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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
6. Q. The statement that superior-bodied beings like Cakravartis and Vasudevas etc. have non-shortened life-span- is a faulty one, as described in biographic literature that Cakravarti Brahmadatta and Vasudeva Kțisna and many other of similar categories have had their life shortened due to external causes. The above statement, therefore, has flaw of non-inclusion. 7. Q. There is no flaw here. The word 'ultimate' is qualified with the word 'superior'. Hence, it means that the superior and ultimate bodied beings do not have accidental lapse of life. 8. Q. Let there be only the term 'superior bodied in the aphorism to avoid the above flaw. A. This will still maintain the flaw as all those beings cited above have superior bodies. 9. Q. Let there be only the term 'ultimate body', then. There is no use for the term 'superior' in that case. A. This is not so. The word 'superior' is meant to indicate the superiority of the ultimate body. This means that the ultimate body is superior only in all cases.
Alternatively, there is rendering of this aphorism in terms of 'ultimate body' (and 'superior men') separately in TSB (2.52). These types of living beings have certainly non-reducible life-span. However, for others there is no such rule. They may have timely or untimely death. 10. Q. There cannot be untimely death as nobody could die without the completion of prescribed life-span karma. A. This is not correct. It is observed that fruits like mangoes etc. are artifically ripened by many methods (putting them in straw, gas etc.) even before their prescribed natural ripening time. Similarly, the life-span of many living beings can be cut short due to pre-maturation of bound karmas through austerities etc. 11. Secondly, the indigenous medical science of Ayurveda also proves the existence of untimely death. For example, an efficient doctor cures the cough etc. or other diseases due to biles etc. by vomitting and purging even before they have taken a serious turn. He also prescribes life-saving drugs for alleviating untimely death. There is no use, otherwise, for medical treatments. There is no dispute about it. 12. Q. It is contended that the medical treatment is meant for removing the pains due to the existing diseases etc. and not for avoiding the untimely death. A. This is not correct. The medical treatment is there for both types of diseases-existing and non-existing- thus, avoiding the untimely death. 13. Q. If there is untimely death, it will involve loss of the earned karmas. A. This is not correct. The karmas are destroyed only after their full fruition. One can neither enjoy the fruits of unperformed acts nor there can be loss of fruition of the earned karmas. If this happens, there will be no liberation
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