Source Book in Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Devendramuni
Publisher: Tarak Guru Jain Granthalay

Page 28

À SOURCB-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
enables one to seek Truth through meditation while science tries to understand the mysteries of the world through experimental investigation. Science is analytic, while philosophy and darsana are synthetic in approach. The conclusions of science are only intellectual shorthands and are provisional, Scientific hypothesis are liable to be rejected. In fact, science proceeds to develop on the basis of the rejection of earlier hypothesis in favour of more acceptable forms. The Newton's law is no longer accepted today. Einstein's Theory of Relativity may also be overshadowed by a more cogent bypothesis at a later date.
Dargana is centred round the understanding and realisation of the self, while the main task of science is to comprehend the mysteries of nature. Dargana meditates on the Atman and Parātman. Science analyses the intricacies of nature and discovers the uniformities of the laws of nature. Darsana looks at the universe as a integrated whole. Scienc: attempts to comprehend the diverse aspects of the universe. Science looks at reality piecemeal. Darsana gives prominence to reason, meditation and intuition. On the contrary, science lays emphasis on analytical experience, experimental observation and deductive analysis. The conclusions of science are tentative in nature because they are subject to further investigations. Darsana gives a synoptic picture of reality and, therefore, it discloses the aspects of truth and not mere probabilities. Yet modern thinkers in their enthusiasm for understanding the nature have given exclusive importance to scientific investigations and analyses.
Darjana can be said to be the vision. It is the higher intuition by which realisation of the supreme reality becomes true. A scientist looks at reality through the external eye, although he uses reason and intuition to understand the nature of reality. A seer (dāršanika) transcends the ordinary perceptions of the outer eye and sees the highest reality through the inner eye. Darsana really enables one to understand the world and life in its entirety. As Matthew Arnold said : “Dargana looks at life steadity and looks at it as a whole." Thus, we find, Darsana embraces in its fold the manifold aspects of scientific knowledge and investigations and philosophical pursuits as well. Bertrand Russell observes "the utility of science is twofold-one is that it understands everything that falls within the field of its experimentation ; the other is that whatever is under