Introduction

This doctrine has universal acceptance, all religions and cultures in the world believe that a person reaps good fruits for his good deeds and suffers in some way for his bad deeds. When the fruits will be obtained is not known, it may be in the near or far future. How this happens, can we know the process which is responsible for it? The answer is positive and we shall attempt to understand this process. Science has explored the laws of nature that govern the processes taking place in the physical world. Similarly, there are internal laws which govern the lives of living organism. Jainism is the only religion in the world which has explored these laws and has given an explicit description of the mechanism which inherently operates in every living being. The entire process takes place at such a subtle level that it is neither visible to the eyes nor it is perceivable by the normal intelligence of a person. Only the omniscient knows the true process that is going on in every living being continuously and uninterruptedly. This process known as the Doctrine of Karma, is the foundation of the Jain religion. The entire logic behind the Doctrine of Karma is scientific, in the sense that it is based on the cause and effect principle. The discoveries and findings of the modern science also fully support this doctrine. It is amazing to know that the discoveries made by modern science with vast knowledge of physical laws and highly sophisticated experimental facilities at its command agree with the observations made by Arihants and Rishis by their supernatural internal power of examination. The law of uncertainty says that position and velocity of a small particle like electron can not be known simultaneously but this limitation does not apply to omniscient observers. They know the reality as it exists and see the truth in its entirety. The Doctrine of Karma is based on the observations of the Arihantas and it is as true as death.

How correct was Mr. Leadbeater when he said “The way in which the Indians approach the subject, and the way in which their books are written, are somewhat the reverse of ours. They always descend upon it from above, as it were, and their great Rishis, scheming out the whole plan of the universe, say with the calm certainty of knowledge “Thus it must be.” We on the other hand, approach the subject from below, and patiently catalogue fact after fact over and over again, venturing to draw our deductions only after comparing the results of varied and repeated experiments and observations. But the point which I think should be of interest to you in India is that although their observations are made from so different a direction, the results agree precisely with the statements of your ancient books, thus offering a corroboration of the religious teachings which ought specially to appeal to the younger generation, because it comes along the very line in which their thought has been trained, the line of scientific enquiry.”