________________
112
A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
These functions are not purely physiological. But they have the psyche as a spring cord. Experience is a criterion of the psychic energy and experience is neither to be identified with the physiological processes nor to be associated with them, although physiological processess are the basis of psychic activity. Even when certain physiological function do not operate, it cannot be said that the person does not experience the pleasures or pains, although he is not able to communicate his experiences to others. In the Agama literature it has been mentioned that a jiva does experience various experiences pleasant or unpleasant in the series of affix lives. One is blind, one is dumb, one is deaf and similarly one may be suffering from incurable diseases. If such a being is tortured by sharp instrument, he may not be able to communicate to others because of his dumbness and blindness etc., but he does suffer immeasurable feelings of pain. Such feeling of immeasurable pain is also experienced by Sthavarakaya Jīvas, but having no sense-organ to express, they cannot express their misery.
3
ORIGINAL FORM OF CETANA
Regarding the nature of cetana the philosophers have expressed two different views. According to one view, it is said that life cannot be produced from object. Life-force is equally real, independent and beginningless. Louis Pasture has shown by experimental investigation that life is a force by itself.
Louis Pasture carried experiment in this connection.
vaccum.
He took a bowl of glass, and kept some inanimate objects in it. He saw to it that no animate object, not even an egg is kept in the glass. Then he gradually removed the air inside the glass, and made it into a In this state no minute organism accumulated there even after a very long time. But when same objects were kept in the open for some days and it was found that some animate infinite small organisms were deposited on the surface of the object. From this, it was clear that the atmosphere contains infinite number of minute organisms fleeting in the air and they are deposited on the objects.
According to another view, it is maintained that life can be generated from inanimate objects. Some scientists like Freud, Russian lady scientist Lapesinskeya and the atomic scientist like Deraldure and his assistant Stanley Millar have suggested that life can be generated from the inanimate objects.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org