Sambodhi 1977 Vol 06

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 31

The convergence of the...Jainism
Up till now we have discussed the close parallelism which exists between fundamental scientific thought and the Jaina approach to understand various phenomena occuring in the nature. By either of these methods we can acquire only an approximate knowledge of nature. The reason behind this approximation lies in the fact that all scientific theories are approximate. There exist very fundamental draw backs and limitations in the basic definition of the scientific theories which prevent us from understanding various phenomena of nature exactly. If we just have a look at Jainism then again we find that the above ideas of Jainas are correct only within the limitations caused by Mati Jñana and Śruta Jñana. Jaina Acaryas have critically emphasized that these Jñanas provide only an approximate understanding of nature. It is here that Jainism come to rescue. No alternative can be sought in science. Then let us discuss why scientific theories are capable of providing only an approximate understanding of nature and how the various problems coming in the way can be resolved by realizing that knowledge is structured in the consciousness and hence perfect knowledge can be acquired only by acquiring a perfect consciousness which is at least free from all the knowledge obscuring karmas. In its most simplest form "Science" may be defined as a method of understanding nature such that truth of the acquired knowledge is entirely based upon the experiments. In Scientific methods, magics and hypothetical assumptions do not work. Every one believe in observing everything from his "own eyes". In general one performs a series of experiments to study a particular phenomenon and attempts to measure various quantities which will describe different states of the phenomenon. We have our own definitions of various quantities which are to be measured and we have our own inferences about the nature of measuring instrument and the way it interacts with that system in which the phenomenon is occuring. The various; informations gathered in these ways are then transferred to our brain through various complicated means and we say that we have understood the phenomenon.
Now we shall see how this process of measurement introduces uncertainty in our knowledge. Then we expain the approximations involved in the definitions of the various quantities which are generally measured or defined in scientific theory. Lastly we illustrate how the mathematical representation (or any other representation) of various quantities limits our knowledge. In the context of these difficulties we then describe rhe concept of Kevala Jñāna and the way the various difficulties are resolved by this beautiful and glorious idea of Jainas.
(a) Uncertainity caused by the process of Measurement1:
In a scientific method the truth of the whole knowledge is experiment.
4
23