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The Jaina world of Non-living
(iv) The embodied soul is substantively permanent as soul. However, it
undergoes modifications due to its association with karmas through mental, physical, volitional and vocal activities. Its modes are aliencaused. The disembodied soul has also substantive permanence. However, it also undergoes self-caused modes in its intrinsic
properties of knowledge and conation etc. (v) Time is also a non-living and non-mattergic entity with a uni
diemensional character. It is permanent with respect to absolute time and non-eternal with respect to apparent time and changes or
movements taking place in objects. 10. This definition of reality in terms of continuity through changes is in aggrement with the scientific concept of law of conservation of mass and energy (mattergy) which states the amount of mass and energy together in a system remains constant despite their transformations in this or that form. This law is quantitative while this aphorism states it more or less qualitatively. Q. It is contended that as substantivity is the characteristic of the reality, the modes are also similar. If one of them is non-existent, the other will follow suit and, thus, there will be possibility of non-existence of the reality. A. This would have been correct if the characteristics of perceptibility, substantivity, non-livingless, non-consciousness etc. would have been as momentary as the modes of the earth mass, pot and cup etc. The next aphorism indicates that despite the origination and destruction of modes, the substantive nature of reality is permanent. Tad-bhāvā-vyayam Nityam
5.31 The permanence is defined as non-deviation from the basic nature (or that-ness) by an entity 5.31. Q. What should be understood from this aphorism 5.31 ? A. The word 'Dravyam' (reality) should be applied to the aphorism. This will mean that a permanent reality is that which does not deviate from its basic nature. Q. What is meant by the word 'tad-bhāva' or thatness ?
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