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The Jaina world of Non-living
1. A. The 'that-ness' (or tad-bhāva) is the cause of recognition like the memory 'this is that only". This is not accidental. It occurs when we see an object in the same form as seen before. If the earlier state is absolutely refuted and only the creation of the new state is postulated, there will be no memory and the ways of the world dependent on it will not be there. Thus, the permanence is ascertained by the non-deviation from 'that-ness' of an entity. 2. Q. It is opined that there is contradiction in stating that an entity does not get destroyed (when it is destroyed) while under destruction and it does not originate while under origination (when it is originated). A. There is no contradiction as the statements have been made with different aspects. There would have been contradiction if the origination, destruction and permanence would have been postulated with the same aspect. It would have been contradictory like to state a man as father and son with the same respect of genitor. There would be no contradiction with respect to the statements under different aspects. Supplementary Notes 1. The following points are dealt with in this commentary. (a) The permanence is defined as the maintenance of substantivity, self-sameness, unitary recognisability and non-destruction of modality. (b) The concept of absolutistic origin or destruction of an entity will lead to the loss of recognisability and loss of worldly ways. (c) The permanence and changeability are not inconsistent with each other as they are taken with different aspects. It is just like a man being a father, son, brother-in-law etc. with different aspects. 2. The word 'Bhāva' in the aphorism means mode, transformation or substantive nature. The non-destruction of modality or substantivity is the cause of unitary recognisability or self-sameness or that-ness. 3. This aphorism only defines the term 'permanence'. However, when it is considered with respect to objects, it should be taken with nonabsolutist view point. It will mean that permanence occurs only in some respects. In other or modal (origination or destruction) aspects, the objects may not be so. Pūjyapāda has specifically mentioned this point.
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