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Jaina Biology
The sensitive cells in the organs of hearing (śravanendriya ) and balance are excited by the ripples or waves in the fluids bathing them as implied by the reference in Jaina Biology to the statement that the organ of hearing hears the touched and entered sounds into it.17
In contrast, the olfactory cells of the nose (ghränendriya ) and the taste buds of the tougue (Jibbhendriya ) are stimulated chemically by the molecules that come in contact with them, as suggested by the fact that the tougue tastes the touched and entered objects into the mouth,18 while the nose smells the touched and entered fine particles of matter into it. 19 The receptors for heat ( usna ) and cold (sita ) respond to chemical changes induced in them by changes of temperature as implied by the suggestion that śīta (cold) and uşna (heat or hot) are two of the eight touches inherent in maiter (pudgala). The statement “the eye sees the non-entered objects"20 implies that the images of objects perceived by the eye are reflected on the retina of the eye. That is to say, "the cells of the retina respond to the chemical reactions that occur when light falls on them".21
The Perception of Sensations :
After the stimulus receiving process through the five sense-organs, there follows the perception of sensations. Jaina Biology describes the perception of sensations in its own manner ; e. g. different kinds of touch ( sparsa ), taste ( rasa ), smell (gandha) and colour (varna ). 22 It is suggestive from this fact that “the qualitative differentiation of stimuli depends on the sense-organ itself and brain, for man's ability to discriminate red from cold is due to the fact that particular senseorgans and their individual sensitve cells are connected to particular parts of the brain 23 and only those nerve impulses rhat reach the brain can result in sensations.”24 17. Pannavaņā, Indriyapada, 15, Putt hadāram, 99)
Putthaim saddäin sunei, no apurthaim saddair Unei. 18. "Putthāim (rasaim ) evam rasaņavi,
Paņņavaņā Sutta, 15, Indriyapadai, Putthadāram, p. 243 19. “Putthāim gaidhāií agghāi /” Ibid. 20. Apuythaim rúvāim pasati /", Ibid. 21. Biology, p. 374. 22. "Tatra sparso aştavidhah -- kathino medurgururlaghuh sita usnah snigdho rukşma
iti / rasa pancavidhah tiktah kaguh kaşayc, amlo madhu iti/ gandho dvividhah --- surabhirasurabhisca / varnah pañcavidhah krsno nilo lohitah pitah sukla iti //";
Tattvärthadhigama Sūtra. Bhaşya V. 23, p. 356. 23. Biology, p. 374. 24. Ibid.
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