Scientific Contents in Prakrta Canons

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 12

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whether academic honesty supports this attitude. Deep faith associated with timidity will, however, definitely favour it. This seems like a clear over-looking of instructions of the seers from Acārānga, Sūtrakrtānga, Uttarādhyayana, Niyamasāra, Pramānamimāmsā etc. to use the innate nature of curiosity and intelligence to examine the contents before acceptance by using the science of logic. The current 200-300 years have developed an additional tool of experimental examination. However, it has been pointed out that scriptures could be taken as authentic on issues which are out of bounds of logistics and experimentation.
Moreover, this trend of critique and intellectual examination could not be maintained in medieval period because of political circumstances, lack of better quality of genius as pointed by Shastri and sin-fearing attitude leading to conservatism and loss of multi-faceted growth of Jaina studies. The current scientific age requires re-adopting the forgotten critique type of attitude to re-establish the excellence by moving a little forward frorn the current static state and following basic canonical instructions and newer technics. Amar Muni has also hinged on this point.
The current age has two types of scholars including many sages-traditionalists and moderates. This has always been the case. However, the later category has been in acute minority. But it is the only category which is or has been wanted most and which carries the torch of knowledge ahead. The industrial revolution and literacy drive have added fuel to the firy mind resulting in increase of moderacy. They have now realised that though the traditionalism has maintained their system, they have also been instrumental in internal faith erosion and reduction in religiosity. If it has to be checked, larger number of moderates, logicians and scientifically grounded scholars must come forward to serve as newer commentators and prestige-earners of the Jaina system.
The moderates have a scientific outlook. They maintain