YJA Convention 2000 07 LA Fourth

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

Page 59

SCIENCE AND JAINISM
presented by Ojas Parekh
What is more important than this is the part played by this concept in Science. For Science, the world of reality is a system of energies. This dynamic conception of science has given a new dignity to the concept of motion. In spite of the unwarranted caution exhibited by physicists like E. Mach and Karl Pearson, modern physics has once again emphasised the importance and the reality of motion in understanding the mystery of Nature. Always looked upon with suspicion by idealistic metaphysics, the doctrine of Reality of motion has been welcomed by Realistic and scientific systems of thought.
What's the difference between a theory and a 'scientific fact'? Are we really comparing Jain philosophy to proven facts, or are we comparing it to theories that are always open to debate and not actually proven by modern science's own standards of evidence? What about the Big Bang theory? What are the 'holes' in this model of the universe's origins? How may the same data and observations be interpreted differently, and even more plausibly?
Why is it that one who readily believes in subatomic particles snickers at even the mention of karmic particles? Is Jainism full of any more bull than your textbooks? By exposing shortcomings of modern science which Jainism addresses, especially the recent uncertainty (both literal and Heisenberg's) veiling quantum mechanics, we aim to begin closing the validity gap, at least in your mind, between modern science and Jainism as tools of inquiry into the nature of truth and reality. We will also discuss how choosing a proper set of axioms, or values, allows one to use deductive reasoning in practicing Jainism.
But in order to accept the reality of motion of Physical objects the reality of space must be postulated. Thus motion in Jain doctrine is intimately associated with space and two other Categories with peculiar nomenclature, of dharma and adharma. We shall examine the Jain account of these three Categories
Reality of space is also a crucial doctrine to determine whether metaphysics is idealistic or realistic. Curiously the non-Jain Indian systems of thought do not pay any prominent attention to the problem of space. In fact the more influential Indian system of Philosophy, the Vedanta uses the term akasha indifferently to denote space and ether. It is the latter meaning that is more prominent. It is to the credit of the ancient Jain thinkers that they tool a bold attempt to attack the problem and that with great success. This fact is perhaps due to their special interest in mathematics. An adequate solution of the problem of space and time is intimately connected with mathematical philosophy. It is modern mathematics that has successfully reclaimed once again space and time from the destructive dialectic of the idealistic metaphysics. Space is indispensable to science and realistic metaphysics. The wonders of
modern science are all associated with the reality of space and what • is contained therein. Hence to "the Indian Realism" space cannot but
be real. Akasha is infinite extension. It accommodates all other real existences. On account of this accommodating function it has a portion which is filled with the other real objects. This portion is called lokakasha the world space because it is co-extensive with the world or Loka. Beyond that there is the infinite empty space which is shuddha ananta akasha.
Readings:
A.T.S:'s note on karma:
Modern science is now studying a phenomenon that actually appears to operate within living beings in ways comparable to the mechanism of karmic flux elucidated by Jainism. This is the measurable phenomenon of bioelectromagnetism. In laboratories across the globe a great deal of research in this area is currently underway. Europe's Bion Institute (www.bion.si) is leading the way in studying the effects of natural bioelectromagnetic activity on the behavior and consciousness of living organisms.
The interesting fact about this conception of space is the doctrine that space also is constituted by simple elements known as akashanu or spacial point. This akashanu is to space what pudgala-paramanu is to matter. And each akashanu is related to each pudgalanu. To borrow a convenient modern expression the class of space points and the class of material points are "similar having one to one relation".
Thinking About Physics From A. Chakravarty's introduction (1944)
to the Jain text Panchastikaya Sara www.geocities.com/Athens/Crete/9810/
JainIntro.html
Jain Metaphysics
The Concept of Motion
There are two important concepts in Jain metaphysics which are perplexing to students of Jainism, the astikayas and the dravya. The term astikaya is a compund name made up of asti and kaya which respectively mean existing and extensive magnitude. The other term dravya means the real that is fluent or changing. We shall try to explain these two concepts in detail.
Having accepted the reality of the physical, the Jains naturally accepted the possibility of real motion. Motion has always been an unintelligible perplexity to the Idealist. Both in the East and the West, idealistic thinkers have fought shy of this by taking refuge in the conception of maya or appearance. It is in the western system of thought that the conception figures prominent. Zeno trying to defend the unchangeable adamantine Absolute of Parminides introduced four invincible arguments against the reality of motion. These arguments were accepted as invincible for several centuries. They figure in some form or other in Kantian antinomies and Hegelian dialectic. Even Bradley draws upon Zeno's wisdom in his attempt to condemn the realities of concrete world to the limbo of appearances. As Mr. B. Russel points out the arguments are no more irrefutable in the light of modern mathematics. Hence Realism need not approach the problem with any misgivings. Reality of motion has thus obtained a standing ground in the field of modern philosophy.
The astikaya are five in number, jiva (soul), pudgal (matter), dharma (principle of motion), adharma (principle of rest) and akasha (space). These five build up the Cosmos. Space and matter are distinctly extended reals. Dharma and adharma are indirectly related to space. Their operation is in space and is limited by lokakasha. Thus they may also be considered as related to space. Lastly, Life is generally associated with body, the organic body constituted by pudgala or matter. Jiva is operative in and conditioned by such a physical medium. In a way therefore Jiva also is related to space. These five existences which have spaciality either directly or indirectly are the five astikayas. These are the consitituent elements of the universe or the world.
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