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CONCEPTION OF MATTER
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smoothness or roughness absorbs the one with a lower degree into itself. In other words, in the molecules of numerable, innumerable and indefinite atoms, the atoms with greater degrees of smoothness or roughness when uniting, alter the atoms of lesser degree to their own kind.'1 The union between dissimilar particles of equal degrees of smoothness and roughness produces a neutral particle. SIX SUB-CLASSES OF MATTER
Broadly, matter is divided into two classes : atoms and molecules. Matter is divided into six classes also.2 These classes are not different from atoms and molecules. They are, in other words, their sub-divisions : 1. Solids--Earth, stone, and the like are the solid forms of
matter. This class is called sthūla-sthula. 2. Liquids—Butter, water, oil, milk, and the like are the liquid
forms of matter. They are known as sthūla. 3. Energy-It manifests itself in the forms of heat, light, electri
city, and the like. It is called sthūla-slīksma. 4. Gases-Air, etc., are the forms of gases. This class is known
as sūksma-sthūla. 5. Fine Matter--It is responsible for thought-activities and is
beyond sense-perception. This type of matter is called
sūksma. 6. Extra-Fine Matter--The forms of single elementary particles
are composed of extra-fine matter. It is called sūksma
sikşma. MATTER AND SOU'L
Does matter influence soul (jira)? The Jaina system admits that matter does influence a worldly soul. How does it influence? It forms the physical basis of the bodies, speech, mind, and respiration of the souls. The same idea is expressed in a definite form in the following lines :
Matter is the cause of the making of bodies. One kind of molecules called āhāra-vargaņā, forms the first three types of bodies, viz., the organic body of men and animal beings, the
1 Gommata-sāra : Jiva-kānda, 619. 2 Niyama-sāra, 21.
