Jiva Relatedness and Relationships

Author(s): Nina Mehta
Publisher: Nina Mehta

Page 6

Capacities:Propensity Chitrabhanutalksaboutthefundamentalpropertiesofelements, beingsinrelationtotheirtruenature. "Dharmaisnature. Itistheoriginalnature. Youarethat. Everythinghasitsoriginalnature. Thenatureofwateriscool. Saltissalty,itisitsnature. Thesamewaywearealwaysthere. Ournatureisconsciousness."Beingexactlywhateachlivingbeingismeanttobereflectsanimmanencereflectedin Francois Jullien's ThePropensityof Things.[8]Julliendiscussesprocessesofbecoming throughthecapacitytofu nctioneffectivelyusingone'sshi,potentialforce, throughpositioning. Thepropensityofobjects, beings, andthingsinrelationandinteraction, manifesttheirowntendencytobecomeani mated, stemmingfromandthroughthesituation:"Realityalwayspresentsitselfasaparticularsituationthatresultsf romaparticulardispositionofcircumstancesthatis,inturn, inclinedtoproduceaparticulareffect:itisuptothegenera Tandequallytothepolitician, thepainter,andthewriter,toavailhimselfoftheshi...soastoexploitittoitsmaximumpot entiality"(Jullien, 260). In Jainism, differentjivashavedifferentpropensities, alsorealizedthroughtheirarrangements. Here, difference, isnotlack. Eachjivarequiresdifferentaction, andmanifestationoftheir" originalnature."Eachbeingisbestabletoreachtheirc apacitythroughanunderstandingof,useof, orflowwiththeir originalnature, which has differentpotentialthroughdif ferentlifeformsandlifecycles. Theselifeformswillcontinuetochange, allowingdifferentiterations, andexpressionsof dharma. Energy,again, isstable,but, as Chitrabhanuexplains, "Wearesentientenergy. Wehavesense,choice, understanding. Wecanknowwhoweareifwegodeeper. Onceyouknowthatyouaresentientenergy,youcantakecharge."Thisiswherechoiceandactioncomestomatter, a ffectingandrearrangingelements, andone'ssoulmovement throughtime,andphysicalandgeographicforms.
Blurred, OngoingTaxonomies Differentjivashavedifferentdispositions, requiringdifferentactionsandenactingdifferentrelations. InJainism jivacategoriesarefixed, butthemovementbetweenthemisblurred. In Jainism,weareinsomewayscompositesofwhatwe'vealwaysbeen sinceeachlifeform eachincarnation, andth eactionsperformedinrelation, moveusthroughtheuniverse. Assubjects, wearemultiple overlapping, continuallydissolvingboundariesbetweenselfandother, throughtime. Weareasmuchex-animal, asex-humanandexvegetable,andwemaybeallthesethingsstill, asoursoulstraversetheuniverse, accumulatingandsheddingpudga la reflectingthepathswe'vetreadandtheliveswe'veled. Whatallowsustorelatetodifferentjivasisnotjusttrust faith, abstractconnection, butthefactthatourpresentdeeds affectoursoul, anditstemporaryhabitationinlifeformsthatinvokedistinctlivingaction, differentformsofconfrontati on, connectionandencounter. ExploringJainphilosophyandpracticesofJainethics, weseehowinterconnectionaffectskarmicmakeup,past,pr esentandfutureactions, experiences, lifecycles. Weseehowinteractionswithlifeformsmoveusbeyondsympathyandempathytodifferent moreenmeshedforms ofinterrelationwith Jainthoughtasthebasisforrelatingtoorganisms, livingthings, tobeingandbecominghuman,a nddifferentmodesofinter-andintra-action. Soulsmovethroughdifferentcelestialandphysicalbodies, andjustastheflyislimitedbywhatitcanperceiveinitsen vironment,wetooarelimited, boundbyoursensoryperceptionsinrelationtoallbeings, andespeciallyinrelationtoa futureorientedtruth. Explorationofconceptionsoftime,consideringpasts presentsandfuturesinrelationtoactionsandpractices, broa densanunderstandingofinterconnection, shiftingunderstandingsofconnectionbetweenlivingbeings.
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[1]InJainism, a Tirthankarisahumanbeingwhoachievesenlightenmentandcontinuesguidingreligiousteachingt