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The Jaina world of Non-living
The Vaiseșikas prove the inactivity of the living reality also on the basis of the above inferential syllogism. However, this inference can be counterbalanced by the following one to prove its activity:
"The living entity is active because it is the cause of action in mattergic entities like the mattergic reality." If the living entity is inactive, there will be no cause for activity in body or the dead body should also be active.
Secondly, the living entity is not pervasive as it has the size limited to the body size itself.
Thirdly, the pervasiveness and non-materiality are corelated for the Vaišeşikas. This is not correct as their mind is non-pervasive despite non-materiality.
A second inference could also be given :
"There is activity in the living entity because it is associated with attributes causing activity like the heap of earth (which has gravitation etc.)." 7. The aphorism has been elaborated well by Vidyānanda. He concurs with Akalanka that the three realities are inactive with respect to translational motion only. They are, however, active with respect to other types of external and internal activities.
He has also mentioned an inference to confirm non-absolutist contention about the difference between reality and activity. He has taken activity as one of the modes of the reality. 8. The commentary refers to a term 'a-guru-laghu' (a-heavy-a-light) as a general intrinsic property of individuality of the realities. It is said to be undergoing imperceptible or infinitesimal increase and decrease in its parts in six different steps causing origination and destruction. It maintains the individuality of the realities and their characteristics. However, it is not in anyway related with specific gravity or density of an entity.
In fact, the term 'A-guru-laghu' is typical to Jainas which connotes three meanings as found in scriptures and summarised by Pandit Sukhlalji:
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