Jainism Eternal and Universal Path for Enlightenment

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

Page 104

Jainism : The Eternal and Universal path for Enlightenment
104
Theory of Association and Dissociation Everything in the universe is a result of association and dissociation
The Universe is a consequence of association of some basic constituents (tattvas) and dissociation of aggregates so formed; both of these processes are going on ceaselessly since eternity. Processes of association and dissociation is central to Jainism. The association of soul with karmi a us leads the soul to manifest in various vonis and dissociation or shedding of karm 'nus leads to Mok a which is the ultimate goal of all living beings. In the material world, as we know from physics, the association and dissociation occur at various levels. There are two types of physical entities in the universe: matter and radiation. They interact due to certain forces, obeying some laws, and form all the aggregates that we see. Matter can be converted into energy and vice versa. Matter exists in forms which are massless or with mass. Those at elementary particle level, for example, in quark-gluon plasma (the ultimate particles constituting the Universe) and between protons, electron and neutrons, these processes of combination and disintegration are governed by nuclear forces, i.e. strong and weak nuclear interactions. These are dealt under the domain of physics. These continue to form atoms and molecules and they in turn form compounds and minerals. At atomic and molecular levels, i.e. formation of compounds and minerals, the processes occur electrically and these electromagnetic associations and dissociations come under the realm of chemistry. The modern chemistry postulates various types of electric bonds, depending on the nature of the elements takeing their valency into consideration. The combinations of simple carbon bearing molecules (containing hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen etc.) can lead to large complex molecules. It is believed that these molecules can ultimately lead to formation of biomolecules and simple living cells. These then undergo Darwinian evolution, by interaction with the environment. The modern science has postulated matter formation of living non-living matter, but has not demonstrated that this actually happens. Therefore, so far it remains only a hypothesis. This postulate does not require the existence of soul.