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86/JAIN STUDIES AND SCIENCE
This also convincingly explains that how Arhats possess the entire knowledge of past, present and future.
Mahapragya proclaims that Keval-Gyanis with their infinite extent of space and infinite speed, acquire the mechanism to convert the seemingly moving time into a static frame. For HIM therefore, time is only “present in which both 'past' and 'future' merge. This fusion of various divisions of time, actually results in the entire collapse of time - what remains is just 'the happening'. This definition of Mahapragya for one of the important terms - infinite knowledge of Jain literature is so marvellous that it reflects his genius.
Lord Mahavira, while propounding the Jain philosophy had experienced this possibility. The soul can achieve infinite speed if void of all attached karmas which limit the speed. Under such a unique and singular condition, time becomes zero. It can be easily understood by way an example- .
Example:
We all know that the light rays take approximately.seven minutes to reach the earth from the sun. This means that what we presently see on earth is actually seven minute old past of the sun.
2.
Imagine an observer (Keval Gyani) with a capacity to attain infinite speed, by virtue of which HE can be present at both the places (earth and sun) simultaneously. At any given moment, while HE is observing a ray of light 'presently' emanating from the sun, HE is also observing the seven minute hence “future' of the earth. Similarly, what HE is observing as the light ray presently' on the earth was actually the seven minute old ‘past of the sun.
Again, imagine HIS infinite speed and HIS presence at the sun's centre. HE is therefore present at all the three places (earth, sun and centre of the sun) simultaneously.
At any moment let us presume that the stock of gases is exhausted and fission/fusion stops at the sun's centre. This present of the sun's centre will become the future of sun's surface. So, HE knows the dark ‘future' of sun's surface by knowing the present of sun's centre. Extrapolating, by knowing ‘present of sun's surface HE knows the future of earth and past of sun's centre.
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