Jaina World of Non Living

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

Page 92

The Jaina world of Non-living
6. Alternatively, it may be said that the term 'eternal' is an adjective for the term 'immutability'. Just as a certain person - Devadatta is called 'ever-talkative' due to his regular habit of gossiping despite his many modes of coming, going, sitting, etc., similarly, the realities of medium of rest and motion etc. are also called 'etrenally immutable' as they do never give up their nature of being non-tangible etc. despite many substantive and modal transformations in them. 7. The term 'immutable in this aphorism is not meant for indication of lack of activity or motion of any type in the realities as this property has been indicated through the aphorism 5.7. 8. The term formless or non-tangible (Arūpa)' is included in the aphorism to indicate the true nature of these realities. They do not have form, colour or perceptibility. This means that they do not also have taste etc. which are concommittant with colour. The word 'colourless or formless' also means non-material or sense-imperceptible. 9. Q. Some canons mention about five realities. It is said that the realities do not transgress their numericality of five. Here, six realities have been mentioned. This is contrary to the early description. A. This is not so. The questioner has not understood the meaning properly. The earlier authors intended that the sixth reality of time will be described later and, hence, they have not taken that into account here. Thus, only five realities have been described earlier. There is, thus, no contradiction. Supplementary Notes 1. This aphorism 5.4 indicates three more points of similarity among the five realities described in 5.1 and 5.3. 2. The commentary deals with the following points :
Derivative meaning of the term 'eternal' (Nitya). Meaning of the term 'immutable or fixed' in term of (i) fixed numericality (ii) fixed number of space-pointablity and (iii) constancy through modifications or eternal constancy. The meaning of the term 'formless (Arūpa)' in terms of (i) negation of property of colour, shape or eye-perceptibility, (ii) negation of other associated properties with colour like taste etc.
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