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Reals in the Jaina Metaphysics
arise, if Time were one homogeneous whole, and so also the questions of long (97) or short (3797) intervals. The objectors may contend that Time is one and that its variety as past, present or future are due to differences in Upādhi or limiting factor. Prabhāçandra says that this: doctrine of Upādhi is dependent on real distinctions in the effect-phenomena. You presuppose oneness of the substance; but as soon as you find out variety you say that it is Upādhi or the limiting factor that makes the one appear as many. The Upādhi of Kāla is as unwarranted a supposi-- tion as the theory of its oneness. The plain principle is: The multiplicity in our experience requires multiplicity in causes for their explanation. If we have distinctive Times in our experience, they must have distinctive real Time-units. as their grounds.
KĀLĀŅU'S
The ultimate Time-units are indivisible and are called Kālāņu's by the Jaina's. The use of the word, Aņu i.e. atom in connection with Kāla should not lead us to think that the Jaina's look upon Kāla as a material mass and its ultimate parts as material atoms. From what has already been said, it should be sufficiently clear that the Kālāņu's are not material atoms. These ultimate units of Time are conceived as the last units in the act of dividing Time into smaller and smaller durations. The question is of great psychological interest and may be bluntly put thus: Is there any least span or extent of duration which cannot be divided into smaller parts further? For, we know, we can divide an hour into minutes, a minute into seconds; but is there any smallest period which is grasped by the mind but further subdivisions of which are absolutely impossible? Those who think that our timings are essentially relative would say that there can be no duration which is not further subdivisible. This would lead either to the theory that Time has no essential reality or to the theory that underlying the empirical durations which are infinitely subdivided and which thus negate themselves, there is the one ultimate
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