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Microcosmology : Atom
same time without being fused. Thus, infinitely infinite ultimate atoms in the free state together with infinitely infinite number of aggregates are all accommodated in lokākāśa which has innumerable pradeśa only, and not infinite. This is because of the unique attribute of tremendous compressibility of pudgala. This view of Jains is in line with the discoveries of modern science that 99.97% of mass of an atom is condensed in its nucleus which occupies 500,000 billionth part of the space of the whole atom.
1 (b) PUDGALA IS A REAL EXISTENT
(c) PUDGALA IS A SUBSTANCE
The subject of Non-absolutist Realism of Jains as well as that of Substance, Quality and Modes have been already dealt within the previous section. Besides, it is proposed to deal with this again in the subsequent chapter. Hence, suffice here to repeat that pudgala is a real existent as well as a substance. As a real, it is both permanent as well as changing, and the change in attributes that occurs at every moment is due both, to its internal dynamic constitution as well as its interaction with other reals. The Jains emphasize that all these modifications are events in time, but as a substance, pudgalāstikā ya has timeless continuity of substancehood which is not an event in time. Whether it is ultimate free atoms or aggregates, the continuity of the substancehood in all its modifications is a fact.
A very simple example to explain the relation between the substance and its modes is that of conversion of a golden bangle and a golden ring by a goldsmith. In both, the specific qualities of the element gold inheres uniformly but the mutability of the gold to be transformed into different shapes and sizes makes it possible to become sometime a bangle and sometime a ring. This transformation of shapes is mutability and the shape for the time being is a mode. The bangle-mode can be destroyed to create the ring-mode, but the goldhood is permanent or identical in both.
1. IJ.T. (Gloss), 1/34.
