Jain Darshanna Vaigyanik Rahasyo

Author(s): Nandighoshvijay
Publisher: Bharatiya Prachin Sahitya Vaigyanik Rahasya Shodh Sanstha

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SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS JAINISM
I am honoured to be asked by Muni Nandighoshavijayji to write a foreword to his book "Scientific Secrets of Jainism". The book is a collection of essays by Muniji written over several years. There has not been enough time for me to study all the articles but what I have read has given me a deep impression that Muniji sets out various themes which indicate that Jain science accords well with modern science. Jain science is, of course, qualitative as expounded by Tirthankaras whereas modern science is very niuch quantitative. However in both cases the underlying concepts are based on rational arguments. Albert Einstein, in his article entitled "Science and Religion" (1940, Nature, Vol. 146, pp. 605-607) expressed the situation as
"Science, without religion is lame; religion, without science is blind". Jainism is science with religion. He adds :
"Science is the attempt at the posterior reconstruction of existence by the process of conceptualization."
Jain science encompassess every aspect of the cosmos, including the living and non-living entities. Einstein also adds :
"A person who is religiously enlightened apears to me to be one who has, to the best of his ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires".
Thus, Einstein is describing the Jain way of life.
Muniji not only describes the historical background to various aspects of modern science but also compares and contrasts it with Jain Science. He admirably shows the limitation of modern science. Rightly, he also appeals to scentists to take up challenges, e.g. on pp. 12-13.
"So our scientists have to do a special research in this field (relativity) and they have to put forth scientific secrets, shown by our Indian philosophical tradition, before the world with a modern scientific method".
In my book. "The Scientific Foundations of Jainism", (1990, Motilal Banarasidass Publishers, Delhi), I attempted to render the basic principles of philosophy and ethics of Jainism in terms of modern scientific terminology. Such endeavours are required to bring forth Jain science for modern audience - Jains and non-Jains alike. I think the writing on "Jainism as it is" is one important endeavour, but to put its relevance in the 20th and 21st century's concept is a somewhat harder task which requires urgent attention. Even the fundamantal Jain concept of Karmic particles as Karmon, Pudgal as mass-energy etc. are not well understood. A long time before
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