Jaina World of Non Living

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

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The Jaina world of Non-living
realativity is very small in situations of the macrowrold. However, microworld has a different story. Thus, it seems that the Jaina theories are more in tune with the macroworld. They should be specified in this way rather than universalise them. 24. The fourth non-living reality is termed as 'Pudgala' by Jainas for which we have coined the term 'mattergy' as it involves both- matter and energy (heat, light etc.). This specific Jaina term consists of two parts - pud + gala. Each has its own meaning representing the two basic attributes of material entities They have capacities of (a) combination, association, integration or fusion and (b) decomposition, dissociation, dis-integration or fission under different conditions. The term 'pud' represents the first set and the term 'gala' represents the second set. Thus, the term 'mattergy' may be defined as material entities undergoing the processes of association and dissociation. These processes may be natural as in radioactivity (dissociation) or mineral formation underground or artificial as in the case of particle bombardment to produce higher or smaller atoms or different chemical process of preparing many small or large compounds (association). The term is, thus, etymological and attributive. 25. The commentary gives a newer meaning to this term also. It means material entities are those which are intaken by the living beings in general in the form of food, energy, body and the like. This seems to be a grosser meaning of the term. This entity has been described in detail later in the chapter.
It is said the 'absolute knowledge' covers all the realities and their modifications as its objects (1.29). The term 'Dravya' or realities occurs there. What are these realities? The next aphorism 5.2 elaborates about them :
Dravyāṇi 5.2 The above entities are called realities or Dravyās 5.2.
The realities are those entities which undergo (or are undergone by) modifications because of their origination and destruction due to internal and external causes. The modifications occur due to internal and
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