Jain Journal 1969 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 55

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JAIN JOURNAL
I think, Dr. P. K. Jain has made an interesting point when he says that "it is high time for us to recast the old tenets of the Jaina thought in the light of new theories of science and technology, etc.” Perhaps it is. But my apprehension is that even with all its spectacular achievements, modern science has touched so little of the knowledge of the universe, while the theological viewpoint, despite its being unscientific or extra-scientific, is still so all pervasive that it may be somewhat premature to recast the old tenets of any religion in the light of modern information. To be specific, how much of the whole universe is really revealed to modern cosmology ? True, our knowledge of the earth now is more complete, but how insignificant is the position of the earth in the entire scheme of cosmos ? And until our sciences know more of the cosmos, I wonder on what line may the reconstruction begin. At least that was not the purpose that I had set to my self when I wrote the article which has been printed in three instalments. It was simply to present the traditional views, oriental and occidental, with, of course, dominance given to the Jaina, along with the outcome of modern researches in a spirit of comparing notes, which I guess, has been done in the article. For the rest, my feeling is that a reconstruction of the traditional view in the light of developments of modern sciences is not only premature, their focus is so very different and so is their equipment and purpose, that any such reconstruction may be a perpetual absurdity, the two always holding distinct spheres of interest and belief. This, however, is no suggestion to keep our eyes and ears shut towards modern knowledge, still less to propagate a blind faith in whatever is traditional.
K. C. Lalwani
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur