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N. L. Jain
Nirgrantha
has shown that the inertia of belief has generated obstructions to proper progress. However, the scientific age has a liking towards right, rational, and dynamic belief. The current age has given sufficient universality to the definition of religion. Its sphere has involved the nations and the world as a whole besides the individual and society. This has become more public welfare-oriented in terms of its ten forms as stated in the Sthananga 16 Thus, religion cannot be qualified with any adjective. The religious behaviour increases the auspicity of physical, psychological, social, philosophical, and spiritual aspects of human kind. This regulates the animal instincts in man. This serves as a panaceal medicine or chemical oxygen for the overall welfare. The scriptures have illustrated the functions of religion in terms of similies like island, river, gem, chariot, garden, elixir, lion, axle, and refuge. Religion has become an art of living in scientific age. This is a non-violent process of increasing the amount of happiness in the world. This is a purifier of body and mind and promoter of inner energy. This form of religion is a more generalised form of Jaina canonical definition in terms of religion is for compassion, protection of all living beings in the world'. The thinkers have removed some of the deficiencies in earlier definition. Now, this involves Samantbhadra's definition of a three-fold system of right faith, knowledge, and conduct with knowledge being placed in the middle as a threshold lamp without which neither faith may be right nor conduct may be proper. Jainism : A Scientific Religion : The scientific mind has struck the inertial mind of man. Jainism has been atheist from the very beginning. Hence, it should not be a surprise if it is scientific. Science has served as a catalytic force in maintaining the knowledge research-oriented, ordered, and progressive. It is based on observation, analysis, and inference. The Jaina scholars also point out the same processes. In fact, man starts his physical life first by observing external world at the opening of his eye. He is scientist at the first place. He becomes religious later through observation in the inner world. Of course, religiosity has a place for intuitive knowledge which is now taken as reliable in many spheres by the scientific community in general"? The early Jaina scriptures have taught men to awaken the religious predilection by becoming a scientist. The author of the Acarangals was a great scientist. He pointed out that what he was writing was observed, experienced, well thought, and scriptured. The desire of enquiry is the mother of knowledge. The truth must be examined by intellect and wisdom. The man of intuition does not require sermons. Kundakundal' even goes further to tell that scholars should correct the inconsistency in his statements. Samantabhadra 20 also points out that only those scriptures are authentic which are irrefutable and consistent perceptionally or inferentially. He is the vocal supporter of examination-based learning. He wrote a series of treatises of critique type. In the age of logic, the physical phenomena were examined by logical observations and intelligence. That is why many Jaina logic treatises have several chapters on topics related with physical world like sound, mattergy, etc. Hemacandra21 was also favouring the
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