The Scientific Foundations of Jainism

By Mr. K. V. Mardia

In "The Scientific Foundations of Jainism" Prof. Mardia attempts to elucidate the point that Jainism is a science with religion. It brings together his attempts in a unified way. Four axioms are constructed which highlight the foundations of Jainism. For example, axiom 1 states that "The soul exists with karmic matter and it longs to be purified". These four axioms focus on the essence rather than on detail . After a very brief introduction to Jainism, the author introduces he axioms and discusses their theoretical and applied aspects and their plausibility in the modern context. The book presents Jaina logic together with present trends in scientific thinking and indicates how Jainism and modern science are related.

"Written by a modern thinker and a scientist with an international reputation in research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge, the Scientific Foundations of Jainism is valuable guide in understanding Jainism. Mardia refers to the Jain claim that one can see the whole truth of Jain science when one attains kevaljnana or infinite knowledge! His efforts to reveal to us the truth of Jain science in an understandable way provides a testimony to the vast amount of knowledge he must acquired through the diligent study of the literature on Jainism. The book will be of great value to Jains as well as non - Jains in understanding the emergence of a great religion to help us in seeking truth and understanding our existence and the purpose of life."

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Book Review By : Prof C. R. Rao, FRS, Pennsylvania State University, USA

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Mail to : Ahimsa Foundation
www.jainsamaj.org
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