Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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Microcosmology : Atom
Such an experience is not totally unknown to scientists also. In fact, many new scientific discoveries have their origin in sudden non-verbal flashes of intuition, when reality is experienced in a direct way without the hindrance of conceptual thinking. Thinking is considered a distraction in such a state of awareness, and is, therefore, eliminated. Thus in a way, meditation can be compared to a highly sophisticated modern experiment in subatomic physics. The, complexity and efficiency of the physicist's technical apparatus is not only matched but even surpassed by that of the practitioner's consciousness in deep meditation,
PROBLEM OF LANGUAGE
:- Now both the ancient meditators and the modern physicists must communicate the knowledge gained by each of them to others. Both the problem of language to interpret knowledge gained from a direct insight or the observations of an experiment is exactly the same. Thus, whenever the knowledge about reality from whatever source is analyzed by intellect, it ihust appear absurd or paradoxical.
The knowledge about matter, particularly at the subatomic level is not derived from sensory experience and therefore, ordinary language is not adequate to describe the observed phenomena. Like the meditator, the physicist deals with a non-sensory experience of Reality, and thus, modern physics becomes akin to philosophy. But the question of nature of language is a fundamental problem that underlies all discussions of knowledge, be it scientific or philosophical. Language is a useful tool for conveying information, but if one tries to communicate one's experiences through it, it simply does not work. All, a language can do is to talk about an experience, but even the best description of an experience is not the experience, but a talk about it.
In atomic physics, as we have seen in the 1st chapter, many paradoxical situations arise because of the dual nature of electro-magnetic radiation. The question which puzzled physicists was how radiations could simultaneously consist of particles which are confined to a very small space and also of waves which are spread over a large area. Neither language nor imagination could deal with this kind of reality satisfactorily.