ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 291

infinite attributes and is existent. Thus the object of knowledge assumes serious complexity due to its ever-changing nature.
Substance is classified in two categories primarily namely sentient (Iva) and insentient (Aj va). J va is further classified as empirical (sa s ri) and pure (mukta or siddha). Aj va is further classified in five categories namely matter (Pudgala), principle of motion (dharma), principle of rest (adharma), space (k a) and time (k la). J va and pudgala are active while the remaining are inactive and just support the activities of these active substances. Pudgala is concrete i.e. cognizable by senses and the rest are non-concrete and hence are not subjects of senses.
Source of knowledge and its owner - Jn t Soul / self or J va is differentiated from other substances by its distinguishing characteristic of jň na. Hence in na is found nowhere else except in j va. Both soul and jn na are concomitant and coexistent and the soul is the knower (In t ).
Jn na and soul are both of the same size else parts of soul will be without jň na or
Means of Indirect Cognition by Empirical Self Empirical soul needs other media to cognize the objects as it is masked by jň na and dar ana obscuring karmas. Accordingly it has sense organs (indriyas). Mind is also described as quasi-sense in Jain scriptures. There are five senses namely skin (touch sense), tongue (taste sense), nose (smell sense), eyes (colors and forms sense) and ears (hearing sense). Eyes and mind can perceive their objects without touching or contacting them while the remaining sense organs need contact with their subjects to cognize. Each sense organ has limitations of the distance and time for their respective subject as detailed in Dhaval. Further the j va is classified according to the number of sense organs it has starting with touch and moving on to taste, smell, see and hear). J va with up to four senses cannot have mind and the five-sensed j va can be with or without mind. Sense organs are classified as physical (Dravya) and psychical (Bh va) and shown below in Fig1.
Physical sense organs are further classified as Form (Nivrati) and upkara a (capability to use physical organs to perceive matter). Nivrati is further classified as external (form of each sense organ as we see it) and internal which is the internal part of sense organ associated with the external part. Upkara a / enabler is essential as they assist and protect (upk ra) both internal and external sense organs (e.g. eye brow and black eyeball are the upkara a of eye). Psychical sense organs on the other hand are the manifestation of soul resulting in the inclination and capability of each sense organ to know their respective subjects. Psychical sense organs are further classified as capability and its utilization, which are due to the dissociation cum subsidence of matijn n var iya karmas. Matter sense organs are effective only when associated with psychical sense organs (as they have the causeeffect relationship). Each sense organ can cognize only its own attribute, e.g. skin can cognize touch, eyes can cognize form and colour and so on.
Indri Sense organs
Dravya physical
Bhava psychical
Nivrati Form /shape
Upkarana enabler
Labdh Capability
Uproga utilization
external
internal
Fig. 1
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0