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(E-11)
Water in Jaina Philosophy
and Modern Science
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In Jaina philosophy, water is considered not only as one-sensed water bodied living-being, but it has also been assigned certain well spelt out attributes. Some of the details of properties are given below. a) General Definitions:As per 'Gommatsara' Jîva Kanda (a Canonical book of Digambara Sect), the word Water is used in Jaina philosophy to convey following 4 sets of meanings Water (Jala):- Meaning a mixture of living and non-living water, Water-beings (Jala Jîva): Souls in transit. (Which will become waterbodied or which have exited water-bodied living-beings) Water-Body (Jala Kấya): Meaning Dead-body of water or non living water. Water-bodied life (Jalakayika): Living water.
b) General Properties, as per Jaina Philosophy:1). Yoni These are birth places, where souls enter the physical bodies. Birth of living-beings takes place selectively, based on the type of yoni (cellstructure). The selection of yoni depends on the “instructions” it carries or better known as fruition of its 'Nama-karma' for the immediate current life. It automatically matches with the available stuff in the storehouse of a particular yoni, so that it can draw and absorb the required materials to accomplish the task of setting the framework of its immediate current life-span. There are 7 lakhs types of birth places, called yonis, where souls of APKAYA (Water-bodied) living-beings can enter and develop. Some of the examples of its yonis are : Rainwater, Dew water, Pot-Water, Ocean-Water, Well or Boring-Water, Lake-Water or Fog-Water,
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