Book Title: Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 102
________________ Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals That is why, the deficient-sensed or even the one-sensed beings have only dormant mental functionings. The senses themselves may perform these functions but they have no capacity to think. 6. The Jainas postulate mind as comparatively non-material and fine atomic in nature. Some scholars have suggested it to be composed of finer-thanatom 'mindon' particles. The current parapsychologists have a majority opinion that it exists in brain in the form of a hologram having a ferrocious capacity of movement and actions. It may be called as the functional basis of the conscious brain. Formerly, soul, mind and consciousness were asssumed to be virtually synonymous by the scientists. However, now-a-days, 'soul is renamed as 'spirit' for differentiation with implication of substantiality. 7. Canonically, the physical mind is said to be located somewhere in the heart. This contention requires reconsideration. The worldy beings have two specific varieties based on the perfection and non-perfection of senses due to the self-earned karmas and have different specific status through their karmic body system. However, they could be further subclassified in two varieties as shown in the following aphrism 2.12 : A. Sansărinah Trasa-sthāvarāh 2.12 There are two kinds of worldly beings - (i) mobiles(trasas) and (ii) non-mobiles (sthāvarās) 1. Q. What is the definition of mobiles and non-mobiles ? A The mobiles are the specifically behaving living beings due to the realisation of soul-maturing physique-making karma of mobiles. 2. Q. The root 'trasa' has a meaning of agitation or movement out of fear. Thus, the mobiles should be defined as those who move (out of fear). This derivative meaning is not correct. This will lead to the possibility of non-mobileness for the living beings in the (i) womb, (ii) under incubation, (iii) under sleep and (iv) fainting, They do not move despite the causes of external fear. The derivative meaning is not taken as primary here as in the case of derivative of Cow (gau) from the root 'gam' (to move). 3. The non-mobiles are those beings who are originated due to the realisation of soul-maturing physique-making karma of non-mobiles 4.Q. The word 'sthāvara' originates from the sanskrta root 'sthā' (not to move). Thus, derivatively, it should mean the non-mobiles are those which are stationary. A. This is not correct here. This definition will lead to mean mobileness of air, fire and water. They also move from place to place. This type of derivation is conventional and is applicable in few cases only. 5. Q. The air, water and fire are said to be mobiles (in some canons). A. This is not corrent. This opinion seems to be born out of ignorance about the meaning of canons. The pro-canonical text 'Şat-prarūpaņā' (Existential 97 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org


Page Navigation
1 ... 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210