Science vs Jainism

This is what people think, in general:

"Science is something which makes people life comfortable. It find new avenues to create pleasure happiness in our lives. It understand the natural phenomenon, and strives to modify the nature to make human race happier- to fulfill their needs and desires."

However the solutions it provides, are actually not able to satisify the complete needs- because it only tries to provide local solutions to local problems. And this kind of solution seems to give quick results, but lose its meaning in a long term. Because the laws using which which solutions are found, are not comprehensive.

The nature is studied using sensory knowledge, which in general read only surrounding objects within some limitations. For example our eyes can see object within 0.1 mm to 100km range, and with the aid of microsocope they can go from (10 power -9) m to very large range like the diameter of a galaxy. However it can not understand the things in details beyond these limitations.

It can not understand the phenomeno, which are not experimentable/repeatable/verifiable in lab. For example:

1. Evidence of existence of soul by reincarnation evidences.
2. Karma theory: The karma particles are too minute to be caught by current microsocopes. And one can not co-relate results of karma with the deeds which bound the karma earlier, using any current scientific method.
3. Existence of Sidhha, who are beyond our sensory knowledge.
4. etc

With the weakness of science in understanding these phenomenas, it provides a limited solution according to its limited knowledge- which is actually not the right solution. While the right solution takes care of all the laws into account.

With its limited understanding Science tries to provide sensory pleasure, and comfortable life- but does not think about the solution to the disease of birth and death- and association with Karma.

Also the limited solution of making life comfortable is not the right solution, because it binds too much karma, and also gives unhappiness in the current birth. It results in increased desire for objects, which makes one suffer even more. And the solutions it finds usually involves killing of animal beings and plants- which is definitely not an optimum solution from the perspective of maintaining the nature. And it wipes away the compassion for animals/plants from the heart of the people who uses the products made by Science. Compassion is root of dharma, which brings good karma. And by indulging in Science's solution, one wipes away his compassion, and it brings bad karma.

Therefore solutions by science are wrong solutions because of the following reasons:

1. It does not incorporate all laws (cause and effect) relations while finding solutions.
2. It tries to bring pleasure in life, but finally end up increasing more desires. And hence more sufferings.
3. It's solutions do not follow Ahimsa. And hence using them results in influx of more bad Karma.
4. With its solutions, it brings more competition among nations for money, control.
5. Engineers/Scientist in the world has to work more, to brings advancement to the solutions of science. These days engineers/scientists work for around 8 hours a day. Earlier people used to work for 4 hours a day, and also had time to balance for Dharma Purusharth.
6. It wipes away the good qualities in society like compassion, satisfaction, celibacy etc.
7. Electricity: The electricity has made it possible for humans to move around in the night as well, which causes the death of so many small creatures (1-4 sensed beings).
   

Story on satisfaction

There was a young dog, named Tom. Once Tom was very hungry, not able to enjoy anything and just frustrated with hunger and tireness. Suddenly he found a piece of bone and grab that. He started chewing it. Bone was sharp so his inner mouth get hurt and it start little bleeding inside mouth. He love the taste of blood. He concluded its a bone that has all blood in it. He start chewing more and more and he keep getting more and more blood. He was enjoying it.

Suddenly one wise dog, name Sam, passed by. Sam looked at Tom and start laughing on him. He told Tom "you are fool, the blood you think you are getting from bone is actually your own blood and bone is infact hurting you rather than giving you anything else." Tom shouted on him "You are foold and jealous coz I have bone. When I didn't have bone, there was no blood. So it is obvious that it is coming from bone." Sam just left him alone and went on his way lauging on Tom's ignorance.

Now thats what happiness is all about. Its our own blood. We feel it is coming from some bone. We are not found a way how to taste it on our own and so we are depend on some or other bones.

Don't wait for any bones, just take the responsibility to make yourself happy. Slowly, happiness will become your nature and you won't need to depend on anything. There will no requirements then to be happy, its just that your existence itself is enough. Happiness is a default, if you see the child he is happy unless someone take his toy away from him. So there is some requirement to become unhappy. We have collected so many such requirements to unhappy that we forget happiness is our basic nature.

(.. extracted from a post on orkut discussion groups)