$JES 302 Jain Philosophy Level 3 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 77

SIX SUBSTANCES PART II - NON-LIVING SUBSTANCES (Ajiv) Paramänu or Anu (atom): When the smallest portion of the matter is separated from its Skandha, it is called Paramänu or anu. Paramänu matter cannot be further sub-divided, cut, or pierced.
Karma or Karmic Matter (Karma Pudgal): Karma is one of the categories of matter. It is known as karmic matter (karma Pudgal). Karma particles are of very fine matter and are not perceptible to the senses. The entire universe is filled with such karmic matter. Karmic matter from eternity covers every living being. It is the karmic matter that keeps the soul from the realization of its true nature. It is due to karma that one feels pleasure and pain, reincarnates into different forms of life, acquires a certain type of physical body, and the duration of life.
Käl (Time) Käl means time, which measures changes in living beings and non-living substances. It is not the cause of such changes. A child becomes a young person, a young person becomes an old person, and the old person dies. In other words, something, which is new, becomes old, worn, and torn over a period of time. All of these changes do not happen because of time. Käl is merely the measure of time, over, which those changes occur. The past, present, and future are different modes of time and are measured in terms of years, months, days, hours, minutes or seconds. According to what is commonly known for all practical purposes, a second is the smallest measurement of time. Jainism however, recognizes a very tiny measurement of time known as Samay, which is an infinitely small part of a second.
Two views exist in Jainism with regards to time.
(1) Time is an imaginary thing; it has no real existence. (2) Time has a real existence consisting of innumerable time atoms.
The smallest indivisible portion of time is called Samay. Combination of Samays are called moment, second, minute, hour, day, month, year, etc.
Innumerable Samays 16,777,216 Avalis 30 Muhurts 15 days 2 fortnights 12 months 5 Years 8,400,000 x 8,400,000 years Innumerable years 10 x 10,000,000 x 10,000,000 Palyopams 10 x 10,000,000 x 10,000,000 Sägaropams 20 x 10,000,000 x 10,000,000 Sägaropams
One Ävali (time required to blink an eye) One Muhurt (48 minutes) One day One fortnight One month One year One Yuga One Purva (70,560,000,000,000 Years) One Palyopams* One Sägaropam Avasarpini or Utsarpini (Half Cycle) One Time Cycle
Time is infinite, without any beginning or end. Time is divided into infinite equal time cycles (Kälchakras). Every time cycle is further sub-divided in two equal halves. The first half is
JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I