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6. Atisūkśma like ultimate particles that are even smaller than the karmic particles.
Matter has countable, uncountable, and infinite number of spacepoints (pradeśa). These numbers are based on the number of clusters or skandhas. Paramāņu is called apradesī or without space-points. This is because it has just one space point and one is not considered to be a number, it is the unit of numbers.
In Jain philosophy matter (pudgala) has been discussed in great detail. Any substance perceived through or experienced by sense organs is called paudgalic (material) or Pudgala janit (composed of matter). For example, body, speech, mind, breath (inhalation and exhalation), sound, light, darkness, and shadow all these are made of matter. All things that can be fixed, have the attributes of minuteness, largeness and form, and can be divided are called material things or things composed of matter.
The entities Dharma and Adharma - That which provides the external efficient cause (nimitta karaṇa) to the movement of soul and matter is called dharma dravya or the principle of movement. An analogy is water being the external efficient cause of movement of a fish. The movement of a fish is self-generated but water acts as a helping medium in that movement. In the same way the principle of movement acts as a helping medium in movement of soul and matter.
In the same way soul and matter stay at a place or stop moving of their own volition but the Adharma dravya or principle of rest provides the external efficient cause. For example someone is walking in sun. He finds the shade of a tree and stops. The tree did not stop him. The person stopped of his own volition. But the shade is the external efficient cause for his stay. In the same way the entity Adharma is an external efficient cause for stopping of soul and matter.
Both Dharma and Adharma dravyas are unitary entities. They have infinite space points and extend to the whole Lokākāśa or occupied space.
Akāśa Dravya - The entity that allows all other entities to occupy itself is called Akāśa dravyas or space.
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| SR No. | 001605 |
| Book Title | Introduction to Jainism and its Culture |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Balbhadra Jain |
| Publisher | Kundkund Gyanpith Indore |
| Publication Year | 2002 |
| Total Pages | 334 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Religion, & Culture |
| File Size | 21 MB |