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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
finer also but not so fine as the innumerableth part of Angula (1.70 cms). This mention of fineness should be taken to mean generally imperceptible by the eye. The soul-space-pointal configuration and their internal shape- both should be included in the primary internal structure. It is clear that the current knowledge has made things sufficiently clear and detailed in this regard. 8. The external and internal support structure is directly perceptible by the common man. They are instrumental in our knowing process. This support structure allows the inference for the existence of primary inner and outer structures.
The temporally non-completioned beings also have initiation for physical senses. They, thus, have corresponding psychical senses. 9. The aphorism 2.18 mentions two varieties of psychical senses in terms of attainment of capacity and conscious manifestations. The first one arises due to (i) the destruction-cum-subsidence of sensory knowledge-obscuring and occular and non-occular conation obscuring karmas and (ii) realisation of subspecies of destinity, class and body etc. of physique-making karma. This is instrumental in the formation of primary and secondary structures of the physical senses. The physique-making karma of formation and limbs-cumminor-limbs forms the substratum for attainmental sense. There are five attainmental senses. The medium through which the soul manifests (i) to form the physical senses and (11) to know the self and objects is known as functionally conscious sense. This is in the form of sensory and conational knowledge.
Both these psychical sense varieties have a nature of consciousness. Hence, the psychical sense, in general, is conscious by nature. 10. It must be kept in mind that the psychical senses are the main cognitive factors. The physical senses are only formally cognitive. 11. The existence of the psychical senses is proved by the inferential syllogism such as there are psychic senses in the living beings as they have capacity and manifestation of knowing the self and other objects. The space or unmanifested touch etc. may be taken as negative illustrations here. 12. The Svetāmbara version of this text has an additional aphorism 2.19 which is not found in Digambara version. This refers to the functionally conscious sense. It states that this sense has the material objects like touch, taste, etc. and sound as its objects of manifest knowledge. However, it may have capacity to know about the non-material objects too.
The TSB indicates that (i) there can be no primary and secondary structure formation and conscious manifestation without the sense of attainmental capacity and (ii) the secondary structure formation and conscious manifestation occur only when the primary structure formation of senses is there.
The next aphorism is intended to describe the names and order of the five senses as mentioned in 2.15:
The
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