Source Book in Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001263
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Devendramuni
Publisher: Tarak Guru Jain Granthalay
Publication Year: 1983
Total Pages: 590
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 10 MB

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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
105
(omniscient knowledge). If that part of omniscience is also covered by the kārmic particles, it would become ajīva, but such a contingency never arise.
From the phenomenal point of view, jīva has the characteristic of growih, of intelligence and a state of existence like animal state etc. A machine can be made to eat food but it cannot make use of the digested food for its own development. There may be some machines which are self-controlled; for instance, a tarpedo has the capacity of moving on its own energy, but these machines cannot be produced by other machines nor do they produce such machines. They can be used. There is not a single machine which is self-skilled and self-producing. A railway train, for instance, can take tonnes of luggage and move, but it cannot fly like a bird. A bird has psychic energy which train or the machine does not possess. Therefore, the psychic energy is the criterion of distinguishing a living soul from non-living object.
MUKTA AND SAMSARI JIVA H 3
Jivas have been classified into two types as (1) mukta (liberated) and (2) saṁsāri (empirical jīvas). Both the types of jīvas are infinite in number. The sarsārī jīvas are to be classified into six types on the basis of the nature of the body they possess, as (1) Prthvīkāya (earth-bodied), (2) apkāya (water-bodied), (3) Tejaskāya (fire-bodied) (4) vāyukāya (air-bodied), (5) vanaspatikāya (vegetable kingdom) and (6) trasakāya (beings can move).
Except the trasakāya jīvas the other 5 types of jīvas can be distinguished into (1) gross (bādara) and (2) subtle (sükşma). The universe is filled with subtle jīvas. The gross-bodied beings cannot live without any support like the body and they reside in some parts of the universe. The number of the living beings which are earthbodied has been described with an analogy. If the living beings, contained in a lump of earth of the size of a fruit (āvalā), and if each living being were to get the body of the size of the dove, then the population of all the living beings in the lump will overflow the one lakh yojana of the jambūdvīpa.? 1 Nandīsūtra. 2 Addāămalagupamāne pudhavīkāe havanti je jīva.
Te pārevayamittà jambūdīve na māïnti.