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The Jaina world of Non-living
time is an entity characterising the growth and decay of other material entities. 24. Q. Let there be only the term 'continued existence' (vartanā) as function of time as modifications etc. are only its subdivisions. A. This is not correct. The different terms have been mentioned to indicate the two-foldness of time in this world. The two varieties of time are- (i) real, primary or absolute time and (ii) empirial, conventional, secondary or apparent time. The real time is characterised by continued existence. It functions as its cause like motion etc. for the reality of medium of motion etc. It is postulated that every spacepoint in the universe-space is stationed by one time-instant (or time-atom, or time-grains). Each of them is non-connected with one another. These instants are pervading the universe with one-to-one ratio. They are noncomposite and there is no primary-secondariness in them. The assumption of primary aggregation of spacepoints is being found only in case of the other realities of medium of motion and rest, living, space along with diatomic etc. aggregates of mattergy. This assumption of aggregation of spacepoints in atoms is secondary due to aggregation capacity in them.
The time-instants do not have either types of spacepointal aggregation. Therefore, they do not have the quality of extension as observed in case of other realities. They are mono-spacepointal. They are eternal as they do not have any cause for destruction. However, they are non-eternal due to their origination and destruction due to alien secondary causes. The time-instants are non-material as they do not have colour etc. despite the fact that they are recognised like the holed space-path of thread in the needle. They are inert as they have no transition from one spacepoint to another spacepoint.
In contrast, the apparent time is characterised by modification, action and priority-posteriority. It is designated as time as it is the basis for the temporal continued existence of
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