________________
Samayasāra
Chapter - 2 From some other aspects they are classified as subtle or gross, fully developed (paryāpta)' or partly developed; males, females, bisexuals or asexuals. Some other aspects are: four types of guti (realms of mundane existence), six types of beings based on the material of their bodies and so on. All these innumerable varieties are determined by the fruition of different sub-species of the bodymaking (nāma) karina. Since the substantive cause of all these manifestations is karmic matter, how can they be called souls or possessed by souls?
It is true that in the scriptures such classifications, as stated above, are mentioned as classes of jīva. But it should be remembered that they basically refer to the varieties of the bodies and conventionally applied to jīva. And hence the scriptural statements must be taken as made in popular parlance and not ultimate.
And finally, the stages of spiritual progress-gunasthānas-are no doubt referred to and made applicable to the soul, also in popular parlance. In the ultimate analysis they are also proved to be different degrees of fruition, subsidence or destruction-cum-subsidence of the deluding (mohanīya) karma. Deluding karma is also like body
1. Terms paryāpta and its opposite aparyāpta (najjattā & upajjattā) are derived
from the process of bio-potential (paryāpti), that is the building up of physical faculties at the commencement of the new life. There are six bio-potentials, viz., (i) aliment (āhāra), (ii) body (śarīra), (iii) senses (indriya), (iv) respiration (svāsochvāsa), (v) speech (bhāṣā) and mind (manah). Com:nencement of all the six bio-potentials are synchronized 'with the fertilization of the ovu (which is also the instant of rebirth), but the development of the first i.e. the aliment is completed in an instant and of the rest gradually. An organism is developed or underdeveloped according as the development of all its relevant bio-potentials have been completed or remain unfinished.
Prāna means the bio-energy which is the psychic counterpart of biopotential. Modern scientific concept of life is “an energy capable of organizing matter gathered from outside into the body of a living organism". In modern terms, paryāpti means the power of organization of material from the environment into special pattern(s).
All living things are organized even if, like a virus, they consist of more than protein and nucleic acids. This organization' is a highly improbable state for matter to be in. All inanimate matter and dead matter tend to become more disordered and randomly scattered. To a physicist this is known as the tendency to increase entropy, for entropy is simply a measure of disorder. To counter this tendency, energy is required, so living things can only retain their organized state of low entropy-by respiration and production of energy. (Mind Alive, vol. 1, p 22).
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
