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living organisms. It remains animate until it is processed after which it becomes inanimate matter. This matter is therefore, the mass of bodies from which the souls have transmigrated. Thus when any living organism takes in a mineral, which is an essential constituent of nutrition for all living organisms from plants to human beings, it consumes the bodies of the earth-bodied organisms.
Similarly each and every drop of raw water, rain or dew, water in seas, rivers, lakes, wells etc. is animated by innumerable water-bodied living organisms. It remains animate unless it is processed, after which it becomes inanimate water. Thus, whenever any living organism consumes water, which is regarded most essential for sustaining life, it consumes the bodies of the water-bodied organisms.
The case of the intake of the bodies of the fire-bodied and air-bodied organisms is more complex. Let us first discuss the fire-bodied organism. It is true that no living organism on earth can consume live fire; but again we are not considering the intake of live fire but the bodies of the firebodied organisms. Now we know that in the process of photosynthesis, by which the green plants make carbohydrates by the combination of sunlight, water and carbon dioxide; sunlight is an essential ingredient. And we also know that sunlight is the energy, radiated in the form of heat and light, from the raging natural fire within the body of the sun. Thus energy cadiated from fire of any type, in the form of heat contains the bodies of the fire-bodied organisms. Also substances burnt by fire are the bodies of fire-bodied organisms.' Fire might be produced by any type of combustion or atomic fission or fusion.
Now let us consider the air-bodied organisms. The term used in Jain scriptures for them is ‘vāyu kāya' which literally means wind-bodied (organisms). The names of some kinds given in Uttarādhyayana are: squalls whirlwinds, thick winds, high winds, low winds etc. Basically all these imply moving air' and not stationary air. This means that when air moves, i.e., it becomes wind, it also becomes a yoni for the living organisms which take the air as their bodies and which are therefore called air
1. Bhagavatī Sūtra, Ch. 5, Sūtra 53.
JAIN BIOLOGY
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Jain Education International
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| SR No. | 006905 |
| Book Title | Jain Biology |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 2008 |
| Total Pages | 152 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 13 MB |