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(consciousness).
Consciousness (cetana) is a kind of energy and upayoga is its utilization. Thus upayoga can be now termed as functional consciousness Dhavalalo (10th 11th Cent. A.D) defines upayoga as the cognitive acquisition of self and others. This definition also implicitly indicates the meaning of upayoga as functional consciousness.
This is a very important definition from biological point of view, because often living beings are defined in biology as one who can respond to the stimulus. Jain definition accepts receiving of stimulus itself also as a sign of living being even if it lacks the response. Some organisms may not be able to respond to the stimulus but are still living. All organisms at least receive stimulus. The terms such as consciousness, sensitivity, irritability, are included in upayoga. The state in which the being becomes the knower is the state of upayoga." The term upayoga is defined by Acharya Tulasi as: “Cetana vyapara upayogah” 12 Cetana jnana darsanatmika/ tasya vyaparah prvrittirupayogah
"Cognitive activity of consciousness is functional consciousness. sentence consists of knowledge and intuition. Conciousness is the activitity that is the application of the same."
It is stated in Biology that the characteristic of sensitivity is even possessed by even a single celled organism like amoeba, which has no visible sense organs. The sensitivity here refers to the ability to respond to light, sound etc. It is the response of an organism to stimulants. But as per Jainism, as described in Dhavala the basic attribute of life is sensation. It is not response of an organism to the stimulants but only the reception of the stimulants or pure cognitive activity that dichotomize living from nonliving being. Functional Consciousness in Disembodied or Liberated Souls
In commentaries of Tattvartha Sutra, however, the living beings; embodied or disembodied has been defined in terms of capacitative (bhava) and functional (karana) consciousness-upayoga. This shows that functional consciousness remains even after liberation. But can liberated soul function?
