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JAIN AGAMA IN CONTEXT TO SCIENCE
Recent findings of psychology reveal that nobody can concentrate for more than 48 minutes in normal circumstances. The chief disciples of Lord Mahāvīra (Ganadharas) have prescribed 48 minutes as the length of the religious ritual called Sāmāyik (to stay calm and inactive with equanimity for 48 minutes).
In the auspicious Sūtrakrutānga Āgama, there is one chapter called Aadrak, in which elephant poachers believe that by killing a big elephant, you commit lesser sins than eating several vegetables which has one sense. This is how they prove that they follow non-violence better than others. But Jainism believes that the degree of violence or nonviolence does not necessarily depend on the number of lives one has taken but it depends on the type (1 to 5 senses) of life one destroys. Śri Bhagwati Āgama Sūtra narrates that killing mobile beings like animals and human beings is a grave sin, but the sins become graver by killing yogis. Āgama provides an elaborate research on the population of each type of living being and the immense strength each type of body can possess. They further elaborated that a body is killed but not a soul. Therefore, while observing violence and nonviolence, the number does not matter but the important thing is how many senses and knowledge the living being possesses.
The degree of violence or nonviolence depends on the intensity of one's intentions and his psychological state. This analysis shows social consideration and various facets of truth (Anekāntwād).
Penance has been considered by Jain Sūtras as a means of annihilating karmas. Still you cannot ignore the importance of penance from the scientific point of view. Fasting, unodari (eating less than your hunger) and ayambil (eating food made without vigaya i.e. milk, curd, sugar, jaggery, oil and ghee) are very useful for maintaining good health.
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