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The chasm between Religion
and Science is quite deep. This is because the scientific mind does not
like to accept anything that cannot be experimentally proved while the
religious mind needs no proof for anything laid down in the sacred
scriptures. The chasm has, unfortunately, prevented mutual interaction,
preventing each of them to be benefited by a constructive study of the
other side of the chasm.
The wisdom buried in the Jain scriptures and other ancient literature
produced by the Jain savants is unlimited. Students of Jainology
admit that, many problems of human interest would remain unresolved in
the absence of a study of this literature. Regrettably, however,
interpretation of this vast literature in modern scientific terms is
rather in a scrappy and haphazard form. This essay is an humble attempt
to build a small bridge across the chasm with a hope that, "new,
interesting and the most fruitful developments will take place" as said
by Werner Heisenberg.
Bhagavan Mahavira, being an omniscient, directly apprehended the entire
reality and being able to distinguish between what was animate and what
was inanimate, he recognized, identified and enumerated six NIKĀYA—groups
of living organisms. Of these, only two, the mobile organisms with
organic bodies and endowed, more or less perceptibly, with the ability
of voluntary motion (trasakāya) and the plants (vanaspatikāya), and
recognized by science. The other four groups of living
organisms—earth-bodied, water-bodied, fire-bodied, and air-bodied—are
not accepted by it. Bhagavan Mahavira, however, clearly recognized the
psychical entity in these four elements and declared them to be animate,
adding that these four were much more primitive, i.e., the development
and evolution of consciousness in these four were of a very low degree.
Nevertheless, they were living organisms and belonged to the psychical
order of existence and not to the physical order and it was positively a
sinful act to kill or injure them. He not only stressed their existence
but threw enough light on their ability to experience pain, their
life-span and other characteristics also. The minimum span of life
of the earth-bodied organisms is an antara-muhūrata only while the
maximum duration is twenty-two thousand years.
Their bodies are made-up of molecules of different varieties of earth
which also serve them as the sense-organ of touch (which as we know is
also the sense-organ of pain). While this consciousness of touch (and
pain) is well developed and distinct, the other faculties are latent and
indistinct. These organisms breathe and nourish themselves through their
bodies, take in earth, water, fire and air.
Preaching of 'ahimsā' (non-injury) is the most important contribution of
Bhagavan Mahavira, inspired by infinite reverence for life. The vow of
ahimsā is regarded the principle vow while the other four vows of
truthfulness etc. are subsidiary ones to help the fulfillment of ahimsā.
But the essence of ahimsā is the knowledge of what is animate and what
is not. The basic scriptural knowledge is the science of living
organisms— the six nikāyas and non-injury to them. Killing, crippling,
mutilating or the most primitive earth-bodied organisms in anyway is
sinful. Ahimsā is thus interpreted as—abstinence from imposing
pain on kind of these six nikāyas.
---Muni
Mahendra Kumar. |
Biology (bios = life
and logos = knowledge) is the science of the psychical order of
existence, i.e., the living world. Living organisms are of many kinds
and for proper study they have to be classified. All living organisms
are broadly classified under three forms, viz. microbes, plants and
animals. Thus the principal fields of study under Biology are Botany,
Zoology, and Microbiology. And hence Biology itself is divided into two
branches, viz. Botany—study of plants and Zoology—study of animals.
Microbiology includes study of micro-organisms, both plants and animals.
Viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi, and amoeba like protozoan are some of
the pies of microbes. Viruses are so small that they cannot be seen with
the light microscope. Electron-microscope is used fortheir study.
Bacteria are simple unicellular microscopic organisms. Algae are aquatic
plants. Fungi are cellular or filamentous plants. Protozoa are small
microscopic unicellular organisms.
Biology and the allied
fields of study have also helped us in wiping out some superstitious
beliefs. Smallpox, for example, was for a long time thought to be a
curse of an angry goddess. However, it is definitely known now that
smallpox is a viral disease and it can be checked and cured. Study of
Biology has thus made our life happy and comfortable. Study of Botany is
valuable for :
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It enables man
to appreciate his dependence upon plants and his place in
nature.
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It enriches
the cultural life of man and enhances the aesthetic appreciation
of plants.
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It forms a
necessary informational background for students preparing for
careers in horticulture, agronomy, bacteriology pharmacology,
etc..
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Author: Jethalal S.
Zaveri (B.Sc.,DII.Sc., F.I.S.I.), and Prof. Muni Mahendra Kumar (B.Sc.
Hons.), Honorary professor, Jain Vishva Bharati University.
Website: www.jvbi.ac.in
Landline phone : +91-1581-222110, 224332
E-mail: office@jvbi.ac.in |
Book Available at:
Source: Publishers:
Jain Vishva Bharati University
Ladnun - 341 306 (Rajasthan, India).
Published: 28.08.2009 |
