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The Jaina world of Non-living
"The earth etc. are modes of mattergy as they have attributes of touch, taste etc. like space etc. as negative illustrations. The nonobservation of taste etc. in them does not lead to their absence in them as it could logically lead to invalidate many such concepts of disputants also (like space, time, heavens, atom, mind etc.). The canons are authentic too in this respect." 4. The plural number in the term 'mattergies' indicates that they have many varieties, the two of which - atoms and aggregates are famous. 5. Uttarādhyayana (36.15) points out five coexisting attributes rather than four as in 5.23 and includes shape also along with them. When the coexisting property of shape was excluded is a question mark. However, Tatia has expressed as the colour and shape (objects of sense of sight) generally go together, they might have been taken as one later. However, most Jaina authors have followed the four-fold differentia of mattergy. 6. The four types of properties are the basic qualities of mattergy in general. Out of them, the first quality of touch has eight kinds representing (1) thermal (2) gravimetric (3) structural and (4) electrical properties. There is no detailed qualitative or quantitative description about them in scriptures. However, these properties are basic for deciding the usefulness of any mattergic entity. Some Indian philosophies have also dealt with these properties. The current scientists have both types of details. G. R Jaina has detailed the ranges of different types of tactile properties as below :
Minimum Maximum (i) Thermal properties, Temp. - 273 °c 2x10' °c (Sun) (ii) Gravimetric, density
1 (water) 378X 10' (stars) (iii) a. Structural, Moh's Hardness talc
diamond b. " , Packing amorphous total crystaline (iv) Electrical, Charges
0 or 1 + or - 7. The commentary mentions five types of tastes- bitter, sour, acidic, astringent and sweet. The salty taste is not included, though Gunaratna says 'sweet' means salt (?). However, no mechanism for taste
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