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Ajiva
THE term Ajīva is used to denote the five categories of pudgala,
1 dharma, adharma, ākāśa and kāla. We shall consider them in order.
PUDGALA: This category denotes matter or material objects in general. Matter is uncreated, indestructible and real ; so, the material world is not a 'figment of imagination' but is substantially real, real independently of the perceiving mind. The deep significance of Jaina realism becomes easily understood when we reflect about the general philosophy of realism.
The touch-stone for assessing the realistic aspect of any philosophical system is its conception of matter. The recognized and universally accepted method of interrogation in this context is whether the world really exists or not. From the point of view of the individual who analyses the issue, the specific question is : “Does the world outside him, i.e., outside his perceiving mind exist or not ?" If the answer is that it exists, - exists independently of his own perception - it is symptomatic of the realist view; if not, it indicates an idealistic conception. The basic definition of pudgala which stands for matter in Jainism is that which can be experienced by the five sense organs.” Knowledge derived by the sense organs is of the outside world, and since each sense organ is capable of giving the perceiver one type of knowledge of the outside world, the sum-total of the knowledge derived represents the various aspects of the world outside. The visual organ, for instance conveys information about the colour and shape of the objects constituting
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