Studies on Biology in Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Z_Sumanmuni_Padmamaharshi_Granth_012027.pdf

Page 14

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Glory of Jain Culture
has two varieties - (1) This-worldly death (2) Continuual death. This worldly death means destruction of vitalities while continuual death seems to mean everlasting process of cellular destruction and regeneration or continuual loss of particles of life span karma. There may be natural death, there may be accidental death. There may be fool's death, there may be prudent's death or there may be holy death. The texts describe 17 causes of death including physical and psychical (fear, sorrow, pains etc). and demigodal ones. The T.S. 2.53 mentions that some class of excellent persons may not have accidental death and that death may be delayed by Ayurvedic treatments.
Table 9: Death in Canons and Biology S. No. Canonical
Details
1.
Characteristics
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
30
Types
Causes:
Physical Psychological
Demonical
Euthanasia
Death delay
Full span of life
Transmigration
Destruction of vitalities
5; Natural, accidental, demonical continual, holy
14
2
1
Not mentioned
Medication, Meditation
Excellent-bodied, Long-lived
Yes
The death process is also described by medical biologists. They also tell us it is a natural phenomena caused due to internal or external physical factors like accidents, failure of body parts, suicide etc. and many psychological factors as indicated in Canons. However, they do not approve of demonical death, it being taken as a form of psychological death. They point out that at normal death, there are certain changes like (1) Stoppage of cellular regeneration processess (2) Zeroing of bio-electrical charges of the living beings so that circulatory systems stop functioning and (3) Stoppage of heart beat etc., as given in the Table 9 below.
Biological
(1) Stoppage of cellular regeneration (2) Zeroing of bio-electric charges. (3) Failure of body parts etc. Clinical death, brain death
10
2
Rarely permitted
Medication, Meditation, Under-eating, Telomer reducing neurological defects etc. No restriction
Can't say
Chilling, control,
Studies on Biology in Tattvartha Sutra (Formulae on Reals)