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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
When the potter undertakes an activity of producing the pot out of the material cause clay with the instruments like a wheel, a staff, etc., clay does not at once become the pot. But in this long activity, it assumes one after another different forms or transformations and it is only after passing through many different states or forms that clay becomes the pot at the end. In the different states or forms which clay assumes before the production of the pot, each preceding state is the material cause of the respective immediately succeeding state. From this long chain of causes and effects, we can understand that the development or evolution is gradual. Clay becomes the pot after having passed through many gradual states flowing towards the final effect, the pot. A flower or a fruit is the final effect of a series of effects, one leading to another in a determined order of succession. Similarly, life develops passing through various states leading to development. In the successive states which clay undergoes before the emergence of the pot, the latter one is nearer to the form of the pot than the former. And when in the last state, the minimum deficiency withholding the emergence of the pot is made good or removed, the pot at once manifests itself. Thus a series of different gradual successive forms, states or transformations of clay is absolutely necessary before and also for the production of the pot. Its contribution in the production of the effect being uncommon or unique (asādhāraṇa), it is called the uncommon cause (asādhārana-kāraṇa). Thus the uncommon cause gives us an idea of successive or gradual activity leading to the production of the final effect.
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A stream of different states, gradually developing into the final effect, is nothing but a stream of successive transformations of the material cause. The final ripe fruit of the stream of the successive transformations of the material cause is the effect. So the final ripe fruit of the stream of the successive transformations of the clay-lump is the pot.
From the above exposition, it follows that if man wants to produce a particular effect, he should have the true knowledge of the effect and its means (causes)-as also he should properly know how to employ the means in the production of the effect.
Now let us think about the spiritual development of man. All good men desire to achieve spiritual progress. They know that it is only man who possesses the best ability to achieve it. And their goal is perfect nonattachment which means total extermination of all defects like attachment, etc. The soul is of the nature of knowledge. So perfect knowledge
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