Defiition of Living in Jain Cannons An Evaluation

SR No.: 250072
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N L Jain
Publisher: Z_Umravkunvarji_Diksha_Swarna_Jayanti_Smruti_Granth_012035.pdf
Publication Year: 1988
Total Pages: 19
Language: English
Classification: Article & Criticism
File Size: 2 MB

Page 4

Definition of the Living in Jaina Cannons: An Evaluation / 359
Upayoga as Characteristic of the Living
Besides the above thought activities, Umaswati has also Upayoga as a characteristic of the living. It is taken as the capacity to see and know. This is termed consciousness, sensivity irritablity or chaitanya. He has only one term for all of them. But his teacher Kundkunda19 has used two terms seperately-upayoga and chaitanya in many places proclaiming some difference between the two seemingly synonymus terms though he has used only one term in Niyamsara 20 which seems to have been followed by Umaswati. Does this dual terminology have some bearing on the order of his many composition? Jain, SC has discussed this point and has opined that the two terms should be taken in terms of capacity and functional aspects perception and knowledge.
The literature reveals some difference regarding the meaning of the term consciousness. While, Umaswati has only knowledge and perception meant by it, Devsen (10th century) keeps them seperately from it in his six specific qualities of the living. Bhagvati and Akalankaas include bliss and. strength etc. also in this term assuming they are part and parcel of this quality. The term thus could be assumed to represent generality of the attributes distinguishing the living from the non-living. Mehtaaa also opines that the term should include all the four infinities as specificity of the living. This should be taken as correct interpretation. Rajmalla 24 has mentioned two types of consciousness due to knowledge and action particles. This requires elaboration.
It is observed that there seems some difference in the meaning of the term Cheta in Bhagvati and Panchastikaya. While it means collector of the action particles in the former, the latter has consciousness meant by it. Assuming the earlier one as the older cannon, it leads to a guess that consciousness was not a very clearout basic property of the living in the early philosophical development. Does this mean that the Jaina theory was in agreement with the NV theory in the beginning? When was the concept of concommitant consciousness evolved in the Jaina philosophy? This is a point for further scrutiny. Do the two terms specifying the living used by authors have some point to make in this regard ?
Classification of the Attributes
All the attributes of the living found in Cannons and described above may be termed specific in current terms. It seems that the term Dravya (or reality) was not a Jaina coin as Kundkunda starts his description with five Astikayas (Existences) and Umaswati with "Tattwas". As the teacher25 points out later these existences attain the reality by their property of permanance through change. So also. his worthy disciple calls the living as Dravyaat quite a late stage in chapter 5 in place of first. It was
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