Studies in Jainism

Author(s): M P Marathe, Meena A Kelkar, P P Gokhle
Publisher: Indian Philosophical Quarterly Publication Puna

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STUDIES IN JAINISM
attracts more forms of matters fit to turn into karmic matter by the contact of matters transformed by mental. vocal and bodily activities. Matters which are only capable of transformation into karmic matter are received or attracted by soul114 but all forms of matter are not receivable to it. Matter in the form of paramānu cannot be attracted by soul nor can it be received in all kinds of molecular conditions. Thus matter, being transformed into the forms of body, speech, mind and respiration, comes in the service of soul11s.
Similarlay, the function of matter is also to contribute to pleasure, suffering, life and death of the living beings116. That is to say, matters render service to the worldly souls by four means as upagraha (contributions), viz. pleasure, pain, life and death, having undergone transformation as body, speech, mind and respiration. “Owing to the presence of the internal cause of karma, which produce the feelings of delight and anguish, and in consequence of the ripening of external causes, such as, objects; the disposition of agreeableness or affliction is pleasure or pain. The continuance of respiration in a being owing to the presence of the age-determining karma is called living (or life ). The cutting off or destruction of respiration is death. Matter renders help to soul in these respects, for these arises in the presence of material causes117. All these modes like pleasure, pain, etc. in soul are produced by matter as material functions towards it. Souls and forms of matter exist in the universe as being mutually bound, touched, immersed and tied to onc cach other by attraction and getting mixed up like a jar and water or a sunken boat and water in a fake118 or intermingled with cach other like milk and water119. Elements of Matter
According to Jaina Philosophy 'pudgala' represents the elements of matter. Earth, water, fire, air, shadow, objects of four senses, besides, that of sight, sense-organs, physical mind, karmapudgala and paramāņu120 are in general the elements of matter. They constitute the material universe in the forms of molecules and atoms - grossest and finest forms. Earth, water, fire and air121 have been accepted by all other Indian systems of thought as the basic elements which constitute the material universe. So there appears to be a close relationship of the stru