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Syntropy 2013 (2): 243-279
ISSN 1825-7968
process of evolution at a very stage. Thus twelve vratas (rules) are there to be followed by shravakas and shravikas (ordinary religious men and women). Even the process of evolution is described in details by defining association of a mundane soul with materialistic particles fromthe past. These particles are called karmas and are classified into eight categories. As one's soul evolves, the number of karmas decreases. It appears that the larger the number of karmas associated with a soul, larger will be the uncertainty and so larger will be the entropy. A full fledge system of Nava tatva (Nine elements) has been developed to explain the process of reducing the karmas from past and stopping inflow of new karmas. Several rules and practices have been developed to practically implement these vratas like different types of fasts (Ekasana= eating only once in a day, Aayambil= eating food once in a day without oil, sugar, salt etc, Upwas = Not to eat anything in a day, not to eat food for days together and their higher version (Mas khhaman, Farsi taps), and many different types of meditations. To distinguish true knowledge from false knowledge, a concept of three jewels is defined knows as samyagjnaja, samyakdarshan and samayakcharitra etc. Another important concept developed is of three yogas (Manha, Vachan and Kaya) and three karan that bad action should not be doneby oneself, should not get it done by others and should not support the other who is doing it. Several sub categories and concepts are given to handle this process in minutest possible details with very extensive description.
14. Darwin's principle of "Survival of Fittest" vs Jain's principle of “Live and Let Live"
The above examples show that one should take this concept of evolution of consciousness of Jainism seriously. Hence at this juncture, it is high time that we discuss the process of evolution of soul as described in Jainism and compare it with the Darwin's principle of evolution.
As we know this principle is based on the rule of natural selection and was brought into limelight by Charles Darwin. An assumption is made that all life emerged from the slow evolution from a single ancestor. The basic idea of his hypothesis is that due to limitation of resources, various species of living world struggle for survival. Those which have slightly superior functionality will survive and others which do not have these additional functionalities will be eliminated and the whole process is very slow. Hence those who can adjust to the change in time, survivors and others are eliminated. This is therefore being described in short by a well know saying that is "the survival of the fittest. This principle was enunciated by Darwin about 150 years ago. At that time there was no genetics. With this new development, the same principle was termed as Neo Darwinism. Under this name natural selection at the genetic level is considered during mutation and those genes are selected which are superior in functionalities. (Wikipedia)
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