Omniscience a Fiction or a Fact

In “Omniscience: a Fiction or a Fact,” G.R. Jain explores whether the omniscience attributed to Jaina Tīrthaṅkaras can be defended in light of modern scientific understanding. He begins by noting that every thought is preceded by material vibrations in the brain; these brain waves are experimentally verifiable phenomena. Modern science has recorded and transmitted such waves, demonstrating that thoughts involve energy. Einstein’s discovery that mass and energy are interconvertible suggests that mental activity and subtle matter may interact. Jain theory of karmas postulates the association of extremely subtle karmic matter (karma vargaṇā) with the soul, and this provides a metaphysical framework for explaining how thoughts and knowledge are conditioned by material vibrations. The author distinguishes between mundane souls, which remain bound by karmic matter and subject to gravitation, and pure souls, which, when freed from karmic associations, rise spontaneously to the summit of the universe. Using the analogy of a hydrogen balloon rising through the atmosphere, he explains that the pure soul is lighter than matter and moves upward without a medium. Jain epistemology recognises five types of knowledge, culminating in kevala‑jñāna, a state of omniscience that “knows and sees all the substances, entire space, all the three‑time period and all the modes”. This omniscience is “pure, absolute, complete and infinite” and arises only when the knowledge‑obscuring karmas are completely destroyed. G.R. Jain argues that there are reasons to consider the omniscience of Tīrthaṅkaras plausible rather than fictional. He lists scientific discoveries—such as the existence of subatomic particles, gravity, the expansion of the universe and the structure of the atom—that were articulated in Jaina scriptures long before their modern discoveries, implying that the seers possessed extraordinary knowledge. He also points out that human beings exhibit extraordinary capacities like telepathy and clairvoyance (recognised by science as ultra‑short electromagnetic waves), which correspond to the intermediate Jaina knowledge types of avadhi and manahparyāya. If such faculties exist, the author contends, then full omniscience cannot be ruled out a priori. The article emphasises that kevala‑jñāna is not an intellectual accumulation of facts but an instantaneous, holistic awareness beyond the senses. While acknowledging that omniscience cannot be demonstrated empirically, Jain concludes that the convergence of scriptural testimony, philosophical coherence and scientific hints lends credibility to the Jaina claim. He invites readers to judge for themselves whether the Tīrthaṅkaras were omniscient, suggesting that open‑minded inquiry may reveal the depth of Jaina wisdom.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.