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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
humans and subhumans, (c) the ejectable body is possessed only by the nonvigilantly restrained sixth stagers and (d-e) the luminous and karman bodies are possessed by all the worldly beings. Q. It is contended that there seems to be canonical contradiction between the statement here and the statement contained in the Stations of Living (Jivasthāna) of the six-sectioned canon (Şat-khanda-āgama) in its aphorisms 1.56-57 under the section of activity investigation regarding the possessors of transformable body. It is said there that the transformational and mixed transformational physical activity is possessed by the celestials and infernals. In contrast, it is said here that it is there with the humans and sub-humans also. Thus, this is clearly contradictory. A. This is not correct. Similar statements regarding the possession of transformable body are also found in Vyākhyā Prajnapti (Bhagvati Sutra) in the section on bodies. It is pointed out there that the air-bodied beings have four bodies- gross, transformable, luminous and karman ones and the human beings have all the five bodies. There seems to be no contradiction between the seemingly contradictory statements as they are intended to represent different contexts. The Stations of the Living mentions about the transformable body possessed by the celestials and infernals on an all-timal basis since birth. This is not the case with the humans and sub-human who have it only incidentally and that too caused by the super-attainments. In contrast, the Vyākhyā Prajnapti
(8.9) has mentioned the same thing merely with respect to the existence of this · body. Hence, it has included the specific living beings of all destinities.
(v) The different bodies can also be distinguished with reference to their strengths. There are two kinds of strengths of the gross body- (a) birth-based and (b) quality-based. The observed relative difference of strength in the gross bodies of animals like the lion and eight-footed animals (i.e. sarabha) and of humans like Cakradharas, Vasudevas and others is birth-based. The bodytransformation capacity of strongly austeritic ascetics is quality-based. Q. The body transfomations take place on the strength of specific austerities and not due to gross body.
This is not correct. They cannot occur without the gross body. The austerities alone have no capacity of transformations.
The strength of the transformational body is known through the trembling of Meru-mountain and turning upside down of the global earth.
The strength of the ejectable body is its non-obstructiveness, which allows it to pass it even through the adamantine layers.
The transformational body has also the non-obstructive nature. It can also pass through the adamantine layers. A. The relative strength in their non-obstructiveness is observed in the case of celestials like Indra (chiefs) and Samanikas (co-chiefs). Moreover, it is heard that the ascetic Anantavirya did obstruct the strength of Indra. Thus, the
A.
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