Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals

SR No.: 001656
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1999
Total Pages: 210
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Religion, & Biology
File Size: 13 MB

Page 108

(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(e)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
Water and othe liquids (Heterologous
or gaseous mixing)
Husks
Non-restraint (volitiona)
S.No.
1.
2.
3.
Weapons for air bodies
Heating
Mixing different directional airs
Blowing through fans
Water-bubbling (heterologous)
Fires
Cooling or chilling Non-restraint (volition)
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(ix)
The non-violent Jainas have a principle of eating only those things which have been rendered non-living by any of the above processes.
12. Every variety of five non-mobiles has been classified in four types detailed in the text. Out of them, the first two are non-living while the other two are said to be living. The current aphorism describes these last two species of the earth. Similarly, the two varieties of water etc. should also be taken here. 13. The vitality has not been mentioned earlier. The living beings are endowed with them and it is because of them, they are called 'vitalitied' (Prāṇīs). These vatialities are the essentials for the wordly beings. They are the sources of energies for various functions of life through metabolic changes. There are four vitalities in the non-mobiles out of ten as mentioned in the aphorism.
Non-mobiles
Earth bodied
Water bodied
Air bodied
14. Many texts have pointed out the shapes of the bodies of the five nonmobiles as below:
(i) The earth has a body-shape like lentil grain (ii) water has a body shape like (elliptical, spherical) water drop (iii) fire has a body shape like needles (iv) air has a body shape like a flag or kite and (v) the plants have a body-shape of infinite varieties.
Drying
15. This aphorist has not mentioned the varieties of each non-mobile.class, but many canons and procanons mention them. There seems to be some difference in enumeration of these varieties in different sources. Only the maximum and minimum numbers mentioned are given here :
Permeation
Mixing with water etc.
Non-restraint (volition)
20-40
5-19
6-19
103
Minimum-maximum
Total
48
19
19