Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 80

REALITY
TABLE II
Substance
Extensive
Non-extensive
Kāla
Jīva Dharma Adharma Ākāśa Pudgala.
Almost all the Realists of Indian thought except the Naiyāyikas and Vaiseșikas divided reality into two broad categories. These categories are known as spirit and matter, soul and matter, ideas and matter, Puruşa and Prakrti or subject and object. The materialistic school of Realism is not included in this scheme, because it is not dualistic. None of the Realists tried to divide reality exactly in the same sense as Jainism did. So far as consciousness is concerned, Jainism joins hands with the other Realists, but as regards the conception of nonconscious substance, it differs from them. The Jaina conception of non-conscious substance, is not in the sense of matter. It includes some non-material substances as well.
Jainism holds that there are not only two categories of reality, viz., consciousness and matter, but there is a third category as well which is non-conscious and non-material. Neither is it necessary that what is non-conscious must be material nor is it essential that what is non-material must be conscious. There is a third category which is non-material but non-conscious. It should not be forgotten that matter is that substance which has form, i. e., which can be touched, tasted, smelt and seen. 'Dharma', 'adharma', 'ākāśa, and 'kāla' are non-conscious but not material. They cannot be touched, tasted, smelt or seen. .
To sum up : There are six substances according to the pluralistic conception of the Jainas. They are as follows :