Jaina Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Nyayavijay
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

Page 39

Essentials of Jaina Philosophy
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medium of rest (adharma), space (ākāśa), matter (pudgala) and time (kāla). These five are substances. Together with the sentient substance soul, they make six substances.
For the medium of motion and the medium of rest the Jaina thinkers use the terms 'dharma' and 'adharma' respectively, which ordinarily mean auspicious karmas (punya) and inauspicious karmas (pāpa) respectively. Medium of motion and medium of rest are two substances. Like space they pervade the entire universe and are devoid of physical qualities These two substances are not even mentioned in any philosophical work of the non-Jaina systems of Indian philosophy. But the Jaina philosophical works treat of them. Just as all scholars recognise space as a substance whose special function is to give room to other substances, even so the Jaina thinkers posit these two substances to serve some specific purpose.
Medium of Motion (Dharma) We observe physical objects and living beings moving from one place to another. Though they are inherently capable of motion, they cannot move without some assisting cause. And this assisting cause is the medium of motion. To illustrate, a fish has inherent capacity to move from one place to another, but it cannot do so without the assistance of water.
Medium of Rest (Adharma) A tired traveller has inherent capacity to stop his motion but he will not stop on the way, unless he finds a shade of a tree. Here the shade of the tree serves as an assisting cause for his stoppage of motion. Similarly, though physical objects and living beings have inherent capacity to stop their motion, they cannot stop their motion without some assisting cause. And this assisting cause is the medium of rest.
Souls and physical objects are the independent agents of motion as also of stoppage-of-motion. They by their own nature move or rest. But that they require the assistance of some other force or principle is accepted by even the modern scientists. It is noteworthy that the Jaina thinkers have posited, from the very ancient times, the medium of motion and the medium of rest as two assisting causes of motion and rest respectively. It is to be borne in mind that according to the Jaina thinkers, the medium of motion does not itself impart motion to the physical objects and souls or set them in motion. Similarly, the medium of rest does not itself urge