Book Title: Scientific Secrets of Jainism
Author(s): Nandighoshvijay
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad
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Scientific Secrets of Jainism
field of another magnet, like poles repel and unlike poles attract. A magnet influences another magnet or an object in its magnetic field. Similarly, thoughts of a living being influence the thoughts of other living beings nearby. Around every living being, there is an electromagnetic field. It is called an aura (abhamandal). With the help of Kirlian photography, this aura can be photographed. That is why our ancient sages said :
चित्रं वटतरोर्मूले, वृद्धाः शिष्या गुरुयुवा । गुरोस्तु मौनं व्याख्यानं, शिष्यास्तु छिन्नसंशयाः ।। citram vatatarõrmūlē, vrddhāḥ śişyā gururyuvā . gurõstu maunam vyākhyānam, śişyāstu chinnasamśayāḥ
[It is a surprise that among the ascetic monks sitting under the banyan tree, the disciples are old and the guru is young and it is a greater surprise that the guru's lecture is his silence which removes the doubts of the disciples.)
Thus, a mere company of a spiritually accomplished guru inspires spiritual development of his disciples.
In different sects of Indian spiritual tradition, the guru imparts blessings to his disciples in different ways. A blessing is a sort of transmission of energy. Generally, the disciple who seeks blessings, bows at the feet of the guru and holds guru's feet who offers blessings. Then the guru lays his hand on the disciple's head and blesses him. During this process, the electric current emitting from the guru's hand, passes through the disciple's head to his hands and as his hands touch the guru's feet, it passes into the guru's body. Thus as the electric circuit is completed, guru's energy passes into the disciple. In another tradition, the guru smells the disciples head. There also such a transmission of energy takes place.
In the Jain tradition, śramana Bhagavān Mahāvira was the twenty fourth Tirthankara and his first disciple was Śri Gautamasvāmi.' Their masterdisciple relation was famous. His original name was Indrabhūti and Gautama was the name of his family (Götra). But as great men are now-a-days known by their surname, sages of ancient times were known by the name of their Götra. He was, therefore, known in the Jain tradition as Gautamasvāmi and today also he is worshipped by the same name. As stated in Jain religious scriptures, when Mahāvirasvāmi was 42 years old and Indrabhūti Gautama was 50 years old, they met each other. Prior to their meeting, he
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