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lare connected with one another is accepted by the Acārārga when it declares that one who knows one knows all and one who knows ail, knows one.13 This inter-connectedness does not mean obliteration of difference between one object and the other. It only establishes identity-cum-difference between two objects. Pluralistic concept of existence
Inspite of this Umāsvāti is quite conscious that he is dealing with a pluralistic system therefore, he mentions mātņkāpadāstika existence as the second type of existence. Under this type of existence we describe all the five types of eternal substances viz. medium of motion, medium of rest, space, matter and soul.
Five homogeneous aggregates (astikāyas) have been accepted as basic existence in Jain Philosophy. There is no existence except these five homogeneous aggregates (astikāyas). A concept of astikāya gives the specific understanding of existence. Astikāya is a technical word. It is a combination of two words asti and kāya. Generally asti means point=pradeśa and kāya means aggregate. It means that an aggregate of homogeneous points is called astikāya. There is also a very significant expression of astikāya given by Acārya Siddhasenagani in his commentary on Tattvārthasūtra. All existent are possessed of three characteristics viz. Origination, extinction and persistence. The partical asti indicates persistent characteristic of existence whereas kāya typifies the first two characteristics viz. Origination and destruction!4. So we may say that astikāya and existence are synoyms in this sense. These astikāyas are also absolute in the sense that they exist independent of each other from time immemorial. Acārya Mahāprajña says
"five astikāyas are absolute truth because their existence is neither created by our consciousness nor do they depend on each other for their existence but they exist independently's ... The soul in its bounded form represents relative truth whereas in its liberated form its existence is absolute... (Similarly). An insentient being is a relative truth in its dependent form whereas in its independent form it represents
absolute truth.16 २३८ - व्रात्य दर्शन
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