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The Six Dravyas of the Jain Philosophy.
(By Mr. Herbert Warren, 84 Shelgate road-London S. W.)
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"Dravya" is the real, anything that exists. It is translatSeeee ed by the word "substance." Before examining what six particular substances there are in the universe, we must first know about substance itself. And before dealing with either, we must show the use of doing so, otherwise it may appear to be a waste of time.
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With regard to the use of sidering the subject, the aim of life is happiness. In order to attain happiness we must know what to do; and in order to know what to do to attain happiness, we must understand the universe and man's place in it, that is to say, we must understand the six real substances that there are.
As the late V. R. Gandhi said in his Chicago lectures (see The Yoga Philosophy," by B. F. Karbhari, Bombay), when rules of conduct are separated from physics and psychology, as they tend to be at present, especially in the West, such rules have no solidity and therefore no strength, "Thou shalt do no murder." Why? The theologian would say because that is the command of God. The materialist would say because that is the command. of the ruling authority. But why should. God and Sovereigns issue such commands? There is no rational reply. Rules of conduct which are not based
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upon a rational demonstration of the universe, rest upon nothing but individual opinion and convenience, the "irregular whims and caprices of individuals and nations."
So the use of studying the "six dravyas" is that we may have a rational and solid foundation for rules of conduct to produce happiness which is the aim of life.
With regard to substance, the universe is the totality of realities. We classify such different things as ink, pens, and blotting paper, under one heading and call them "stationery" and again worm, tree, bird, angel, fish, man, God, are classified as liv. ing beings. Then again, such different things as stationery and living beings may be classified as substance. Substance is the one class in which all real things may be included, such as those just named, or anything else, a lump of clay, a brass band an ocean or a universe.
Substance then, is not something different from what we are all acquainted with; there is no such thing as mere substance which is not a particular stuff or thing, any more than stationery is mere stationery or living beings are mere living beings, stationery must be either ink, or blotting paper, or something particular, and living beings must be either men, or trees, or spirits, or some particular living being or beings; so too,
