Jaina World of Non Living

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

Page 99

The Jaina world of Non-living
(b) It indicates dissimilarity of mattergy and living reality with these three as they are not one whole but many and discrete. Similarly, the reality of time is also innumerable as will be pointed out later. 6. It has already been described in supplementary 5.1 that the different realities have approximate connotations with current scientific concepts as below: (a) Medium of motions (Dharma)
Positive Aether (b) Medium of rest (Adharma)
Negative Aether or
Field (gravitation) Space (Ākāša)
Space These concepts have been modified in post-Newtonian era as described earlier. 7. It must be pointed out that recently, the theory of non-material space is moving towards an atomic or discrete space concept. This would mean mani-ness of space, though this is not a widely accepted opinion. If this turns out more realistic, the Jaina concept of space will require some additional elaboration.
The next aphorism indicates additional specific property of the above single realities :
Niskrīyāṇi Ca 5.7 All the above three realities (medium of motion, rest and space) are inactive or inert also (i.e. they do not have any activity or movement from one place to another) 5.7. 1. Activity is the mode of realities causing their motion from one place to another place due to internal and external factors. The internal factor is the inherent energy for motion. The external factors may be strikes, propulsions etc. The dual causality here suggests that the realities do not have motion as their inherent nature. Had it been so, they could have always been in motion. The activity has been said to be a mode of reality suggesting that it is not different from it. If the activity had been different from the reality, it would have been always inactive. The activity involves movement from one place to another. This indicates the attributes like knowledge and colour etc. are not activities.
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