i | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and the Science of Genetics ii | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics About the Author D r . Sohan Raj Tater (b.1947) is presently Pro-Vice Chancellor of Singhania University, Pacheri Bari (Jhunjhunu), Rajasthan. Earlier, he served in Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Rajasthan, for 30 years, and took voluntary retirement from the post of Superintending Engineer. Also, he is Honourary Advisor to Jain Vishva Bharati University, Ladnun. A well-known scholar of Jainism, Dr. Tater has to his credit a good number of research papers published in national and international journals of repute. Also, he has participated in various seminars and conferences in India and abroad. iii | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and the Science of Genetics Dr. Sohan Raj Tater Edited by Dr. Narayan Lal Kachhara New Delhi iv | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics This publication is sponsored by Kothari Ashok Kumar Kailash Chand Tater, Jasol (Madurai) and their family members in the memory of their father late Shri Chandanmalji with the inspiration of their mother Mrs. Luni Devi. Copyright © Author All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, utilized, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The views expressed in this volume are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the publishers. First published 2009 Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd. Regd. Off Branch A-18, Mohan Garden 4735/22, Prakash Deep Building, Near Nawada Metro Station Ground Floor, Ansari Road, Daryaganj N e w D e l h i – 110 059 (India) N e w D e l h i – 110 002 (India) Phone: 011-2537 1324 Phone: 011-43549197 Fax: +91-1 1 -2537 1323 Fax: +91-1 1 -23243060 Email: [email protected] Web: www.readworthypub.com Cataloging in Publication Data–DK Courtesy: D.K. Agencies (P) Ltd. <[email protected]> Tater, Sohan Raj. The Jaina doctrine of karma and the science of genetics / Sohan Raj Tater. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ). Includes index. ISBN 13: 978-93-80009-02-5 ISBN 10: 93-80009-02-X 1. Karma. 2. Jainism--Doctrines. 3. Human genetics--Religious aspects--Jainism. I. Title. DDC 294.422 22 Printed at Salasar Imaging Systems, Delhi - 35 v | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics D E D I C A T E D T o Ganadhipati Shri Tulsi Motivational force behind My devotion in Jain Philosophy and Jain Religion and to Acharya Shri Mahaprajna Inspirational force behind my research work in Jainism and Science. vi | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics Blessing || Arham || Dr Sohan Raj Tater is a learned and right faithed votary. He has got an unending thirst of knowledge in his mind. The research made by him is the means of quenching his thirst of knowledge. Karmavāda is the most important principle of Jaina Philosophy. It gives elaborate explanation of life and life's regulating disciplines of each and every creature of the universe. The principle of gene is also entering in the same category. The comparative study of Karma and Genes is really worthy of quotation. Acharya Mahaprajna Asind (Raj.) 5th March, 2008 vii | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics Blessing || Yogya Dharma Labh || I bless and congratulate Dr Sohan Raj Tater for his research work on the subject "The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and the Science of Genetics." I hope that this book containing comparative study of karma and genes will prove most useful for research scholars of the globe. I thank Dr Tater for adoration of right knowledge. Acharya Padmasagarsuri Padru (Raj.) 14th March, 2008 viii | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics Blessing and Congratulation By virtue of his hard work and unrelenting search for wisdom, Dr. Sohan Raj Tater came up with an astonishing research work, 'The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and the Science of the Genetics', which is a great achievement in the direction of unifying science and religion. It would serve as a torchbearer in the realm of both spirituality and science. His research work will carve a niche for him not only in the academic world but also in the world society. Here is an extract from his research work, which would showcase the vitality and validity of his work. "I have tried my level best to compare karma with different genes situated on DNA of a chromosome taking in consideration the characteristic of both karma and genes. I arrived at the conclusion that karmas are cause and genes are their effect (fruits). Karmas direct, instruct and motivate genes to function and mutate accordingly during their rise. Karma is a component of subtle body i.e. karma śarīra and gene is a component of gross body. I propose that karmas possibly play their role in gross body of living organism with the help of genes. I have tried my level best to bring spirituality nearer to science." Dr. Sohan Raj Tater has done great good to humanity in general by having taken up a research, which blends the great Blessing and Congratulation | ix doctrines of Jainology with the recent scientific developments. I hope that his research findings will play a vital role in imparting the important knowledge to all and sundry. Acharya Kanaknandi Sagvada (Rajasthan) 28th November,2007 x | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics xi | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics CHIEF MINISTER RAJASTHAN 26 APR 2008 MESSAGE I am glad to know that Dr. Sohan Raj Tater has done work on the subject "The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and the Science of Genetics." He is going to publish book of the same, comparative study of Karma and Genes will prove useful for human masses of globe as a whole in solving their day-to-day problems. I wish him all success for his academic work. He should come forward to bring spirituality nearer to science with his further academic work for the benefit of mandind. I wish the publication all success and hope that it will be useful for philosophers as well as for scientists too. xii | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics Key to Transliteration Vowels and Diphthongs अ a उ u ए e आ ā ऊ ū ऐ ai इ i ऋ ओ o ई ī ॠ r̥̄ ऑ ô ऌ औ au Consonants Gutturals Palatals Cerebrals Dentals क ka च ca ट ṭa त ta ख kha छ cha ठ ṭha थ tha ग ga ज ja ड ḍa द da घ gha झ jha ड̣ ṛ a ध dha ङ ṅa ञ ña ढ ḍha न na ढ̣ ṛ h a ण ṇa Labials Semivowels Sibilants A s p i r a t e प pa य y a श śa ह ha फ pha र r a ष ṣa ब ba ल la स sa भ bha व v a म ma Conjunct Characters � kṣa � jña and others similarly A n u s v ā r a Anunāsika Visarga Avagraha ◌ं ṃ ◌ँ n̐, ◌ः ḥ ऽ ’ (apostrophe) xiii | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics Foreword The history of investigating truth is very old. Historical and pre- historical metaphysicians, philosophers and modern scientists have incessantly made an effort to know the universal laws of nature. In the East, the philosophy and science were not thought to be as altogether unrelated. In the West, they remained hostile and polarized. Surprisingly, the modern physicists and biologists have opened up new frontiers of unprecedented human progress to help philosophers to solve their problems. One of the problems is of karma vis-a-vis genetic engineering. The author of this book Dr Sohan Raj Tater, who is Mechanical Engineer by profession and a scholar of Jainism, has brought forward in his research work the comparative studies on genes and karma. This is perfectly a new attempt in this field. The studies on g e n e s are comparatively new and the construction code of genes is yet to be cracked down. On the other hand, there is enormous literature available on karma in Jainism. The author has, therefore, dealt with genetic engineering and karmic concept of Jainism separately in the first two parts and later on compared them. He has succeeded in accomplishing certain linkages between karma and genes. According to biological sciences, gene is a part of chromosome (made up of DNA) and is made of chemical proteins. The word 'chromosome' is made up of two Greek w o r d s — chromo (colour) and soma (body). Biologists have established that the coded information is carried from generation to generation by the genes. A group of genes f o r m i n g chromosomes determines the inherited properties. These chromosomes are the vehicles through which the hereditary qualities migrate from older to the new generation at the time of fertilization. xiv | The Jaina Doctrine of Karma and The Science of Genetics According to Jainism, the principle of karma, called karmavāda, is the backbone of the entire Jain Philosophy. Karmas are the blue-print of one's past deeds on which the edifice of present can be constructed and the future course can be charted.