Studies on Biology in Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Z_Sumanmuni_Padmamaharshi_Granth_012027.pdf

Page 11

Glory of Jain Culture
6. Bodies of the Living Beings
Ethymologically, a body is defined as that which is formed due to fruition of physique - making karma which undergoes shattering. It is made up of infinite mattergic particles. It is the instrument of senses, activity and enjoyment. It could be material and it can also be living if it is an embodiment of the living. Every living being is, in fact, found embodied in the world. The fourteen aphorisms 2.36-49 describe about the five types of bodies and their characteristics in which embodiments are observed. These move from gross form to fine form, eye-perceptible to invisible forms. Table 6 gives their details. These embodiments are produced by uterine or non-uterine processes.
The biologists also agree with different bodies of the living beings depending on their class. However, they have described the various systems and organisation under
the observable body surface, (i.e. skin etc.). It seems that T.S. term body is a generic term covering all the current scientific descriptions, of course, which are not found there. The finer bodies of luminous and karmanic type are generally not termed as bodies by biologists, but they are the forms of metabolic products like caloric energy produced therein to run the body and cells, secretions and genes etc. which are produced during in take metabolism to augur different functions properly. If they are not there, there will be difficulty. Some Jain authors have equated luminous body with caloric or electromagnetic energy in the body, but karmanic body is said to be finer than cells etc. However, if karma is taken as equivalent to these fine parts in the body, it may sound more scientific to explain many phenonmena properly. The scientists do not seem to agree with protean and projectablebody but they also seem unable to explain many observed phenomena based on them.
Table 6: Details about five bodies
Birth-base
Uterine/Non-uterine Special bed birth
A
S.No. Body
Form Space
Ownership
points Gross
Gross Infinite All living beings Protean Fine
(Men, animals) (Transformable)
Hellish, Celestials Projectable Finer ĄĄ, Sixth stagers Luminous Finer N.co, All living beings
(1/00L) Karmanic
Finest
N.(00), All living beings
1/00L Where N = Non-liberatable; L = Liberated beings; A = innumerable.
Uterine Uterine/Non-uterine
Uterine/Non-uterine
Studies on Biology in Tattvartha Sutra (Formulae on Reals)
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