On Life and Liberation

Author(s): Mukesh Chhajer
Publisher: Mukesh Chhajer

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On Life and Liberation
underneath to take rest, so tree becomes the medium of rest and, thus, adharma.
At present, there is a great difference between the world as described above by the Jain cosmology and what we know from the present day science. Existence of a soul cannot be proven by the present day science; however, its existence will be accepted here. The shape of the universe and the substance of dharma and adharma are either at odds with the present day science or cannot be ascertained. Only pudgal and kal are the two substances that can be easily identified in our day-to-day life. Even time (kal) does not have an exact correspondence since from physical, psychological and biological points of view different times have been recognized by the modern science (for discussion on Time, see previous article). In this article, in keeping with the jain spirit of anekantavada, the three substances, namely akash, dharma and adharma, are discussed from a non-traditional point of view. However, this is not an attempt to reconcile differences between the modern science and Jain worldview.
First, let us see, if the shape and the divisions of lokakash, can be understood in any way other than the prevailing view. We will take our cue from the shape of the lok-akash itself. Lok-akash is described as a human being standing akimbo, i.e., with its two hands resting at its hips. Let us assume that this lok-akash is nothing but the human body itself. This analogy is not new. It has been stated in tantra as well as in jain texts that macrocosm and microcosm are of the same form. That means what exists externally also exists within. Using this analogy, the plane of hips (at the base of the spine) divides the body into two parts, the lower part of the body corresponding to various hells and the upper part corresponding to various heavens with the top of the head being the sidhhaloka, the
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