Essentials of Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Nyayavijay, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Nyayavijay Nagin J Shah

Page 9

Chapter 4 Insentient Real (Ajiva)
All the objects that are bereft of sentiency fall under the class of insentient reals. There are five insentient reals namely medium of motion (dharma), medium of rest (adharma), space (akasa), matter (pungala) and time (kala). Together with the soul, they make six substances. For the medium of motion & rest the Jaina thinkers use the terms dharma & adharma, which ordinarily mean auspicious karmas (punya) and inauspicious karmas (papa) respectively.
Medium of Motion (Dharma) We observe physical objects and living beings move from one place to another. Though they are inherently capable of motion, they cannot move without some assisting cause. And this assisting cause is the medium of motion. E.g. a fish has inherent capacity to swim but cannot do so without the assistance of water.
Medium of Rest (Adharma)
A tired traveler has an inherent cause to stop his motion but he will not stop on the way, unless he finds a shade of a tree. Here the shade of the tree serves as an assisting cause for his stoppage of motion. So also, though physical objects and living beings have inherent capacity to stop their motion, they cannot stop their motion without some assisting cause. And this assisting cause is the medium of rest. Souls and physical objects are the independent agents of motion as also of stoppage of motion. By their own nature they move or rest. But that they require the assistance of some other force or principle is accepted even by modern scientists. It is noteworthy that early Jaina thinkers have posited the mediums of motion - rest as two assisting causes of motion & rest respectively. According to Jaina thinkers, the medium of motion does not itself impart motion to the physical objects & souls or set them in motion. So also, the medium of rest does not itself urge them to stop motion and to rest. But they passively assist them when the latter themselves undertake motion or rest.
Space (Akasa) For Jaina thinkers, space is an independent substance. It is infinite in extent. It is present in the universe but also far beyond it over the non-universe. Thus, no substance is so extensive as the space substance. As it is omnipresent it cannot move from one place to another. The function of space is to offer room to other substances. Thus, space is a universal container in which all other substances are contained.
That space, which is related to the universe, is called the universe-space (lokakasa) and that which is beyond it is called the space-beyond-universe (alokakasa). The medium of motion (dharma) and medium of rest (adharma) are present in all directions & that region which is covered by their presence is given the name universe - loka. And the region which falls outside this universe is given the name 'region beyond universe' or aloka. It is only with the assistance of these two substances that souls and material objects move