Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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124 Jain Philosophy in Historical Outline
of two kinds-Lokākāśa or space containing the world where the Jīvas and other substances live and Alokākāśa which is the space beyond it. Though imperceptible, the existence of Akasa is inferred on the ground that without space substances cannot be extended. Since substances are those that occupy and pervade,1 they require space as a necessary condition. It is the nature of space to give room to any amount of atoms, but this applies only to the Lokākāśa, the other part of the space being absolutely void. It is also to be observed that space is definitely singular, while Jivas and matter are of infinite variety.
Dharma and Adharma produce all possible conditions of movability and its opposite.2 Dharma is the principle of motion which helps the Jiva associated with Pudgala (matter) to progress just as water helps on the movement of a fish. Adharma, likewise, is the substance that helps the immobility of objects, just as the shade of a tree helps a traveller to rest. Without any movement on its part, it first attracts and then keeps motionless the one attracted. Both Dharma and Adharma are eternal and formless, both pervadingt he entire worldspace. Both of them are divided into three classes: skandha, deśa and pradeśa. The whole is called skandha; a part of it is called deśa, and a portion of that part pradesa. Dharma, Adharma and Akāśa do not exist in their totalities in the lower, the upper and the higher regions of the world, but only in their parts, whereas in the total world they do not exist in part, but as a whole. As conditions of motion and rest both Dharma and Adharma are passive (Udāsīnakāraṇa).
Matter in Jain philosophy is called Pudgala. Etymologically it means 'that which is liable to integration and disintegration'. It possesses colour, smell, taste and form, and is perceptible to touch. It can be consumed or destroyed and it may decay or alter its form. It is characterised by five colours (black, green or blue, red, white, yellow), two smells (pleasing and unpleasing), five flavours (pungent, bitter, astringent, sour, sweet), five shapes (circular, globular, triangular, square, oblong) and eight touches (light, heavy, hot, cold, rough, smooth, wet, dry). It is divided into four classes-skandha deśa, pradeśa, and paramāņu. The smallest parts of matter which cannot be further divided are called paramāņus or atoms. Two or more such atoms may combine together to form compounds (samghāta).
1Gunaratna on ibid. TTDS, V, 17-18.