Anekantavada

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Atmanand Jain Sabha

Page 50

is real and persistent in some respect i, e. in so far as its basal substance,-matter or Pudgala-is concerned. Atoms are real in the sense that they are the constitutive elements in a gross thing; but it is also to be remembered that a gross thing when destroyed, is reduced to atoms and in this sense, the atoms may be looked upon as not absolutely real, having an origin, so to say. As regards the difficulty urged by the Buddhists, about the atoms gene. rating one thing at one time and then, a different thing at a different time, the Jainas point out that the difficulty is due to the Buddhists ignoring the fact that the origin of a thing is dependent not solely upon the atoms but upon a collocation and combination of suitable conditions and circumstances. These determine what thing is to come out of atoms on a particular occasion. The Buddhist criticism of the factum of atomic combination is also misconceived. The Jainas urge tbat all difficulties regarding atomio combination will be removed if we hold that when a gross thing is formed, atoms do not exist as independent and mutually exclusive realities but that they exist so far as their underlying substance Pudgala is concerned which is eternally persistent. Atoms according to the Jainas are not simply the minute parts of a material body; they have practically