi Paradox, if life is abundant, why has no clear contact been made? Some say there is a Great Filter, that only a few civilizations survive long enough to reach others. Some say we are being watched, much like a zoo where the animals do not know they are being observed. And some say, perhaps we are not yet ready to understand what we seek.”
The traveller shivered at the thought.
Vedantic & Sufi Wisdom: Is Life Only Physical?
Baba turned to face the traveller, His expression softening.
“Child, Vedanta teaches that the universe is not only matter but also Consciousness (Chaitanya). Life is not limited to flesh and bone. It exists as energy, as thought, as vibration. The Upanishads say, ‘That which pervades all things is the eternal Self.’ If this is true, then life is everywhere, even if your eyes cannot see it.”
The traveller listened in awe.
“And Sufis say that the Divine manifests in infinite ways. Rumi once wrote, ‘You are not a drop in the ocean; you are the entire ocean in a drop.’ This means that existence is far greater than what the senses perceive. There are worlds beyond worlds, realities beyond this reality.”
The traveller whispered, “Then life is not just about planets and bodies… it is about existence itself!”
With sparkling eyes, Baba said, “Yes, child. You search the stars for signs of life, yet you do not ask, what is life itself? You expect to find beings that look like you, yet you do not wonder, what if they exist in ways beyond human thought?”
The Answer
Life beyond Earth is not just possible, it is highly probable. The universe is vast, with countless planets and unknown conditions. But life may not exist in the way humans expect, it could be non-biological, non-material, or beyond human perception. As Vedanta and Sufism suggest, life is not just about physical form but about existence itself.
A Final Thought
If a fish in the ocean cannot imagine life on land, can a human truly imagine life beyond Earth?
And if life exists in ways beyond your understanding…
Are you truly searching for it, or are you only searching for a reflection of yourself?
Source: Sai Tatva E-Magazine Authored by Murali P K
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