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into two realms: Loka and Aloka. the world of loka consists of three divisions (1) the upper ( urdhva loka ) (2) the middle ( madhya loka ) (3) lower ( adholoka ). In the upper division are celestial beings, in the second are men and other creatures and in the lower are the denizens of the hell. 8
Beyond the world of loka is an eternal infinite, formless, inactive worid perceptible only by omnisciences. This is the world of aloka, which contains one substance. Loka and Aloka are shortend forms of lokakasa and alokakasa.9
ughts or feelings of others, poss. essed only by those who have mastered the self-control and who have restrained the body, mind and speech Kevala Jna na
It is knowledge of a pure and perfect type, possessed only by those who have eliminated all karma and hence are omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.? This knowledge, which is inde. pendent of the senses, which can only be felt and not described is clearly a non-naturalistic element in the Jaina theory of knowledge.
This non-naturalistic belief that we possess the knowledge of any object, much before we see it, is the unique feature of Jaina epistemology. Cognition is merely the necessary condition to remove the veil from the knowledge we already innately possess. The removal of the veil, however, depends not only upon the sense organs coming into contact with an object, but also upon the karma of the individual. And ultimately, if the individual had no karma he would see the object without contact. Certainly this feature of Jaina epistemology is non-naturalistic.
This kind of epistemological position of Jainism leads us to discuss the question whether this is compatible with its naturalistic mataphysics or not? Jainism divides everything in the universe
One should not attempt to differentiate the natural from the non natural and if ong does he will not arrive at a precise division of natural from the nonnatural, because, we do not find a basic division in Jainism between the celestial world and the natural world of men and other creatures. The Jainas admit the existence of a clearly defined non-natural world only perceptible by omniscient Kevalins. The final airn is to “medi. tate” on the siddha--the soul which is be rest of the bodies produced by eight kinds of karma which is the seer and knower of Loka and Aloka, which has the shape like a human being and which stays at the summit of the universe. 10
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| SR No. | 524503 |
| Book Title | Tulsi Prajna 1975 07 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Mahavir Gelada |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 1975 |
| Total Pages | 116 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Tulsi Prajna, & India |
| File Size | 7 MB |