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Concept of Functional Consciousness (Upayoga) in Jainism
-Samani Chaityapragya
It is quite clear that the world comprises two different types of entities (I) living (II) non-living. Life in this universe is an association and dissociation of matter and soul. Philosophers and other dissociation of matter and soul. Philosophers and other scholars have pondered on the meaning of life since ancient times. The Jain philosophy is essentially focused on existence of life (jiva or the living being) thus also describes in detail its nature and properties. Within the dawn of science, man began to study the different kinds of organisms as living being. They learned how organisms grows, what condition they need to live. How they respond to their surroundings, how they reproduce etc. Scientist has built a tremendous knowledge about life but still they cannot define what life itself actually is.
According to modern Biology, life is an intangible quality that defies any simple definition. We can however, describe some of the characteristics of living things that taken together are not shared by non living things or objects. it consists of the following characteristics (1) adaptation (2) sensitivity (3) communication system (4) stimulation (5) metabolism (6) growth (7) development and reproduction etc. but Jainism defines living being in terms of a single characteristic called consciousness. Consciousness as the Characteristic of Jiva
As quoted in Uttaradhyayana 'jiva cevajivya; esa loye vihaiya.? "The world is a product of conscious and non-conscious beings, According Jain texts, that which is characterized by consciousness is jiva?. This is further explained as 'cetanalakkhano jiva i.e. Consciousness is the characteristic of living being. On the other hand ajiva is characterized by non-consciousness. Jain scriptures define ajiva as "acetano ajiva'. 'The being, which is devoid of consciousness is ajiva.' It can be clearly derived from the different Jain texts that the only characteristic of life is consciousness as given below:
Acaranga Sutra (6th Cent. B.C.) is one of the most ancient Jain
