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The Jaina world of Non-living
It has already been said that the medium of motion and rest etc. are instrumental causes of motion, rest, occupancy, continuity and bodies etc. These entities have been designated as 'Dravyas' or physical realities. However, the term 'Dravya' has not been defined. The next aphorism defines it : Sat-dravya-lakṣaṇam
5.29 The Dravya or physical reality is characterised by existence 5.29.
The entities of motion and rest etc. are called physical realities because they have the property of existence. Whatever exists is a reality. Q. How, then, the term 'existence' is defined ?
The existence may be defined as an entity which may be senseperceptible or supra-sensual which undergoes origination and destruction along with its permanence due to internal and external causes as defined in the following aphorism 5.30.
The medium of motion etc. are called physical realities as they represent existence. The next aphorism defines the term 'existence' characterising the realities :
Alternatively, the realities like medium of motion etc. are in existence due to their instrumentality in various ways. It indicates that they may be in non-existence when they are not serving their causes. The next aphorism 5.30 is intended to refute this contention by defining the term 'existence' in terms of its three-fold characteristics. It is because of this that the realities do always exist despite absence of their specific functions :
Utapāda-vyaya-dhrauvya-yuktam Sat 5.30
The existence is characterised by origination, destruction and permanence 5.30. 1. The origination is defined as the attainment of a different or new mode from the earlier one by a living or non-living entity due to many internal and external causes despite maintaining its own basic class. The process is illustrated by the change of earth into the mode of a pot.
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