YJ International Newsletter 2005 Vol 22 No 01

Author(s): Young Jains (UK)
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 35

Modern Science and the Four
Noble Truths of Jains
By K. V. Mardia
because cloning only provides a surrogate mother, so the fundamental Jain principle is still valid.
essentials (the three Jewels plus Right Austerity). These four essentials are analogous to the eightfold path of Buddhism. Thus the aim to provide a symbolic representation of key ideas for focus is very traditional. Further these four noble truths of Jain Dharma are reminiscent of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism (Suffering exists, suffering arises from attachment to desires, suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases, freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path).
This concept in turn leads to an explanation of the cycle of birth and rebirth through the karmic matter (Truth 3). We keep on absorbing these karmons through activity, and throw some out after their effect has taken place. Thus the soul has a Karmic Computer attached to it. This personal karmic computer keeps all the records - it also dictates some tasks from previous records, i.e. past lives. The fundamental aim in life is of removing this old karmic matter as well as stopping the inflow of the new karmons which results in new karmic matter. So this karmic process can be stopped and rehabilitated through Jainness. One of the key negatives responsible for (heavy) karmic matter (Truth 4A, 4B) is kashaya (destructive emotions): kashaya is composed of Anger (A), Greed (G), Ego (E), and Deceit (D) which has an apt acronym AGED (introduced by Gurudev Chitrabhanu). Indeed, the term Jain stands for the one who has conquered these inner enemies. Surprisingly, Albert Einstein's idea of a true religion is as follows (in Nature, 146, 1940):
I have given here only a few insights but there is also a whole field of Jain logic. For example, Jainism believes in the principle of conditional predication (Syaadvaada) so that everything is conditioned by our knowledge at a particular time - and there is nothing absolute. Nonabsolutism principles in science have been propounded by one of the greatest logicians of the last century - Karl Popper. Also Jain logic recommends relativity in thinking on the holistic principle called Anekantavada. In fact, relativity in thinking and open-mindedness is needed for a true Jain and thus the label Jainism is a misnomer for what is Jainness/ Jain Spirit. It is extremely important to reinterpret the foundations of Jainism with new scientific findings. This correlation is very vital between old works and new since some of the answers that we seek now were given many centuries ago but it can only be made once we understand the basics of Jain science as well as understanding basics of modern science. All this can only be achieved by young beautiful minds!
"... a person who is religiously enlightened appears to me to be one who has, to the best of his ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires
Further reading:
There has been considerable work on understanding these emotions in the present time, including the rise of interest in emotional intelligence or EQ (Emotional Quotient) versus the old Intelligence Quotient (IQ). One of the key factors in EQ is to achieve emotional intelligence (this is similar to samvayaktva or first awakening, the fourth purification stage in Jain gunasthana). One of the key qualities in EQ is empathy, that is, the ability to sense how other people feel. It is the ability to accept another person's feelings. We may call it the ability to listen to others without getting carried away by personal emotions, to be able to distinguish between what others do or say, and one's own personal judgments. This is the definition of a shravak (term used to name a Jain layman and meaning a great listener').
Chandaria S. (2003). Review of The Scientific Foundations of Jainism by K.V. Mardia. Jain Spirit, Issue I, March-May 2003, pp56-57. [http://www.maths.leeds.ac.uk/~sta6kvm/Jainism.htm
Einstein, A. (1940). Science and Religion. Nature, 146. Pp605-7. Mardia, K.V. (1990). The Scientific Foundations of Jainism. Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi (several editions, latest reprint 2007), ISBN: 81-208-0659-1. (Hindi Translation: Jain Dharma ki Vigyanik Adharshila. 2004. Parsvanath Vidhyapitha, Varanasi. ISBN 8186715-71-1).
©K. V Mardia, University of Leeds
The question arises whether there have been previous attempts to synthesise Jain principles. Indeed, these noble truths are connected to the three Jewels of Jains. Noble Truths 1, 2 and 3 deal with Right Knowledge; Noble Truth 4 deals with Right Conduct; belief in these four Truths taken together represents Right Faith. In deva-puja (temple-worship) a composite Swastika is used where the cycle of birth and rebirth, and the four different states of existence is the first layer (Truth 3), the second layer (depicted as three dots) is the representation of the three Jewels (four truths as a whole) and the last (shown as a crescent with a dot) is Moksha (Truths 1. 4). Note that there are other symbolic summaries. For example, Siddha Chakra (Circles of Jinas) which has the nine dignitaries (Novapada); five supreme beings of Jains, and the four
Kanti Mardia is Research Professor in Statistics at Leeds University, eminent scholar of Jainism and a leader of the Jain community in Yorkshire. He has been involved with Young Jains since its inception in 1987.
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