Science Discovers Eternal Wisdom

Author(s): Amarendravijay, J D Lodaya, Bhuvanchandra
Publisher: Jain Sahitya Academy

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founder of religion were composed in book-form centuries after their time; hence these volumes, naturally, represent only a part of the original that could be recalled from memory by their followers at the time of their writing and are, therefore, handed down the succeeding generations as their religious heritage. Based on such fragmented sources, our comprehension of their words of wisdom is likely to be incomplete and inconsistent with the whole truth enunciated originally and could suffer from a deficiency in deciphering the significance of some symbolic allusion or in interpreting the nuances of its implied meaning.
Let us consider one example. In the scriptural tomes of Kalpa-Sutra etc., there is reference to a system of measurement of time. Accordingly in Jain tradition, 3773 respiratory cycles = Muhurta or 48 minutes. (7 respiratory cycles = one Stoka, 7 Stokas = 1 Lava, and 77 Lavas = 1 Muhurta) is currently prevalent. Anyone digging deeper into it can notice an obvious discrepancy, because an average man has a respiratory rate of about 16 cycles per minute; in the yoga adepts, it would be still slower. At this rate, 3773 respiratory excursions will take not 48 minutes as mentioned earlier but will cover a period of about three and a half hours. In stipulated period of 48 minutes, an average of 800 or 850 respiratory cycles could be completed. Thus, the whole calculation comes to nought. However, in the original text, the word used is 'pana' by which the knowledgeable could be hinting at the pulse vibration and not the respiratory cycles. By accepting this interpretation, the authenticity of the scriptural statement is well substantiated and the confusion in our understanding gets cleared.
This glaring example provides direct evidence of the fact that our interpretation of the scriptures cannot always be unmistakable and should serve as an eye-opener for us. Does it not imply for us to be humbler and more tolerant towards those who happen to maintain views not quite in agreement
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