Jain Journal 1970 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 26

OCTOBER, 1970
Temporally, they are eternal, since the existence of matter and souls and their motion is also eternal.
69
Qualitatively, they are imperceptible. Immobile themselves, they assist the motion of mobile objects; dharma is the medium of dynamic state and adharma is for the static state.
Akāśāstikaya-Space
According to the Jainas, space is an objective reality. It is the container of all other substances. It is boundless-infinite and is composed of infinite number of space-points. Dharma, adharma and other substances are finite and do not pervade the whole space. That portion of space which is pervaded by other substance is called 'loka'. Loka is finite and is surrounded in all directions by aloka or empty space. Actually, the space is one indivisible entity. It is dharma and adharma, which determine the boundaries of the lokākāśā by their own finiteness.
Those philosophical systems which do not accept the existence of dharma and adharma would contend that space itself assists and supports the motion. But this contention will not hold good because space being infinite and indivisible cannot check the motion of the dynamic bodies. Thus infinite number of souls as well as material objects would continue to roam about in the infinite space without any control. If this was so, their association and appearance as an organised finite inhabited universe would be extremely improbable if not altogether impossible.
The four-fold supporting sequence is described in the Agamas thus: Space supports air, air supports water, water supports land and land supports vegetable and animals, etc. In the reverse it can be put thus : Vegetables and animals, etc. are supported by land which is supported and surrounded by solidified air which is supported and surrounded by space. Thus while land, air and water are both supporting and supported, space which is self-supporting is the ultimate container of all.
Pudgalastikāya-Matter.
What is popularly known as 'matter' is called pudgala by the Jainas. The use of this word for matter is exclusive to the Jaina literature. It is a derivative made up of two words 'put' which means fusion and 'gala' meaning fission which characterises only one substance, i.e., matter.