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Jaina Community - A Social Survey
Philosophy. A Dravya has got three characteristics. First, Dravya has the quality of existence. Secondly, it has the quality of permanence through origination and destruction. Thirdly, it is the substratum of attributes and modes. The Dravya is thus uncreated and undestructible; its essential qualities remain the same and it is only its Paryā ya or mode or condition, that can and does change. Whatever is perceived by the senses, the sense organs themselves, the various kinds of bodies of Jivas, the mind, the Karmas, and the other material objects-all these are known as Pudgala or matter. Dharma is the principle of motion, the accompanying circumstance or cause which makes motion possible. Just as water itself, being indifferent or neutral, is the condition of movement of fishes, so Dharma, itself nonmotive, is the sine qua non of motion of Jīvas and Pudgalas. Dharma is coterminous with the universe and is one only unlike Jiva and Pudgala which are innumerable. Adharma or the principle of rest has all the characteristics associated with Dharma. But it is like the earth the sine qua non of rest for things in motion. What contains or accommodates completely all Jivas and Pudgalas and the remaining Dravyās in the universe is termed as Akāśa or space.14 That which is the cause or circumstance of the modification of the soul and other Dravyās is Kāla, that is, time. It is immaterial and it has the peculiar attribute of helping the modification of the other substances. Dharma, Adharma and Akāśa are each a single Dravya, whereas Jīva, Pudgala and Kāla are held to be innumerable Dravyas.45 (III) Aśrava ;
The third principle Aśrava signifies the influx of Karmic matter, into the constitution of the soul. Combination of Karmic matter with Jiva is due to Yoga. Yoga is the activity of mind, speech and body. Thus yoga is the channel of Aśrava. The physical matter which is actually drawn to the soul cannot be perceived by the senses as it is very fine.16 (IV) Bandha : .
When the Karmic matter enters the soul, both get imperceptibly mixed with each other. Bandha or bondage is the assimilation of matter which is fit to form Karmas by the soul as it is wassociated with passions. The union of spirit and matter does
