Book Title: Compendium of Jainism
Author(s): T K Tukol, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Prasaranga Karnatak University Dharwar

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 326
________________ 314 COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM of a coin. It has the possibility of head (it is) and not head (it is not) sometimes head and sometimes not-head; the combination of both the possibilities of “it is” and “it is not” is another indefinite or indeterminate from. 5) The fifth category of knowledge in Jaina logic predicates the existence of indetermination (which we may perhaps interpret, in modern language, as the assertion of the existence of the probability field). 6) The sixth category denies the existence of a probability field; while 7) the seventh category covers the whole range of possibilities mentioned in the other six categories.24 To the Syādvādin, the existence is a huge complexity; human mind cannot adequately comprehend it, nor can the human speech properly express the same. As such, absolute and categorical statements are out of court, and all statements are true so far as our particular point of view is concerned. 25 It should be obvious that the combinations of points of view cannot be more than seven. So theoretically there can be only seven points of view and not more. Thus reality is open to seven statements and not more. The reason why the number of modes is neither more nor less than seven is because it is believed, any complex situation is amenable to treatment by this seven fold technique if one is adept in using it... Any attempt to add or subtract a mode will be found to be impossible since addition finds the mode already there among the existing seven modes, and substraction will mutilate on essential limit from the scheme.26 Einstein's Theory of Relativity has tried to establish link between space and time and made mass dependent upon the velocity with which it moved... The theory from which Einstein proceeded indicated that time and space meant different things to different observers. To any one observer they appear easy to distinguish from one another. But we are unable to carry over the identification from one observer to another; there is no test by which we can try it.27 This theory is still regarded as incomplete. As compared with the theory of relativity Syādvāda is much simpler and less elaborate, and the reasons are quite apparent; the bounds of human knowledge have become much wider and the achievements of science more fruitful than Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352