Science And Jain Philosophy

Author(s): Raksha J Shah, Abhijit Muni, Pooja Banthia
Publisher: International Conference on Science and Jain Philosophy

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SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS OF JAINISM ON OUR HEALTH DR. BIMAL CHHAJER bimalchhajer@yahoo.com
Dr. Bimal Chhajer MBBS, MD.is the Founder and Director of SAAOL, and a specialist in Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease. The Former Consultant of AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr. Chhajer has authored five books and is the recipient of many awards like The Bhaskar Award for Bharat Nirman
Introduction: As a medical doctor I work on Heart disease prevention and reversal. I worked initially at the All India Institute of medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi for about 6 years where we carried out a trial on Reversal of heart disease by Lifestyle change. As for diet we were using very low fat (Zero Oil) for Cooking vegetarian food.
As for Yoga we were using Presksha Meditation (which derives its origin from Jain Scriptures and is popularized by Late Shree Acharya Tulsiji and Acharya Mahaprajyaji). After resigning from AIIMS we started in 1995 - a movement called "Saaol" - Science and Art of Living. In the last 20 years we have spread the concept of Lifestyle change based on non invasive therapy for heart and related diseases all over India and abroad. Many of the advices that I propagate to the patients is actually based on Jain philosophy. Fortunately I am a Jain by birth. But till I passed my MBBS from Kolkata I never planned that I must promote Jainism to people. But afterwards in course of my lifestyle based treatment from medical science I realized that Jainism says all that I tell my patients to follow for better health. I read about the Jain principles and when I found them scientifically valid I introduced them in my therapy. Today tens of thousands of Muslim patients follow my Vegetarian diet and Preksha Meditation as a treatment of Heart disease. What are the good things for health in Jainism ? For writing this article I tried to collate all that may be good for health and disease prevention in Jainism and these are the major advantages of Jainism in favour of our health. 1. Vegetarianism 2. Fasting 3. Early dinner/dinner before sunset 4. Forgiveness 5. Ayambil 6. Pad Yatra 7. Avoiding Five Vigais 8. Ahimsa/Non violence 9. Meditation 10. Aparigrah/Non Possisiveness 11. Tyaag/Avoidance of Luxury 12. Upasampada 13. Pratikraman and Samayik
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