Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 93

Atom in Jain Philosophy
75
The first five substances are called astikāya, because each of them is a homogeneous continuum composed of multiple parts. Kāla (i.e. time) is also included in the above list as the sixth substance, but it is not an "astikāya". The term astikāya is a compound word made up of 'asti' and 'kāya, which respectively mean (real) existence' and 'extensive body. The term astikāya thus means a real extensive magnitude, i.e. having plurality of parts (pradeśa) in its constitution. The primal attribute of 'Existence, is the foundational element of the nature of an astikāya (existent). An existent is not a mental phenomenon or a figment of imagination but an extra-mental or objective reality. While such concepts as : substance, attribute etc. are, no doubt, the ways in which the mind works up the data of experience, but this does not mean that they are only mental and have no extramental reality. Kāla, the sixth substance, has neither extension in space nor plurality of parts and is, therefore, not an astikāya. Each of these substances continues to exist as an entity eternally, and though they co-exist spatially and temporally, they are mutually inconvertible.
We shall examine very briefly the nature and characteristics of these substances before taking up the detailed discussion on pudga lāstikāya which is the Jain name for 'physical substance'.
(1) DHARMĀSTIKĀYA & (2) ADHARMĀSTIKĀYA
These are the non-physical real substances as the media of motion and rest respectively. The existence of these two as reals is not accepted by any other metaphysical school of thought. The classical physics, however, had accepted the existence of substance called ether as a medium of motion. We shall, for the sake of convenience, translate these terms as positive and negative ethers respectively.
Each of them is a single, indivisible, homogeneous continuum pervading the entire occupied universe (loka), but does not extend beyond it. In fact, they are the causes of the finiteness of the loka. Temporally, they are beginningless and eternal Being non-physical
1. Illuminator of Jain Tenets, 1-1 (gloss).