Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Nagrajmuni
Publisher: Anuvrat Samiti

Page 36

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JAIN PHILOSOPHY & MODERN SCIENCE These are some of the examples of the complex nature of the Relativity. The instances of the simplicity of Relativity are not few. Only one example will suffice. Prof Albert Einstein explained what is Relativity to his wife in these terms --"I will give you one example When a man talks with a beautiful girl he feels that an hour is just like a minute but if the same person is asked to sit on a hot oven, he will feel every minute like an hour.” Syadwad and the Theory of Relativity are both easy and complex.
Empirical and Absolute Truth There is a variety of divisions of the 'Nayas' or the logical viewpoints in Syadwad But let us take only two out of them 'Nishchaya (Absolute) Naya' and "Vyavhara (Empirical)1 Naya'. The Acharyas have defined it as follows — "Nishchaya Naya propounds the ideal and theoretical meaning of a thing while the Vyavhara Naya only reveals its practical meaning 2 For example, once Gautama asked Lord Mahavira "Respected Sır, how many colours, odours, tastes, and touch-sensations are possessed by the molasses ? Mahavira · replied, "I can answer your question from two viewpoints From the point of view of Vyayhara Naya, it is said to be sweet, but from the point of view of Nischaya Naya, it contains all the 5 colours, 2 tastes, 5 odours and 8 feels. The next question from Gautama was3, "Sır, how many
1 Dravyanuyogatarkana 823 2 Bhagawati Sutra 18-6 8 Bhagawati Sutra 18-6