Jainism Abroad

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 52

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to get digested and how will you find the required GAP before going to bed as per the principles of health and hygeine, if you are habiting yourself to retire too late (Remember: "Early to bed and early to rise, is the way to be Healthy, Wealthy and Wise !). Is it also not Unscientific and Unnatural? Even the Birds follow the principles of Science and Nature and they hardly eat at night! Have you ever noticed this? Have you ever seen them, falling sick? Is it not the fact with the human beings-the Night Eating and wrongly eating human beings that they fall sick frequently? Is this, to live like this, is Scientific?......"
"Wonderful, wonderful, you are totally right. It is not Scientific but what you say is scientific, I gather. I am
convinced."
The inquisitive lady was being gradually convinced. In the meanwhile her husband and children returned home. They also joined after a little introduction without interrupting my flow of expressions. I briefed the nice youngman, "Mr. Sheth ! we were discussing the Scientific aspects of abandoning Night Meals. Apart from the increasing germs in the outside atmosphere after the Sunset, they also are subtly born in foodstuff. These germs assume the same colour of the item of the food, white or yellow or red, whatever it may be. They are not visible."
"Then how you can identify them, uncle?" The host couple's elder son rightly inquired.
"By subtle analytical experiments only. By studying their varying effects." I replied.
"Surprising !" The boy exclaimed and I went on :
"To an extent, we can test these foodstuffs and their effects in advanced laboratories as well as from the effects. on human health. Science could be matching upto certain extent and limit. In fact, Jain principles are entirely Scientific. Still however, each and everything couldn't be proved by visible physical & material Science, there is Spiritual Science and overall Supra-Science, Integrated Science also, since this Material Science pertaining to Matter and Body is not enough. And for that Cosmic Supra-Science, Spiritual Science our existing Physical and Material Research Laboratories are not adequate and complete. They need real laboratories elsewhere."
"How and Where?" the host husband posed.
"Those Laboratories are in actual LIFE, in LIVING EXPERIENCE and in the OVERALL, ALL PERVADING, INTEGRATED, PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE 'SARVAJNA' SEERS, THE ARIHANTAS, THE JINA TIRTHANKARAS: How they knew all this? By their life-long quest of PERFECT KNOWLEDGE through their minute OBSERVATIONS and MEDITATIONS in Solitary Confinements, in the depths of SELF, in their TOTAL SILENCE. After such strivings throughout their lives, they visualised each and every object-material or lifeful of the whole Universe. Our Modern Material Science Knowledge became one of their parts and they went beyond it, they surpassed it and transcended to Spiritual Science and attained Totality, Integrity, Wholeness........... Out of this were born their balanced expressions or preachings.... Their Self Knowledge produced Integrated Universal Knowledge which encompassed the areas of our Modern material Science.... and hence, their Integrated Perfect Knowledge can include our Scientific Knowledge which is, for us, limited one. While their Entire limitless knowledge is beyond our apprehensions and interpretations........."
"Wonderful....... greatly wonderful... !" they all exclaimed together "Due to this totality of Life, the Seers have not limited their expressions or preachings to this worldly or material life or physical point of view only. They have gone beyond it towards integrity, keeping in consideration the mental-psychological, social, ecological, aesthetical and ultimately Spiritual aspects also. Nodoubt, health and physical-material aspects are primary and that's why we are discussing the same minutely. And hence before turning to further aspects, we shall complete first the remaining points of hygenical and physical aspects of the effects of Night-eatings....."
"Please carry on, our interest is so much aroused that we don't feel like eating now in the night.... see ! even our children are listening so consciously forgetting their Dining Table....!" The hosts said, "Thank you. That's what I see. So I come back to the link of Night-Eatings and health. By consuming food before the Sunset, apart from the safety from