Jain Agamo Me Sukshm Sharir Ki Avdharna Aur Adhunik Vigyan

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the Jain text "Jain Agamo Me Sukshm Sharir Ki Avdharna Aur Adhunik Vigyan" by Mahavir Raj Gelada, based on the provided pages:

This text, "The Concept of the Subtle Body in Jain Agamas and Modern Science" by Dr. Mahavir Raj Gelada, explores the Jain understanding of the subtle body and its parallels, or divergences, with modern scientific concepts.

The author begins by noting that the term "subtle" (sukshm) in Jain Agamas is used in conjunction with various other terms, including subtle beings, subtle matter (pudgal), subtle body, subtle karmic activity, subtle stages of spiritual development, and subtle conduct. Generally, something is considered subtle in relation to something gross, and gross in relation to something more subtle. In Jainism, the atom (paramanu) is considered the ultimate subtle form of matter (pudgal).

The text highlights that Jain Agamas classify beings (jiva) into two types: subtle and gross (badar). Subtle beings are described as imperceptible to the senses and possess the subtle name-karma. Some subtle beings can reside in large numbers within a single body, and they permeate the entire universe, whereas gross beings occupy only a part of the universe. Jainism, in addition to subtle beings, offers a profound and scientific discussion of subtle matter and the subtle body to explain the nature of the universe and to decide on matters beyond sensory perception.

Key Concepts and Comparisons:

• Subtle Matter (Sukshm Pudgal):

  • The subtle body is composed of subtle matter. Therefore, the discussion of subtle matter's behavior in relation to modern science is deemed appropriate, as scientists have been deeply interested in studying subtle matter for about a century.
  • Modern science posits that there is no empty space in the universe; energy is inseparable from matter. The light of stars reaches the furthest corners, and gravitational force exists everywhere. Similarly, Jain philosophy states that subtle matter abounds in the universe compared to gross matter, with subtle beings and subtle matter filling all spatial points of the universe.
  • Science is still researching the field of subtle matter and has not reached a definitive conclusion regarding the behavior of gross and subtle matter.
  • Crucial Distinction: While modern science considers mass (samhati) a fundamental property of matter, Jain philosophy denies the presence of mass in subtle matter. All gross matter has mass, but subtle matter, being mass-less, is described as having only four qualities: sticky (snigdha), dry (ruksh), cold (shit), and hot (ushna). It lacks qualities of heavy (guru) and light (laghu). However, when sticky or dry qualities are predominant in the interaction of subtle matter, heavy and light qualities can emerge. Similarly, the predominance of cold and sticky qualities creates a soft touch, and the predominance of hot and dry qualities creates a hard touch.
  • Mobility of Subtle Matter: Jain philosophers explain that due to the absence of mass, subtle matter can travel at high speeds from one part of the universe to another in a single moment. The concept of mass-less subtle matter is considered original to Jainism.

• The Body (Sharir) in Jainism:

  • Generally, "body" refers to the physical form. In Jain philosophy, the body is defined as the instrument through which the soul (jiva) performs actions. Another definition states it is what allows the experience of material pleasure and pain.
  • The body is constructed from "pudgal varganas" (aggregates of matter). The primary and most useful material connection for a being is the body.
  • Five Types of Bodies: Based on the analogy of cause and effect, bodies are categorized into five types, with increasing subtlety from first to last:
    1. Audārika Body: Composed of gross matter, forming the bodies of earth elements, water, plants, and mobile beings.
    2. Vaikriyaka Body: Capable of various transformations like changing size, weight, and visibility. It is found in celestial beings, hellish beings, and beings who attain special powers (labdhi).
    3. Āhārak Body: A body generated by yogic power, belonging to meditative monks.
    4. Taijasa Body: Composed of groups of atomic energy (akin to electrical particles).
    5. Karmāṇa Body: The body formed as a result of the good and bad actions (karma) of the soul.
  • Subtlety Hierarchy: The Audārika body is the grossest, and the subsequent bodies become progressively subtler. The last two (Taijasa and Karmāṇa) are considered subtle compared to the first three. All these bodies exist in embodied beings in all their states.
  • Āhārak Body Detail: The Āhārak body, though subtle, is grosser than the Taijasa and Karmāṇa bodies because it is made of matter with eight qualities. This body is created by yogis to seek answers from omniscient beings and can travel quickly and is imperceptible to the senses.

• Significance of the Subtle Body Concept in Jainism:

  • The acceptance of the subtle body concept by Jainism serves to strengthen certain fundamental principles:
    1. Rejection of a Creator God: Jainism does not accept God as the creator and controller of the universe. Jain thinkers, having deeply studied the subtle universe, recognized that events, transformations, and movements at the level of subtle beings and matter depend on their inherent qualities and modifications. The universe is self-existent. All substances manifest their qualities and modifications within the framework of substance, space, time, and state. Since events at the subtle level are imperceptible to the senses, attributing their control to God is seen as an illusion. The mysterious behavior of mass-less subtle matter and subtle bodies is only inexplicable to those unfamiliar with its workings.
    2. Reincarnation as a Material and Chemical Process: Reincarnation is the process by which a soul takes on a new gross body after death. According to Jainism, upon death, the gross body (Audārika or Vaikriyaka) of this existence is shed, but the Karmāṇa and Taijasa bodies remain with the soul until the next birth. These subtle bodies are the cause of reincarnation. They propel the soul to a new location where it obtains new nourishment, initiating the formation of a new gross body. These bodies can transport the soul to new locations, even to the ends of the universe, without obstruction in a very short time. Jainism does not find this astonishing because subtle bodies are mass-less, allowing for unimpeded movement.
    3. Rapid Transit of Subtle Matter: Subtle matter can travel at high speeds throughout the universe without obstruction.
       • Karma as Subtle Matter: Jainism refers to that subtle matter which causes the soul to experience pleasure and pain as "karma." Karma is material, making the process of pleasure and pain also material. The aggregates of karma that accompany the soul are called the Karmāṇa body. The concept of the subtle Karmāṇa body forms the basis of the doctrine of karma in Jainism. This doctrine, in itself, rejects God as the creator and controller.
       • Inter-Soul Traversal: The text describes the transitional movement (antarala gati) between births as either direct (riju) or indirect (vigrah). Direct movement takes one moment if the destination is in a straight line. If the destination is not in a straight line, the soul moves with indirect motion, involving turns. The duration of this indirect motion depends on the number of turns, taking two, three, or four moments for one, two, or three turns respectively. This difference is due to the structure of the universe. The Bhagavati Sutra mentions that at the boundaries of the lok and alok, there are corners that can take up to four moments for a soul to be born into, requiring indirect motion. During this transitional movement, the Taijasa and Karmāṇa bodies accompany the soul. Therefore, embodied souls are always associated with these subtle bodies. These bodies are also the cause of reincarnation, and their material and chemical processes, dependent on their sticky and dry qualities, are decisive. Thus, Jainism establishes the principle of reincarnation on the basis of the science of matter. The effectiveness of psychical research, the author suggests, will be more significant when new experiments are conducted in the field of mass-less behavior of the subtle body.

• Speed of Subtle Matter vs. Speed of Light:

  • Modern science considers the speed of light to be the maximum speed. Jain Agamas describe the matter of light as gross matter with eight qualities. However, evidence exists in Jain Agamas for the speed of subtle matter being greater than that of gross matter.
  • Examples include:
    • An atom can travel 14 "rajju" (a unit of measure in Jain cosmology) in one moment.
    • The aggregates of matter associated with mind and speech (vachana varganas) also cover great distances in a single moment and can perceive the mental states of others.
    • Subtle bodies can reach the furthest corners of the universe in a straight line in a single moment.
    • Where matter with four qualities is described, its speed is considered extremely fast.

• Space, Time, and Movement of Subtle Matter:

  • The text emphasizes the need to contemplate the smallest unit of time (samaya) and the smallest unit of space (pradesha) in relation to the movement of subtle matter described in Jain Agamas.
  • If a subtle body travels to the end of the universe in one moment, it also takes one moment to move from one adjacent spatial point to another.
  • Wherever the movement of subtle matter useful to the soul is described (mind, speech, breath, Taijasa and Karmāṇa bodies, disposition/leshyā), the term "one moment" is used for their speed. This leads to the misconception that Jainas might not have had a clear concept of subtle time or that subtle matter moves independently of space and time.
  • The Bhagavati Sutra provides various measures of time and detailed descriptions of the lifespan of hellish and celestial beings, indicating that Jainas did possess a clear concept of time.
  • Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the movement of subtle matter and subtle bodies is independent of space and time, enabling them to cover vast distances in a single moment.
  • Role of Dharma and Adharma Astikayas: According to Einstein, space and time are not independent entities but properties of matter. Jainas, however, needed to accept two other substances, Dharmaastikaya (principle of motion) and Adharmaastikaya (principle of rest), to explain the motion and state of subtle matter. This is because gross matter's motion is relative to space and time and possesses mass, allowing it to move by its own qualities. The presence of Dharmaastikaya and Adharmaastikaya is not essential for the motion of gross matter. It is likely that because subtle matter and subtle bodies move independently of space and time, they travel without obstruction and can reach the ends of the universe.
  • In conclusion, the concept of the subtle body in Jain Agamas has defined the subtle nature of both the soul and matter.

The text concludes by referencing various Jain scriptures and commentaries that support these points.