Book Title: Studies in Jainism
Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
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STUDIES IN JAINISM
CLASSES OF JĪVAS
Throughout the living kingdom, in the botanical and zoological world, life is found in association with matter. The association of Jiva with body, its sarira, is an important characteristic of the concrete living world. Jīva in association with its body is quite different from Jiva in its pure state. The latter is called the pure Atman and the former saṁsārī jiva. This samsări jiva, in association with its appropriate body, is said to be of different grades of existence. Jīvas, in the biological kingdom, are classified according to their development. Jaina philosophy divides the Jivas in the world according to the principle of the development of the sense-organs. The lowest class of Jivas consists of ekendriya jivas, or Jīvas having only one sense-organ. Next higher to this are dvindriya Jivas, or Jivas having two sense-organs. Then higher above, we have Jivas with three indriyas. Then there are Jivas with four indriyas, then pañcendriya jivas or Jivas with five sense-organs, and lastly, samanaska, i.e., pañcendriya jivas with manas (mind). The first class refers to the vegetable kingdom which is considered to be a part of the living world. Trees and plants have all the properties of living organisms, such as assimilation, growth and decay, and reproduction. They are endowed with only one sense-organ-the awareness of touch. In addition to the recognition of the botanical world as a part of the biological world, the Jaina philosophy speaks of sūkṣma ekendriya jivas, minute and microscopic organisms endowed with only one sense-the sense of touch. These generally exist in other bodies, and also in earth, water, air, and light, on account of which such Jivas are called pṛthvi-kāyika, ap-kāyika, vāyu-kāyika, and tejaskayika. This doctrine of sūkṣma ekendriya jivas, with their respective places of existence, is entirely misunderstood by some scholars, who go to the extent of attributing to Jaina philosophy a primitive doctrine of animism that earth, water, air, etc. have their own souls.
Worms represent the second class of organisms with two senses-touch and taste. Ants represent the third class
