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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
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inclusion of the word 'motion' would have been unnecessary as it is already a section on motion. 4. Q. The inclusion of motion in 2.26 has been done to exclude any other types of activity except motion. A. This is not correct as there are no possibilities of other activities like sitting, sleeping, etc. during the transmigratory motion. 5. Secondly, the inclusion of living being in the following aphorism 2.27 also suggests inclusion of motion of the living ones and mattergies in this aphorism. 5. Q. It is observed that the motions of wheels, astral bodies like moon etc., hurricane airs and sky-moving demigods during their encircling the Meru mountain are non-serial (or non-linear) in spacepoints. Thus, there seems to be no rule that the motion of the living beings and mattergy is in linear rows.
This is not correct. There are certain rules of motion with reference to time and location. The rule with reference to time is that transmigratory motion of the living beings after death to acquire new birth and upward-movement of the liberated beings is always in successive or linear series. The rule regarding space or location is also there. It points out that (i) movement from upper region to the lower one (ii) movement from the lower region to the upper one (iii) movement from horizontal regions to lower or upper region and (iv) movement in horizontal regions is always in successive series in space. Similarly, the motion of mattergy which reaches the top end of the universe is also in series in space. The other types of movements may have any types of motion- serial or non-serial. This may prove the existence of different types of motions like rotation or exhalation etc. Supplementary Notes 1. The commentary deals with the following points: (a) There is linear motion of the living beings and mattergies during transmigratory motion. (b) The text indicates some rules for the linear motion based on time for the common living beings at death and beings under liberation states. There is linear motion based on location during movement from one part of the universe to the other part (either in the upper, lower or the middle part). (c) The mattergies (i.e. ideal atoms) also have linear motion during their movement towards the end to the universe. 2. This aphorism indicates that there is linear motion under normal and natural circumstances. However, when obstructions are there, the linearity may turn otherwise. 3. The living beings have six types of motions as per canons : (i-ii) movement from upper to lower direction or reverse (iii-iv) movement from east to west direction or reverse (v-vi) movement from south to north direction or reverse.
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