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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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In modern science Akāśa (space) is not to be considered to possess the characteristic of producing sound. Matter has attributes of producing sound. Sound is experienced by the sense organs which are material in nature. Therefore, material particles come into contact with the other material particles and due to the resistance of the material particles, sound is produced. The stimulation of the sound is received by the sense-organ--the ear. Due to this contact, the sound is experienced We cannot consider Ākāśa as the substance having the attribute of sound. Akāśa is not a product nor a mode of a material substance, nor is it extensible nor extendable due to the material substance. According to Sāṁkhya, prakrti is the primordial substance and Prthyī and Akāśa are the products of the prakrti But it is a question worth considering. The products of prak yti like prthvī, water and air and agni etc. have form and how can the product of Akāśa which is also a product of prakrti cannot ha form. The prakrti evolve into a variety of complex of modes to form the universe. The evolution of the prakrti is based on the distru bance in the equilibrium of the three gunas--sattva, rajas and tamas. But the evolutes of prakrti will have different qualitative distinctions as some having form and some formless, if we accept Ākāśa as a product of praksti.
It cannot be said that prakrti gives rise to Ākāśa and we cannot make Ākāśa, the product of prakrti. Because Ākāśa is inactive, formless, endless, and all pervasive. The products of a prakrti arises out of the disturbances in the three guņas and due to the presence of the puruṣa. Puruşa is inactive and pure consciousness. Puruşa is an independent reality and prakrti is to explain the evolution of the entire universe including Ākāśa. This appears to be difficult to understand.
Water, earth and other substances have Ākāśa as the matrix. In the case of water, the particles are little apart and they are bound to be in-between. Therefore, Akāśa accommodates all substances.
BUDDHIST CONCEPTION OF AKĀŠA The Buddhist philosophers have considered Ākāśa to be a simple element (asarsak sta dharma). "They have described it as
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