________________
134
INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
liberation are classified according to the number of senses which have come to expression. Every form of existence with which the soul may clothes itself is the karmic result of the soul vibrations in previous forms of existence, as discussed in the two previous chapters.
Many beings, such as microorganisms, plants and mineral lives, have only one sense organ, which means that they relate to one universal element, and that is touch or feeling, and thus the ability to suffer. All animals are of higher development, but many of them express only two sense faculties in their present bodies; others have three, four, or five. The examples are not always correct from a modern biological point of view, but the basic idea is that the soul in its upward aspiration, while expressing itself in the outer world, unfolds in such a way that it can gain experience and knowledge of ever more elements. Evolution has added the mind to the highest animals and humans. Beings going through hellish or heavenly experiences all have a mind, as stated earlier. This indicates that the heavens and hells are, primarily states of consciousness, besides spatial locations. Without the power of mind, no creatures can acquire hellish or heavenly experiences.
Below I give a brief summary and explanation of the Jain classification of nature.
Ia
Immovable beings with one sense (i.e. feeling, including paranormal feeling): earth-lives, water-lives and plants (discussed in chapter 5). The plant kingdom has in the first place been classified according to physiognomy, or rather growth forms (shrub, bush, tree, etc.), and the number of souls per plant: one or more.
Ib
Movable beings with one sense: fire lives and air or wind lives.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
