Book Title: Jain Studies and Science
Author(s): Mahaveer Raj Gelada
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
View full book text
________________
98 / JAIN STUDIES AND SCIENCE
c. Conclusion - Jain philosophy does not endorse the scientific
statement that the physical brain itself is the soul. It is affirmative
that the amorphous soul is separate and beyond the physical mind. 2. Soul and Senses
Scientific View - It is a standard practice in scientific fraternity to study the cause and effect relationship. They apply same theory for the investigation of presence of soul. A Russian scientist, Pavlov, surgically removed the brain tissues of a dog converting it to a comatose. Dog lost all its senses and could not recognise even its master or the favourite food. Pavlov concluded that the conscience
is lost in the absence of physical brain. b. Philosophical View - Mahapragya has pointed the fallacy of
above argument. The main flaw in above argument was that in spite of brain's absence, the dog lived. It is enough to know that the conscience does not emanate from the brain. Brain is just one of many tools a body utilises to fulfil the assigned tasks. Various forms of life exist in this universe, like the plants etc., which possess the soul but do not have brain in its true sense. Their feelings of joy, pain, fear etc. are by virtue of the
conscience and soul present in them. c. Conclusion - Like mind and conscience, senses too are not the
exact equivalent of the soul. 3. Soul and Ahar-pragyapti
It has now being established that our senses are the centres of energy. Our five senses have the largest concentration of magnetism exhibited by the body. If this magnetism can be evenly distributed throughout the body, we may achieve the transcendental knowledge, as in such an eventuality each body part will become conducive to all kinds of stimulations. Similarly, the mental activities are dependent on chemicals and electrical pulses. These chemicals are formed by our dietary intake. The quality of our meals decides our personality and mental status. This cycle of meals and mind is minutely understood in the spiritual realm of Jainism. Jainism has painstakingly tried to bring about this fact that though what we obviously see is the physical form having mind, intelligence, sense etc., but the soul should not be identified with them.
a. Scientific View - Scientists are incessantly trying to create life forms
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org

Page Navigation
1 ... 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272