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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
The mind has already been defined and explained in aphorism 2.11. The instinctives are those who have mind. 1-2-3 Q. The word 'instinctive' indicates the same meaning as the word 'mind'. The instinct is defined as to think and learn about what is good or bad and what are the pros and cons of a system. This is also the function of mind. Thus, the word 'instinctive' is formed by suffixing 'ini' to the term 'sanjnā'. Hence, the word 'with mind' is not necessary in this aphorism. 4-5 A. This is not correct. The word 'sanjnă' (instincts) has many meanings. If the conventional meaning is taken, it means name. As all the living beings have a name, all of them will be designated as 'sanjnī' and nobody could be excluded including non-mind-possessing ones. 6. If the word 'sanjnā' means knowledge, it will also involve that all the living beings will have to be called 'sanjni' as all have knowledge. 7.Q. The word 'sanjnā' means 'instinct'. The general instincts found in all the living beings are four-food, fear, sex and possession. The living beings will be called 'instinctive' which have all these four instincts. A. This is undesirable. All the worldly beings have these instincts and, therefore, all should be called 'instinctive'. This is, however, not correct. Therefore, the adjective' with mind' is not unnecessary. It is only those beings who have mind that are 'instinctive' or 'sanjni' (rational). This definition will justify the rationality of the living beings under embryonic stages (in womb or egg-state), fainted state, deep-sleep etc. states despite the absence of functions of mind there but having endowed with mind. (This also means that there are living beings without mind also. Thus, the 5-sensed class will have two varieties- rational or mind-possessing and non-rational or non-mind-possessing. In this respect, 1-4-sensed beings are non-instinctive only). Supplementary Notes 1. The commentary deals with the following points: (a) The term 'instinctive' has a specific meaning here. It is not taken here to have its (i) conventional (ii) etymological (knowledge) or (iii) general instinctal (like food etc.) meaning. It indicates the capacity of thinking about the desirable and undesirable and faults and merits of issues in question. (b) The instinctive beings have minds. (They are always 5-sensed). There are number of cases which have capacitative minds only. 2. By stating that the mind-endowed beings are instinctive, it becomes implied that the non-mind-endowed beings are not instinctive. The instinctiveness is found in (i) celestials (ii) hellish and (iii) uterine men and animals. 3. The canonical texts have defined the term 'instincts' in terms of psycho-physiological simple and complex disturbances of sensory or situational origin causing natural or stimulated feelings, impulses, drives, motives, emotions and volitions. Sthānānga Vrtti uses the term psychology (mano
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