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316
JAINA GAZETTE
November
PRASNOTTRA.
Question.- This evolution that is working, how do the Jains account for it ? Surely there is a method in the workings of Nature, though Nature often makes blunders. But there must be a guiding force, some Law. Is Nature herself the Law-maker ? What I mean is, since Matter is eternal, how came it about that before life began on this planet it was lying inorganic since eternity ?
(Signed) SAGAR CHAND. Answer.-A complete answer to such a question as this would-fill a book perhaps, and not merely a few sheets of letter paper ; so whether a short reply will satisfy the enquiry or not will perhaps depend on the reader's further metaphysical beliefs. However, I will express such ideas as present themselves to my mind on thinking about the question.
Given a universe, it must do something, and what it is doing is what it does.
Having in mind the whole universe, which means everything, it is obvious that it cannot be guided, because in order to be guided there would have to be something else besides the universe, viz., a guiding force; and if there is something else besides the universe, then the universe is not everything but only part of reality.
If we have in mind not the whole universe, but only a part of it, and then ask the question, is this part guided ? The question might very well be answered by, Yes. And the guiding force would then be part of the universe, viz., the part other than the guided part.
If we take this view, which we may do, perhaps, then it will be obvious that this guiding force, whatever it may be, will have to modify its activities according to what is done by that which it is guiding. Obviously then this guiding force is itself guided by being thus compelled to modify its actions to suit
them to the doings of other things !! Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
