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JAINA PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION
Five Kinds of Bodies:
We have stated that bodies are constituted by matter and such bodies are of five kinds :
1. Audārika - The body which is gross and physical is called audărika body. The organic body of human beings, animal beings and vegetable kingdom is of this type. It is full of blood, bones etc.
2. Vaikriya - That which is possessed by the beings of heaven and hell and by human beings as well as animals possessing an extraordinary power (labdhi) is called vaikriya body. It is invisible and is capable of transformation in different shapes and sizes.
3. Āhāraka The subtle body which is developed by an advanced yogin is called āhāraka body. It can be projected, i.e., sent to great distances on special
occasions.
4. Taijasa - It is composed of electric matter and is a necessary link between the audarika body and the kärmaṇa body. It possesses the power of digesting the food we take. 5. Kārmaņa - The inner subtle body, which is the seed of all mental and physical activities, is called kärmaṇa body. It is composed of eight kinds of karmas.
We can perceive only the first of these five kinds with our sense-organs. The remaining bodies are subtle. 'The succeeding body is subtler than the preceding one in order. The taijasa and kārmaṇa bodies are not obstructed by any material form. They are beyond any kind of check and can travel the whole universe. Both these bodies are associated with a worldly soul from beginningless time. Each and every jīva possesses at least these two bodies. At the time of transmigration, only these two bodies are possessed by the souls. The mundane soul can possess four bodies at the most at a time." The following scheme will clearly indicate the point :
1. Tattvärtha-sūtra, II. 38, 41-4.
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