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AJEEVAKÄY INSENTIENT MATTER
91
are five types of bodies. Of these organic, protean and carrier bodies are obviously made of Pudgal. The lustrous and Kärman bodies are subtle, but they are also made of fine particles of light and Karma. They are therefore Pudgal, even though their particles are not visible.
Similarly speech and mind are constituted of subtle particles of sound and thought. Inhaling and exhaling constitute the respiration. That involves air and the respiratory system, both of which are Pudgal. Pleasure and pain are experienced within the body and are therefore Pudgal. Birth and death, though not noticed by the person concerned, can be witnessed by the people around and are therefore Pudgal. These are some examples of Pudgal's functions. In general, it can be said that whatever impact arises on Jeev by virtue of its interaction with Pudgal can be considered the function or Upakär of Pudgal.
Sutra 21 states that Jeevs are mutually helpful. The term 'Jeev is not used here in the sense of soul without body; it is used in the sense of an embodied soul. Sutra therefore conveys that the living beings are interdependent. This is a well-known maxim and is quoted as a precept of Jainism. The interdependence among human beings is evident; that of humans and animals is also obvious. Our dependence on minute beings like bacteria also is now known. Many of our requirements are provided by such minute beings. In return we happen to raise the conditions in which such minute beings thrive. As such, it is said here that the living beings are interdependent.
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