Jain Journal 1976 07

SR No.: 520043
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1976
Total Pages: 49
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 31

JULY, 1976
"The well-known red shift has been explained recently from Einsteins' theory of Relativity as due to gravitational field of the galaxies. In case this theory is accepted the idea of the expansion of Universe will be ruled out and the other two theories discussed so long evolutionary and steady state which are based on expanding mechanism will be abandoned."
(6) The Ether and the Field: So far as the constituents of the Universe are concerned two things are very peculiar to Jainism. One is the luminiferous ether pervading every iota of space (to which they have given a peculiar name dharma dravya) which accounts for the medium of motion for matter and energy, and the other the electro-magnetic field which they have called adharma-dravya. Both of them are non-material and all-pervading. In order to account for the stability of the Universe Einstein postulated the idea of curved space a very hard pill to swallow. If the Universe is to remain stable its total energy content should remain the same. If it were losing energy constantly its stability cannot be guaranteed. In order to prevent energy from going out Einstein said our Universe is finite in three spatial directions and infinite along the fourth dimension of time. In a curved space like it, the energy travelling outward would be reflected at the boundaries of the Universe and there will be no loss of energy. The Jaina thinkers gave an alternative explanation. According to them there is no medium of motion beyond the finite Universe and therefore matter or energy in any form cannot go beyond it and they have accordingly divided space into two divisions the lokikāśa and the alokākāśa, the finite Universe and the infinite Universe beyond it. This is a more simple explanation of a difficult puzzle. The adharma dravya is the cause of cosmic unity through which those forces operate which keep the fundamental particles from flying away inside the chrysolites.
We started to give an answer to the question: 'were the Tirthankaras omniscient ?' and we have come to the end of our reply. Whether they were ominiscient within the perview of the definition given, I leave the reader to judge for himself. What I have placed before the reader is that the facts described within the last half a dozen paragraphs 1 to 6 which have been discovered by the great pioneers of science working day and night in their laboratories and elsewhere and spending stupendous sums of money were already placed before us (not of course with very great details) by our Jaina Tirthankaras. We can only imagine what a divine foresight they must have possessed who laid bare before us the mysteries of the biggest and the smallest, the Universe and the atom.
Any healthy criticism on this subject would be welcome.