Scientific Secrets of Jainism

Author(s): Nandighoshvijay
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

Page 376

345 Normally, philosophy and religion on one hand, and science, on the others, belong to different fields since philosophy is based on thinking and reflection and science on experience. But Albert Einstein himself noted in 1940 that both sides were not totally incompatible.
Einstein wrote in an article, Science & Religion, in Nature magazine 57 years ago that Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. Science is the attempt at the posterior reconstruction of existence by the process of conceptualisation.
The task is ambitious. For instance, an article in the book, on some shortcomings of the theory of special relativity according to Jainology, the Muni has made an attempt to point up drawbacks in Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity (STR) by putting forth arguments derived from the interpretation of Jain philosophy, with support from the hypothesis on the existence of "tachyon" which are currently postulated to have a velocity higher than light.
Einstein's theory being challenged by many scientists too, but, as Mr. P. Tewari, an officer of the Atomic Energy Comınission's Nuclear Power Board, has noted the reasons for the refutation by others were more profound and subtler than what was put forth in the Muni's paper,
Nandighoshvijayji hinself says that "Since I am Jain Muni, there are many limitations regarding practical work, I have not tested the scientific) principles in Jain Philosophical treatises, practically. I arrived at the conclusions on the basis of natural phenomena and social experience...... The research paper are only theoretical."
Nevertheless, he thinks that since many scientific principles lay hidden in ancient Jain treatises, it is very necessary to represent these in the modem world.
Acknowledging that this was too tall an order for a single individual, he fells that science has not discovered the complete truth yet. Eventually, in pure sciences such as inathematics, conceptualisation played an important role.
The immediately perceptible merits or otherwise apart, Muni Nandighoshvijay appears to be set on a life-time course of comparative studies of scripture and science, What he inscribed on a copy of his book summed up his inotto: " Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do."
(The Times of India, Ahmedabad, Saturday, August, 2, 1999)
Jain Education International -