Jainism

Author(s): M R Gelra
Publisher: Createspace

Page 48

exerting a drop force as particle tend to accelerate through it. The 'sticker' a particle is the more the molasses – like Higgs field, which would appear as a tiny particle affects it and the more massive the particle appears.
However the calculations made clear that finding Higg's particle is no easy task. The Higgs particle would be short-lived, quickly decaying into other, were familiar particles and only by examining the decay products could the researchers accumulate evidence for the Higgs. Another difficulty is that the powerful proton collisions produce a maelstrom of other particulate debris and so the challenge of pinpointing the Higg's is enormous.
This report about the Higgs (God) particle, for a Jain scholar, it looks as if much has been narrated from Jain literature. Although, it is true that Jain literature does not have any support of experimental science however, it is really commendable that Jainism initiated the concept of weightlessness/ masslessness of matter two thousand years ago and was pioneer in this field. The modern science is now trying to confirm the existence of Gluons (massless matter) during big bang.
Far reaching advances have been made in the field of genetic engineering. Gene is a part of chromosome (a mega-molecule made up of DNAs) and is made of chemical proteins. The word 'chromosome' is made up of two Greek words - chromo (colour) and soma (body). Biologists have established, beyond doubt, that the coded information is carried from generation to generation by the genes. This statement sounds very similar to the karmas carrying information from one birth to the next. In the natural process, these genes undergo a slow change depending upon the climate, environment, nourishment, health, etc. But, biologists are very near to altering the genes chemically to obtain desirable characteristics and attributes of an organism. In some cases, they have been successful in eliminating, in-embryo, certain genes which were carrying the codes of different diseases. With this knowledge, the Darwin's theory of evolution has come full circle; modification of genes to suit and survive in a given environment has now been substantiated. Jain readers must recall here that the mention of various life-forms of Lord Mahavira has several parallels with the theory of evolution. In his preceding births - before assuming the human form - Mahavira lived several births in various animal forms, including the one of elephant, lion etc. All these descriptions convey but one fact - how humans have acquired best characteristics to evolve as a superior life form.
3. Types of karma Eight types of karmas are enumerated in the Jain scriptures. Depending upon the effects, some of them act as inhibitors, like Gyanavarniya (Knowledge-obscuring), others act as catalysts, like Mohaniya (Emotive), while the third category of Ayushya Karma is decisive. With respect to the modern psychology and genetics, two karmas, namely, Gyanavarniya and Mohaniya, are of special interest.