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Chapter Five: On the Subject of Benefit, Why is the Term "Upgraha" Repeated?
The term "Upgraha" is repeated to demonstrate the fourfold nature of happiness, as mentioned earlier. The implication is that happiness, etc., are benefits bestowed upon living beings by other living beings.
**Specific Point:** In this section on benefit, the focus is on which substance benefits another and how. Therefore, the question arises: Can one substance benefit or harm another, distinct substance? If so, why is theism rejected in Jain philosophy? It is a well-established principle that the qualities and modes of one substance cannot enter another, distinct substance. Therefore, the idea that one substance can benefit another, distinct substance, becomes a matter of consideration.
Those philosophies that accept theism consider God as the efficient cause of every action. They argue that beings are ignorant and not masters of their own happiness and sorrow. They go to heaven or hell due to God's will. While it is acknowledged that beings experience these heavenly and hellish states, it is believed that God has a significant role in their attainment. If God desires, He can prevent beings from entering these states. If one substance is considered beneficial to another, then it would be tantamount to not rejecting theism. If this section on benefit has a different meaning, then its philosophical analysis is crucial. This point is further elaborated upon below.
All substances in the world possess their own qualities and modes. From the perspective of substance, they remain the same as they were in the infinite past, are the same today, and will remain the same in the future. However, from the perspective of modes, they are constantly changing. This change occurs within the limits of the substance. This is the nature of every substance. Therefore, any outcome that occurs in a substance is due to its own inherent capacity. A worldly being, bound by the substance of matter, attains liberation in due course, also due to its own inherent capacity. However, external factors are considered instrumental in the occurrence of this action, based on the inherent capacity of each substance. For example, a child has the capacity to learn, and when provided with the instrumentality of a teacher, books, etc., he becomes learned. Therefore, the teacher, etc., are instrumental in his learning. However, upon deeper reflection, it becomes clear that the teacher or books, etc., did not create intelligence in the child's soul. If these external factors had the capacity to create intelligence, then the teacher could have instilled intelligence in all the children who study under him. However, we observe that some remain foolish, some become moderately knowledgeable, and some become highly knowledgeable. On the one hand, a child cannot learn without a teacher, and on the other hand, if the child does not have the capacity to develop intelligence, then even with the teacher's best efforts, he will remain foolish. This shows that the teacher is instrumental in the creation of the action, but not the ultimate cause. In the belief in God, emphasis is placed on the role of the ultimate cause, while in this section on benefit, external instrumentality is acknowledged but not considered the ultimate cause. This is the intention behind the inclusion of this section on benefit.