Jaina World of Non Living

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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The Jaina world of Non-living
infinite regression. By remainder, there could be infinite regression in case of non-pervasive and material entities which have constituents, sense-perceptibility and destruction property. The space has properties different from them. Thus, there is no infinite regression in case of space. The pervasive entities do not have such a case. Thus, the order of placement of realities in the aphorism 5.1 is logically correct and undisputed. 36. Q. It is learnt that time is also a non-living entity. That is why, the great commentary mentions, 'There are six realities', Hence, it should also be included in aphorism 5.1. A. It has not been included here as it has been described later in aphorism 5.39 with its characteristics. Supplementary Notes 1. This chapter deals prominently with the second reality-non-living or Ajiva out of the seven enunciated in the first chapter 1.4. The word 'Ajīva' has been translated through many terms - not-soul, non-sentient, non-living and the like. However, the term 'non-living' has been preferred here. This will be used throughout this description. 2. The Akalanka commentary deals with the following points in 5.1 : (a) homo- and hetero- lacationality of the terms 'body' and 'non-living' (b) meaning and purpose of the term 'body' (Kāya) in 5.1 (c) four-fold classification of the non-living and (d) definition and order of these realities. 3. It is postulated that there are four types of non-living bodies of reality. They may be treated as having common substratum and discordant substratuin on the basis of realistic thinking. In the first case, the factors of non-living and embodiment have same importance. In the second case, it will be a somewhat different situation.
Conventionally, the definition should precede classification. However, the aphorist has not defined non-living. It means that the nonliving could be defined on the basis of its counterpart living (Jiva). 4. The term 'non-living' could be explained in terms of an entity or mode different from the living. It should not be taken as to mean nonexistence of the living. It should mean an entity having different
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