YJA Convention 1996 07 San Francisco CA Second

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 10

happiness and misery that will exist in each sector and the trends that will be followed. The cycle has two halves: a progressive half and a regressive half.
Resperance of Tirthantare
Tablet
One Jain Universal temporal cycle (dock-wue) and circular histogram o. the level of happiness and misery th = happiness, m = misery, in shaded area): a broken are indicates very large periods. The regressive half-evek from the point P.
We have progressed 2,400 years into the fifth time-section which is 21,000 years long The cycle dictates that in approximately 39,600 years we will enter into the progressive half of the time-cycle. It will not be for about another 81,600 years that Thirthankaras such as Mahavir will appear again and omniscients will impart their knowledge again to society in the Airavata sector of the Universe.
The Jain time cycle is based on the knowledge imparted by omniscient saints. The different inhabited parts of the universe outlined by Jain cosmology also fall under the rules and regulations of the time cycle, however, different inhabited worlds are in different phases of the cycle in such a manner that at any given time there is always one Thirthankarà occupying a mortal body somewhere in the universe.
The heavens, hells, and other regions of the universe are independent of this time cycle.
"New Age" Substantiation of Jain Philosophy
Athough the Jain karma theory, cosmology, and time cycle cannot yet be fully substantiated by western scientific principles, experiments of an alternative nature find Jain philosophy on these matters very compelling. The "new age" fields of parapsychology, hypnotism, and psychic phenomena provide strong evident of a different nature.