________________
42
exist along with vitalities, and the size of the body, and are responsible for sowing and reaping the fruit of action, which are the characteristics of the living being united with the non-living matter and with touch, taste, smell and colour the pure characterstics of non-living matter.
The whole picturesque and endless variety of life, - physical, mental and emotional life in the universe is the effect and summation of infinite ways in which the Living unites with the Nonliving.
Let us try to consider this glorious wealth of variegated life of souls in the universe. The whole universe is packed full of living creatures. Indeed in such out-of-the-way and unexpected places, does our knowing intelligence light upon life, that some Great Intellects have gone the length of saying that all is Life and there is no lifeless matter at all. This of course is easily refuted by common, everybody, universal observation. In comprehending the almost incomprehensible vastnesses of space and time and their contents let us keep a cool and dispassionate head lest in our admiration of one or other of the several constituents of the universe, we should deny one or more and thus cripple our further and full knowledge of the whole truth of things. Indeed the checking of our premises and first conclusions again and again is absolutely essential if we, imperfect human beings, want to gain right knowledge. The search after Truth is not a child's play: the path to it is more narrow to traverse than the passage of the camel through the eye of the needle in the Bible.
The universe, then, teems with infinite living forms. How to observe, analyse, and classify them, so that we can advance on the path of our tremendous, trackless inquiry?
I propose to take this matter up in three different ways.
1. Souls classes (Jíva Samása). There are obvious differences of body, sense and mind in different classes of souls: The body is primarily the basis of this classification. This in Jainism is technically called soul-classes. (Jíva Samása).
2. Soul-quest (Márganá). It comprises other inner differences in species, sex, passion, knowledge, conation etc., - In soul-quest, the embodied condition of the soul, (i.e.) the mixed living and nonliving condition is primarily the basis.
3. Spiritual Stages (Gunasthana). They concern the purelyinner progress of the soul. In these spiritual stages, the progress of the soul from ignorance and delusion to perfect self-absorption is traced.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
