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An Epitome of Jainisin
absolutely non-physical in nature and non-atomic and non-discrete in structure. The qualities of pudgala are not found therein. Nor have they the structure of space which is constituted by space points. These two physical principles are perfectly simple. Therefore they may be spoken of as one or as znany. They are spacial, and yet are non-spacial. They are amarta and aråpa. They are neither light ner heavy. They are not objects of sense perception. Their existence is inferred only through their function. Such are the characteristics of these two principles which are distinctly peculiar to Jaina physics.
The movement of physicai objects and of organic beings is due entirely to other causal agency. Organic beings are capable of spontaneous inovement and physical objects move because of impact received from other physical moving objects. Movement of these things should not be causally traced to the agency of dharma. Similarly when the moving objects come to rest, rest should not be interpreted as the result of the agency of adharma, Dharma and adharma are devoid of any kind of direct causal potency. Their function is purely external and indirect. Their neutrality is so much emphasised by the Jaina thinkers that there could be no mistake about their meaning. These are in short the necessary physical postulates without which the structure and form of physical universe will be quite unintelligible.
JAINA METAPHYSICS
There are two important concepts in Jaina metaphysics which are preplexing to students of Jainism, the astikayas and the dravyas. The term astikaya is a compound name made up of asti and kaya which respectively mean existing and extensive magnitude. Astikaya therefore means a real that has extensive magnitude. The other term dravya means the real that is fluent or changing. We shall try to explain these two concepts in detail.
The astikáya are five in number--Jiva (soul), pudgala (matter), dharma (principle of motion), adharma (principle of rest) and ūkäśa (space). These five build up the cosmos. Space and matter are distinctly extended reals. Dharma and adharma are indirectly related to space. Their operation is in space and is limited by lokakása. Thus they may also be considered
Lastly, life is generally associated with body, the organic body constituted by pudgala or matter. Jiva is operative in and conditioned by such a physical medium. In a way therefore Jîva also is related to space. These five existences which have spatiality either directly or indirectly are the five astikayas. These are the constituent elements of the universe or the world.
Kala or time, though not an element of the physical universe, may be mentioned here. Since change and motion are admitted to be real, time also must be considered real. The real or absolute time as contrasted with the relative time, is constituted by simple elements known as kälānus or
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