Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 39

Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
uterine births has been justified. The a-sexual birth has not been described first as, otherwise, there will be a lengthy aphorism of 2.35. 10. Bodies
There are 5 physical bodies (derivatively, the term means whithering) of the living beings due to the fruition of specific physique-making karmas. They are placed in order of their increasing fineness resulting from loose or dense packing of innumerable or infinite atomic space points. This is responsible for their perceptiblity or otherwise. Despite the infinite atomic content,the luminous and karmic bodies are non-resisting throghout the universe due to their fineness and have eternal and non-eternal association with all the worldly beings. Their absolutist relationship will involve absence of liberation or the liberated souls. All the different bodies are not one and karmic only as they result due to the fruition of different species of karmas. They are also different with respect to at least 14 characteristics like name, definition, function, ownership, potency etc. (details given in the text). Moreover, the karmic body is the basic cause of formation of all other bodies.
The karmic body cannot be negated as it is the cause and the caused (for other bodies) like a lamp illuminating self and others. Also, it is caused due to the wrong faith etc.. Further, there will be no liberation if there is no cause for the body. The karmic body is a body as there are always karmic accumulations and sheddings. It has not been placed first as it is fine and inferable from its effect. It is mattergic also. It is not the means of enjoyment during transmigratory motion as there are no physical senses.
The living beings may have two to four bodies at a time as the protean and communication body cannot exist together. However, the karmic and luminous bodies are found in all the living beings.
The gross body may be produced by sexual or a-sexual birth. The protean body is produced due to special bed and pitcher birth and due to specific super-accomplishment also. The protean body means making different forms of the body of the self or seperate from the body. It could be auspicious in higher empyreans while it could be bothways in other celestials. The luminous body is also produced through super-accomplishment. The communication body is there in the sixth spiritual stagers only. It is non-resisting and purified. It functions for knowing about the super accomplishment, fine mattergies, observance of conduct and clearing doubt about the scriptural meanings. 11. Gender
It is stated that the infernals and a-sexually born ones have hermaphrodite gender due to the fruition of this libido and inauspicious physique-making karma. The empyreans are never neuter by gender as they have the fruition of the auspicious destinity and libidoes. All other classes of the living beings may have all the three genders.
34