Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

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

Page 98

80
Microcosmology : Atom condition of duration (continuity), change (modification), motion. newness and oldness of substances. Time by itself cannot cause a substance to exist, but continuity of existence implies duration in terms of time. Mutation or change or modes also cannot be conceived without time, because change implies temporal succession in which modification takes place. Similarly, motion implies different positions of an object in space in temporal succession. Lastly, time causes the distinction between the old and the new, the 'before and the 'after'. Ultimate indivisible unit of time i.e. time-point is called sama ya
Notions of space and time figure prominently on the map of Reality, and are, therefore, of paramount importance in our efforts to understand it (Reality) through philosophy as well as science. It would, therefore, be more appropriate to discuss this elaborately in the next chapter.
SIX UNIVERSAL QUALITIES The following are the six universal qualities (sāmānya guna) i.e. they are possessed by all the six substances :
1. (Eternal) Existence (Astitva) 2. Causal Efficiency (Vastutva) 3. Substance hood (Dravyatva) 4. Objectivity (Prameyatva) 5. Extension-in-space (Pradeśa vatva) 6. (Eternal) Persistence/Permanence (Agurulaghutva)
1. (ETERNAL) EXISTENCE (ASTITVA)
Eternal existence means continuous duration by reason of which each substance maintains its 'BEING' and is never confronted by extinction. It is by virtue of this quality that a substance is neither created nor destroyed, but maintains its identity eternally.
While emphasizing the plurality of the six substances, it is also emphasized by the Jains that plurality is not an unrelated chaos but a system, inasmuch as each substance is cemented with the rest by definite bonds of relationship.