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sis, rebirth, or reincarnation. It has also been mentioned that the Jaina tradition does not believe in the theory of progress and growth of the soul and does not reject the concept of retrogression. Now we propose to give a detailed description of the various states and classes of beings that are invariably connected with the theory of transmigration. The age-determining (ayus), the physique-making (naman), and the status-determining (gotra) karmas are the principal causes of the diversity of beings.
TRANSMIGRATION
There are four states of existence: the state of celestial beings, that of hellish beings, that of human beings, and that of animal beings. All those beings that are not included in either of the three states, viz., celestial, hellish, and human are called animal beings. This state, therefore, also includes all vegetable kingdom and other elementary beings such as water, air, fire, and the like. Let us, first of all, take into account the state of animal beings.
ANIMAL BEINGS
The soul attains the animal state of existence due to the rise of the respective physique-making (nāman) karma. This state lasts as long as its age-determining (ayus) karma allows to live. After the exhaustion of its age it dies and takes a new birth according to the then existing condition of its own accumulated karmas. Excepting the beings of five senses all other beings of this class, the Jaina believes, do not bind the karmas that lead to the celestial and hellish states of existence. The beings existing in the states of fire and air, however, do not bind in addition to the two the human state of existence. We are not in a position to prove the validity of the statement on the ground of reasoning. May be that the conditions and causes required for binding these states are not within the reach and control of the beings of one senseorgan. The distinction made between the beings of fire and air and those of other states in this respect is also outside the province of reasoning. Animals are classified into two chief kinds: movable and immovable. The immovable ones are of three kinds: earthly beings, watery beings, and plants. They are again divided into
1 Tattvärtha-sutra, IV, 28.
2 Loka-prakāśa, IV, 102 ff.
