Jain religion in a scientific perspective (fwd)

[Amardeep Salgia]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 14:19:15 -0600 (CST)
From: Amardeep Salgia <asalgia at ux4.cso.uiuc.edu>
To: jain-list at wavefront.com
Subject: Re: Jain religion in a scientific perspective 


Last December, someone inquired about sources on "Jain religion in a 
scientific perspective".  Though I do not know if Jung deals with 
Jainism in any of his works, there are several sources which together form 
an exellent introduction to the scientific laudability of Jain cosmology 
and psychology.

The book "Cosmology: Old and New" by the late Prof. G.R. Jain (Bharatiya 
Jnanpith, 1974) is an analysis of the fifth chapter of 
Acharya Umasvati's "Tattvartha Sutra".  Sentence by sentence, he explains 
the definitions of the Prakrit words and incorporates material from three 
other ancient works:  the "Dravya Samgraha", "Sarvartha Siddhi", and 
"Panchastikaya Sara".  He puts them through severe scrutiny in light of 
modern physics, and exposes many unique elements of Jain cosmology that are 
quite accurate, and indicative of their having origins in something much 
greater than mere philosophical speculation.  For myself, it has been a most 
influential work.

Another book is "Neuroscience & Karma:  The Jain Doctrine of 
Psycho-Physical Force" by Prof. Jethalal S. Zaveri and Muni Mahendra 
Kumar (Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, 1992).  The former author has 
also written "Microcosmology: Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern 
Science".  I am currently reading the first book, which appears to be 
a take off on some of G.R. Jain's postulates regarding karma-pudgal 
and the electromagnetic field that arises due to electical activity of the 
nervous system.  While we generally think of karma as the influx or 
shedding of material particles, both Jain and Zaveri show that in the 
Jain texts themselves primarily the word "karma-pudgal" is used, where 
pudgal denotes the continuum of matter and energy.  The publisher of 
these two works, Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, is addressed at 
"Ladnun - 341306 (Rajasthan, India)".

While many scholars of an anthropological background have contented 
themselves in styling Jain cosmology and psychology as philosophical 
developments of primitive anxieties regarding "environmental instabillity" 
and notions of birth, death, "good" and "bad", an individual of a 
scientific or engineering background would certainly hesitate to 
treat them as such.  One important point for all those interested 
in exploring Jainism's cosmology and psychology is that the Jain 
texts which have preserved this knowledge are very explicit.  The 
Acharyas of centuries ago said exactly what they meant, and we do 
not have to fabricate fancy translations of words, like some 
Vedantin Hindus and scientific creationists do.  

--
Amar Salgia
URH 224 Townsend
1010 West Illinois St.
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 332-4068
asalgia at uiuc.edu


On Wed, 13 Dec 1995:

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 02:07:07 GMT
> From: Mannish Kothari <wildfire at enterprise.ca>
> To: Members of the list <indology at liverpool.ac.uk>
> Subject: Jain religion in a scientific perspective
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I am looking for Scientific analysis of Jain religion in English.  
> Also looking for Carl Jung analysis of Jain religion.
> Does anyone know where it can be found ? 
> Please send it to me if you have it.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Mannish
> 
>  
> 
>