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Leeds in England.
Normally, philosophy and religion on one band, and science, on the other, belong to different fields since philosophy is based on thinking and reflection and science on experience. But Albert Einstein himself noted in 1940 that both sides were not totally incompatible.
Einstein wrote in an article, Science & Religion, in Nature magazine 57 years ago that "Science without religion is lame : religion without science is blind. Science is the attempt at the posterior reconstruction of existence by the process of conceptualisation."
k is ambitious. For instance, an article in the book, on some shortcomings of the theory of special relativity according to jainology, the Muni has made an attempt to point up drawbacks in Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity (STR) by putting forth arguments derived from the interpretation of Jain philosophy, with support from the hypothesis on the existence of "tachyon" which are currently postulated to have a velocity higher than light.
Einstein's theory is being challenged by many scientists too, but, as Mr. P. Tewari, an officer of the Atomic Energy Commission's Nuclear Power Board, has noted the reasons for refutation by others were more profound and subtler than what was put forth in the Muni's paper.
Nandighoshavijayji himself says that "Since I am Jain Muni, there are many limitations regarding practical work. I have not tested the scientific) principles in Jain philosophical treatises, practically. I arrived at the conclusions on the basis of natural phenomena and social experience.... The research papers are only theoretical."
Neverthelss, he thinks that since many scientific principles lay hidden in ancient Jain treatises, it was very necessary to represent these in the modern world.
Acknowledging that this was too tall an order for a single individual, he feels that science has not discovered the complete truth yet. Eventually, in pure sciences such as mathematics, conceptualisation played an important role.
The immediately perceptible merits or otherwise apart, Muni Nandighoshavijay appears to be set on a life-time course of comparative studies of scripture and science. What he inscribed on a copy of his book summed up his motto: "Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do."
(The Times of India, Ahmedabad, Saturday, August, 2, 1997)
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