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[28] The *Prajñāpanā Sūtra* presents various classifications of *bheda-pra-bheda* (differences and sub-differences). The *Ajīva-prajñāpanā* classifies the *arūpī* (formless) and *rūpī* (formful) *ajīvas* and presents the various *vikalpa* (changes) that arise from the interaction of different colors, smells, tastes, touches, and substances. Ultimately, the entire *Prajñāpanā Sūtra* analyzes the various elements or substances that arise from the *jīva* (living being) and *ajīva* (non-living being). The *Jīva-prajñāpanā* and *Ajīva-prajñāpanā* are the two fundamental foundations of all the teachings of this scripture.
The definition of *rūpī ajīva* is: those that have form are called *rūpī*. Here, the inclusion of form implies the inclusion of taste, smell, touch, and substance by implication, because the existence of form alone without taste, smell, etc. is not possible. Every atom has form, taste, smell, and touch. Consider only the atom, it is only a cause, not an effect, and it is eternal in its substance form and impermanent in its modification form. It has one taste, one smell, one color, and two touches. It is not known through direct perception, but only inferred from its function as a *skandha*. Alternatively, the meaning of form is: touch, form, etc. are the objects of the mind, those in which they exist are called *manik* or *rūpī*. All the objects in the world that have form, etc. are included in the *rūpī ajīva*.
The definition of *prārūpī ajīva* is: those that do not have color, smell, taste, touch, etc. are called *prārūpī ajīva*. Since there are ten main categories of *arūpī ajīva*, its *prajñāpanā* is also said to be of ten types. The *skandha*, *deśa* (region), and *pradeśa* (sub-region) of *dharma-āstikāya*, *adharma-āstikāya*, and *ākāśa-āstikāya*, totaling ten categories.
The definition of *dharma-āstikāya* etc. is: *dharma-āstikāya* is the causal factor that facilitates the movement of *jīvas* and *pudgalas* in their self-motion transformation, it sustains the nature of the movement of *jīvas* and *pudgalas*. The meaning of *asti* here is *pradeśa* (region), the *kāya* (body) of those (astis) is the *āstikāya* (aggregate of regions). The *āstikāya* in the form of *dharma* is called *dharma-āstikāya*. The term *dharma-āstikāya* refers to the substance that is composed of countless regions of *dharma-āstikāya*. The *avayavī* (composed of parts) has a special form of *tathārūpa-saṁghāta-pariṇāma* (transformation of the aggregate of the same form), but there is no separate substance with a different meaning from the parts. The *deśa* (region) of *dharma-āstikāya* is the two, three, etc. regional divisions of the same *dharma-āstikāya* conceived by the mind. The *pradeśa* (sub-region) of *dharma-āstikāya* is the most refined *deśa* (region) conceived by the mind, a sub-division that cannot be further divided. *Adharma-āstikāya* is the opposite of *dharma-āstikāya*. That is, the abstract, countless-region-aggregate substance that helps in the state of *jīvas* and *pudgalas* in their state transformation is *adharma-āstikāya*. The *deśa* (region) and *pradeśa* (sub-region) of *adharma-āstikāya* are the two-region, etc. divisions of *adharma-āstikāya* conceived by the mind, and its most subtle division, which cannot be further divided, is the *adharma-āstikāya-pradeśa*. The *pradeśas* of *dharma-āstikāya* and *adharma-āstikāya* are countless, equal to the *pradeśas* of the *loka-ākāśa* (world space).
1. *Paṇṇavaṇā Sutta* (Original Text) Bha. 1, pp. 12-45
2. *Prajñāpanā Sūtra*, Malay. Vṛtti, Folio 8