Jainism Eternal and Universal Path for Enlightenment

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

Page 95

Jainism: The Eternal and Universal path for Enlightenment
nucleus. This we consider is the true meaning of innumerable.
Now this innumerable criteria applies here to smallest units of time (avalik1), only bigger than Samay (innumerable Samay make one Avalik and Avalik =1.717x10 seconds, according to N.M. Tatia). It is strange that the Jain time units stop at avalika and then jump to Samay, the smallest unit of time. In comparison, Avalika is quite large compared to Planck time (10 seconds) used in connection with the Big Bang origin of the universe below which there is some uncertainty in the physical processes occurring there. On the other hand, innumerable is also used in case of units of large space. If we consider large size of the universe, the universe is finite with volume of 343 cubic Rajjus but a Rajju is made of innumerable Yojans x101) and thus Rajju is indeterminable in absolute sense, although according to some scholars its value varies between 10'5 to 1022 km).
Cosmology
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Origins, i.e. origin of life, origin of universe, origin of earth etc are fundamental questions in philosophy, religion as well as in science. We have learnt from science that every physical process is governed by certain laws, which are well defined and can be mathematically formulated with precision. These laws can never be violated. Origin of everything we see in the universe must have followed certain laws. Thus before there was anything, there were laws. Two questions naturally arise, as to how the laws came into effect and, why are the laws as they are and no different. If every thing is a natural consequence of certain laws, then the question arises as to who made the laws? Are there other universes where laws are different from our universe?
To understand the process of origin or essentially who came first, the universe or
1.The N1adiya sukta in Rig-Veda ponders over the question of what was there in the beginning, before water, air, light and earth, Universe and Gods came into existence. The possibilities are full of uncertainty and contradictions such as there was neither non-existence nor existence then; no death, no immortality; no day, no night; no above, no below etc; Who really knows, it asks? Perhaps it created it self, perhaps it did not. May be it was the Hiranyagarbha, the primal nucleus. Perhaps He who looks from the highest heavens knows or even he knows not, it says. Very thoughtful ideas and philosophically this is an impressive way to describe the beginning even today since, as will be discussed, according to Jainism, uncertainty and complementarity of contradictions is the basic nature of the Universe.