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Metaphysics, Ethics and Spiritual Development
Instrumental Cause
Uncommon Cause
Expected Cause
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225
Dependence on right deity, right spiritual teacher and right activity.
A series of gradually progressing intermediary states.
Human birth, bodily strength and capacity, etc.
Time (Kāla)
Time is one of the six substances recognised in the Jaina philosophy. The following aphorism of the Tattvarthasutra mentions the functions
of Time.
Jain Education International
vartanā pārināmaḥ kriyā paratvāparatve ca kālasya/ V.22
It means: Incessant minute imperceptible change, perceptible transformation, activity, anteriority-posteriority-these are functions of time.
Time assists substances to undergo by their own nature incessant minute imperceptible changes constituting their own modes, that is, to exist in this manner, to assume transformations or modes like oldness, newness etc., to undertake movements from one place to another or activities of limbs, and to become younger or older.
When rice is cooked on fire, it becomes cooked rice after a long process. Rice does not at once become cooked rice. But every moment rice undergoes minute imperceptible changes which ultimately result in the perceptible gross change or transformation. Without the incessant minute imperceptible changes, there cannot take place the perceptible gross change. The incessant minute imperceptible changes that continuously go on in rice take place with the assistance of time. Thus time is the auxiliary or occasioning cause of all the changes that substances undergo.
Incessant imperceptible minute change, etc., are the functions of the substances themselves, but Time is only the auxiliary cause which helps substances to perform them.
Among ancient Jaina philosophers there was a difference of opinion regarding Time substance. According to one view, Time is not an independent substance. Time is nothing but modes or changes of substances. In other words, Time is identical with change and nothing over and above change. The minute changes and gross changes are merely the modes of substances.
Upadhyaya Vinayavijayaji in the third part of his voluminous work
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