Reals on the Jaina Metaphysics

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Shatnidas Khetsy Charitable Trust Mumbai

Page 64

The Principles of Motion and Rest
ordered movements of a number of fish in a tank; for the purpose of the well-ordered movement of the fish, the nature of the fish themselves is as much responsible as the existence of water in the tank. In Prameya-kamalamārtaņda, Prabhāçandra says: विवादापन्नाः सकलजीवपुद्गलाश्रयाः सकृद्गतयः साधारणबाहयनिमित्तापेक्षा युगपद्भाविगतिगतित्वादेकसरःसलिलाश्रया०नेकमत्सप्पतिवत्। तथा सकल जयवपुद्गलस्थितय: यतु साधारणनिमित्तं स धर्मो धर्मश्च ताम्यां विना तद् गतिस्थितिकार्यस्यासंभवात् । These passages mean: “The individual movements of all the souls and the material substances are dependent upon a common external condition because of the simultaneity of these movements just like the movements of a number of fishes which are dependent upon the water of one pond. In the same way, the stoppages of all the souls and the material substances are dependent upon a common external condition, because of the simultaneity of these stoppages just like the staying of a number of plums etc., in one pot. These common conditions are respectively Dharma and Adharma; without these, the above motion and stoppage are impossible.”
It would appear from the above passages of Prabhāandra that the simultaneous motions of a number of things are an evidence of the reality and substantiality of Dharma. Mere simultaneity of movements, however, is no more order or system than their succession. There may be a simultaneity of movements however without there being any order in them. A fish, for example, may run towards the north in a pond, while a man may swim towards the east; a twig which has fallen into the water may float towards the west and a piece of stone may be going downwards in the water. All these movements may be simultaneous and these movements are possible because of water, the medium of motions in this case. Yet no one would see any order in these movements, although they are simultaneous. It is thus that Dharma may account for the simultaneous motions of
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