Collected Research Papers in Prakrit and Jainology Vol 02

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: University of Pune

Page 65

When emotions are studied, the modern researchers study lion, tiger, elephants, monkeys and many other animals and not the insects like bug, ant, butterfly etc. According to Jainas, the above mentioned animals are five-sensed tiryancas. While describing their emotions the modern researchers also lebel them as 'love', 'anger', 'pride', 'greed' etc. These words surprisingly match with the consent of 'passions' and 'thought-tints' in Jainaism.
While explaining the nature of murcha (i.e. greed) Amrtacandrācārya gives the example of a deer and cat, eating grass and rat serially. Though the instinct for food is common in both, the intensity is different. (Puruşārthasiddhyupāya, śloka 121)
While describing the vulture, the commentators use the word greed', taking into account its mannerism of eating. Of course modern naturalists give credit to vulture for keeping the environment clean.
(2) Knowledge
Modern researchers study the varied abilities of sense-organs of birds and animals. It is proved that in different birds and animals, certain abilities are excellent. We can call it Matijñāna according to Jainaism. We can call it Sruta-jñāna when the animals like elephants and whales convey emotions through sound-signals and memorize the meaning conveyed by certain soundsignals.
A whole film was picturized on a researcher who took rigorous efforts on wild buffaloes to cause to reproduce, which were almost on the border of extinction. The researcher employed therapy of emotional healing to the wild buffaloes. The buffaloes responded the therapy and overcome the 'fear' in their minds. The capacity of the buffaloes to understand the efforts of the concerned person can be called Manahparyaya-jñana.
The birds build nests instinctively at the time of breeding. But there is a species of birds who collect only blue objects and arrange the odd material skillfully to build a nest. According to Jainaism, it is not only a behavior based on Mati and Sruta but the level of intelligence is certainly higher.
(3) Intelligence
The naturalists, observing the behavior of particular species of tortoises have documented that these tortoises possess time-sense and sense of direction. They come to the same sea-shore in
a particular season for breeding. The young ones coming from the hatched eggs, start crawling in the direction of the sea. When the young one become mature, the females among them come to same sea-shore and the cycle repeats.
Sense of time and direction is conspicuously seen in migratory birds like syberian cranes and flemingoes. Some naturalists brand it as an instinctive knowledge. From Jaina point of view, it is autpattiki buddhi. The skills which the Jivas possess due to the birth in a particular species, are known as expressions of 'inborn intellect'. The physical features and the skills related to particular realm of birth (gati) is the actualization of Nāmakarman.