Page Text
________________
Syādvāda and Relativity 367
the distance reckoned by an observer on the other star. We must note them to agree; the one is a distance relative to one frame, the other is a distance relative to another frame. Absolute distance, not relative to some special frame is meaningless." He says further. “A more familiar example of a relative quantity is direction of an object. There is a direction of Cambridge relative to Edinborough and another direction relative to London and so on. It never occurs to us to think of this as a discrepancy, or to suppose that there must be some direction of Cambridge (at present undiscoverable) which is absolute.''20 We shall cite one more example from Eddington, “You receive a balance-sheet from a public company and observe that the assets amount to such and such a figure, Is this true ? Certainly; it is certified by a chartered accountant. But is it really true ? Many questions arise, the real values of items are often very different from those which figure in the balance-sheet. I am not especially referring to fraudulent companies. There is a blessed phrase 'hidden reserves' and generally speaking the more respectable the company the more widely owes its balance-sheet deviate from reality.''21
Lord Mahavira answered hundreds of questions on the basis of relative standpoints. He even explained the most fundamental problems of the universe in similar manner. Whether the atoms are permanent or not, he points out, they are and are not. They are permanent (nitya) with reference to substantiality (Dravyatya) but changing (anitya) with regard to its outward form.22 The same is said by the Lord with regard to Atmā.23
Albert Einstein speaks in a similar tone as regards natural states. He says, "Nature is such that it is impossible to determine absolute motion by any experiment whatever,"24 In the words of James Jeans,
Rest and motion are merely relative terms. A ship which is becalmed is at rest only in a relative sense-relative to the earth; but the earth is in motion to the sun, and the ship with it. If the earth
20. "The Nature of the Physical World', p. 36. 21. Ibid, p. 43. 22. Paramaņu poggalenam bhante, Sāsae asāsae ? Goyamā, Siyasāsae Siya asāsae, Se
kenathenam bhante, evam buchchai, siyasāsae, siya asāsae ? Goyam, Davvathayae sāsae vannapanchavehim Jār siya sāsae,
--Bhagwati S'atak, 14-34. 23. Jivanam Bhante, kim sāsayā asasayā ? Goyama, Jiva siya sāsayā siya asasaya. Se
kenathenam bhante, Evam buchchai jīvā siya sāsaya siya asāsayā ? Goyamā, Davvathayāe sāsaya bhāvathāyae asasaya,
-Ibid, 7-2. 24. James Jeans : The Mysterious Universe', p. 78.
| SR No. | 002012 |
| Book Title | Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 1996 |
| Total Pages | 400 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Philosophy, Religion, & Nyay |
| File Size | 23 MB |