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Mechanics of Change
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when the self feels, that all this humdrum of life, all this bewildering complexity of existence, all this up and down, stress and strain, pleasure and pain, cannot be without purpose. If that is so, what is the purpose, it asks itself. Some intellectually and spiritually advanced souls tried to understand the universe, its components and its scheme as well as its mechanism in, seeking the answer to this question. They concluded that there are only two main components of the whole of this universe, namely Jīva (living ) and Ajiva (non-living ) and also that the both have distinct characteristics, though both appear to be untied, that the intrinsic characteristic of Jiva is consciousness and that whatever blurs this characteristic is foreign to it.
Understanding of Jiva, sine qua non of all understanding - All Jaina philosophers have repeatedly emphasised that proper understanding of the quality of Jiva and Ajiva is the sine qua non of all understanding. Once this understanding starts, the process of Sain vara starts because once the real character of Jiva reveals that whatever is Ajiva is foreign to Jiva and definitely obscures the characteristics of Jiva, efforts to prevent the karmic flow also start. If Pudgala is foreign to Jiva, Jiva must try to dissociate itself fron Paudgalic influence if it desires to gain its own virtues. This process of thinking also leads the self to the realization of unity of the universe, understanding of the working and mechanism of universal scheme and inherent potentiality of every Jiva to achieve the highest. From this springs the idea of equality of all souls and the doctrine of Ahimsa in deed as well as in thought This also leads to the doctrine of karma, birth, death and rebirth, shedding of karmas, methodology by which they can be shed away and the final liberation, i. e., end of birth and rebirth. Thus the entire structures of doctrines of Jaina phi. losophy is brought to light if once the dichotomy of Jiva and Ajiva is understood in proper light. This is called Samyag Darsana ( proper perspective ) which is followed by SamyagJaana ( proper knowledge ) - both of which are bound to be
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