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 68

Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
nature of infinite knowledge, conation, bliss and energy. However, the worldly being does not have this intrinsic nature. He is defiled and shows an extrinsic form. The causes of defiling are known as mattergical karmas- that too by the maxim of remainder. It is observed that if other causes like desires, desirables, perverse duties and teachers etc. are taken for defilement, we have many more affirmative as well as negative transgressions which are undesirable. For example, a satisfied and tolerant man is not defiled by passions.
It has been mentioned that the inherent volition has three varieties. The aphorism 2.7 is intended to name them and characterise them
Jīva-bhavyā-abhabvyātvāni ca 2.7 There are three inherent volitions- (i) livingness (ii) liberatability and (iii) non-liberatability. The word 'ca' indicates many others not mentioned in the aphorism. 1. The three volitions of livingness, liberatability and non-liberatability are non-common to other realities. They are, thus, the specific and natural volitions of the soul. 2. They are called inherent volitions as they are not dependent on the realisation, destruction or destruction-cum-subsidence of karmas. There are no such karmas which could cause liberatability or otherwise of the living. These volitions are causes of eternal association with the soul. They are, therefore, called inherent volitions. 3. Q. The livingness is dependent on the realisation of life-span determining karma. It is, therefore, not an inherent volition. A. This is not correct. The longevitiy is a mattergic reality. If the livingness is dependent on association with mattergy, there are other realities like medium of motion and rest etc. which could also have livingness due to the same reason. However, they do not have the capacity of livingness,
Secondly, there will be possibility of the salvated beings called as nonliving as they do not have any association with the life-span determining karma. Thus, the livingness is not dependent on karma and it is an inherent volition. 5. Q. The term 'livingness' (jivatva) is grammatically derived as to mean the one who lives, who lived and who will live hereafter on the tri-timal basis. Thus, it is dependent upon vitalities which are due to karmic realisations only. Hence, the livingness cannot be called an inherent volition. A. The conventional derivations are grammatically root-based. They do not form the base of any principle or theory. It is just like the word 'gau' (cow) which is derived from the root 'gam' (to go), but it is neither always moving nor this act alone characterises the cow. 6. Alternatively, the word 'Jiva' (living) may be taken to mean 'consciousness'. This volition is eternal and, hence, inherent with respect to the living.
63