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The Jaina world of Non-living
'āste' (to sit) or cooking in vessels- etc. Thus, from practical point of view, the realities are substratum for activities and these may have other substratums too. Form substantive standpoint, however, every reality or activity is self-accommodative only. This aphorism 5.12 is a practical statement only. 8. Q. If substratum-substrate relationship is accepted, there should be separateness and time lags between them as in the case of plums and the containers where plum is the substrate and container is the substratum. This will mean that space is first and other realities are next. This will lead to contradict the beginninglessness of the realities. A. This is not logical. The substrate-substratum relationship is also observed in case of non-separable entities like the body and the hand (where body is the substratum of hands) which are simultaneously produced without time-lag. Similarly, the realities of space etc. are beginningless and simultaneously originating and they may have substrate-substratum relationship. 9. Secondly, there is no fixed rule that this relationship exists only in separable entities like plum and the container. This is also observed in non-separables like roots and shoots etc. in a tree. Thus, there is no application of this flaw of separateness in the case of realities. 10. Q. There is a term 'universe space in this aphorism. Now, what is meant by the term 'universe' (loka) ? A. The universe is an entity where the effect of merit and demerit are observed in terms of pains and pleasures.
What is that entity ? It is the soul. 11. Alternatively, the universe is an entity which observes or knows about the realities in the world. This again means - the soul. 12. Q. The above two definitions of the term 'universe' indicate that the soul or the living being is the universe. It leads one to say that other realities are non-universe. This is a canonical contradiction that the universe consists of six realities. A. This is not correct. The etymology is only an instrument for conventional meanings. Just as, a cow is called 'Go' because of its moving nature. But this does not mean that a seated or unmoving cow
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