________________
160
A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
The omniscient souls (kevalajñānī) can see the all substances, having form and formless. In the chadmastha stage of guṇasthāna where there is the destruction-cum-subsidence of karma and which is partial, one can know the paramāņu and also may not know it. One who has clairvoyant knowledge (avadhijñāna) can see the objects with form upto a particular distance, can know the paramāņu but one who can see only through the sense-organs cannot see the paramāņu.1 FORMATION OF SKANDHA
Imagine for a moment that each paramāņu is independent, isolated like a brick, then the problem arises how the combination of paramāņus and their integration bring the formation of mahākāyaskandha, the cosmos. When we construct a house, we keep the bricks one upon the other plastered with cement etc. But the cosmos is formed by its own principles of necessities and not by any external agency or intelligence. As the sky becomes laden with clouds and again becomes clear so also the skandhas are formed and are separated by their own nature. Still the problem remains-what is the object of such combination and disintegration of skandhas and
atoms?
The universe as we see is material in nature and is due to the integration of the paramāņus. Paramāņus combine into skandha, and skandhas combine to form the visible and gross objects. In Pudgala we find the inherent forces of integration and disintegration. When paramāņus integrate skandhas are formed and by the integration and disintegration of the skandhas different objects are formed. These forces of disintegration and integration are natural to matter and these forces are also operative due to the jivas, as jīvas are active. If the Pudgala has not possessed the inherent attribute of integration, paramāņus would have remained isolated, and if the force of disintegration were not in operation then the paramāņus, would have been found in an unorganised cluster. The cosmos would not be possible and there would be no use of the paramāņus and skandhas for the jivas.
1
Bhagavati: 18, 8.
2 Sthānānga 2, 221-225, Dohim thānehim poggalā sāhannanti-sayam vā poggală săhannanti parena vā poggalā sāhannanti, evam bhijjanti parisaḍanti, parivaḍanti viddhansanti.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
