Property Of Matter In Jain Canons - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Properties of Matter in Jain Canons" by N. L. Jain:

The paper, "Properties of Matter in Jain Canons" by N. L. Jain, explores three key aspects of Jain philosophy concerning the material world: methods of obtaining knowledge, the definition of matter, and its attributes. The author aims to critically evaluate and supplement existing understanding by comparing Jain canonical views with current scientific perspectives.

Methods of Obtaining Knowledge:

Jain philosophy distinguishes two primary terms related to knowledge: "Janadi" (mental knowledge) and "Passadi" (sensory perception). While early interpretations saw these as simultaneous, later emphasis was placed on sensory perception ("Passadi") as crucial for understanding the material world.

Jain epistemology outlines two main ways to gain knowledge:

Pramana: An all-inclusive study of an object, synthesizing various aspects.
Naya: A method of studying an object from a particular aspect or mode. Since substances have multiple facets, numerous "nayas" can be employed.

While Pramana aims for a comprehensive synthesis, the "naya" method is considered the primary source of knowledge for humans due to practical limitations. Both methods utilize six categories for ascertaining knowledge: description, ownership, cause, substratum, duration, and classification (or variations thereof).

Knowledge acquisition can be further categorized into:

Pratyaksha: Intuitive knowledge.
Paroksha: Sensory perception, which includes external causes like light, senses, and the mind.

Akalanka, a Jain philosopher, clarified that "Pratyaksha" in Jainism includes both pure intuition and "sensual intuition" caused by senses and mind. What other philosophies consider "Pratyaksha," Jainas term "Paroksha" or "Laukika Pratyaksha," encompassing sensory cognition, resemblance, recognition, induction, deduction, and recording knowledge. The paper argues that sensory perception is foundational for other methods of knowledge acquisition.

The process of sensory cognition involves four steps:

Apprehension (Awagraha): The initial contact with the object, providing a crude idea. This can be indistinct (for senses other than eyes and mind) or distinct (for eyes and mind).
Speculation (Iha): Further observation and analysis using mental faculties to gather more particulars about the object.
Perceptual Judgment (Avaya/Apaya): A decisive and inferential stage where analytical studies of observations lead to a conclusive judgment, excluding other possibilities.
Retention (Dharana): Storing the learned knowledge, which enables communication and application to similar or dissimilar objects. The author suggests this stage, when viewed broadly, can form the basis of modern hypotheses.

The obtained knowledge is then recorded as Sruta (scriptures or heard/seen knowledge). The paper notes that while scriptures are valuable records, they are authored by non-omniscient beings based on traditional omniscient authority and are subject to modification for accuracy based on current observation and analysis. The notion of scriptures being infallible and containing all knowledge is challenged, advocating for a dynamic view of knowledge growth, akin to a flowing river.

The author draws a parallel between these scriptural processes and the modern scientific method, involving experimental observations, characterization/classification, and hypothesization/theorization. Both rely on senses (or instruments) aided by mental activity.

Regarding factors for obtaining knowledge, Jainas highlight two categories:

Primary Factor: The knower or soul itself. Without the knower, no knowledge is possible.
Secondary Factors: Senses, mind, light, and even the matter itself, which aid the knower in the body.

This classification, the paper suggests, demonstrates a deeper insight than views that consider all factors as direct contributors to true knowledge. The paper also addresses refutations of the sense-matter contact theory, particularly concerning the omniscient soul's knowledge of past and future, suggesting a redefinition of "contact" to include indirect or partial contact.

Definition and Attributes of Matter:

Jain philosophy posits a real world composed of six realities (Tattva, Dravya, etc.). Among these, ajiva (non-soul) is further divided into material and non-material. The paper focuses on material ajiva (matter) for its direct studyability.

Any reality is defined by two types of attributes:

General Attributes (Gunas/Common Properties): These are permanent characteristics found in all realities, such as existence/permanence, motion, changeability, knowability, particulate nature, non-consciousness, and "agurulaghutva" (individuality – neither heavy nor light). Jain texts mention eight or eleven such qualities.
Specific Attributes (Visheshas/Paryayas/Modifications): These are distinctive properties that differentiate one substance from another. For material ajiva, six specific attributes are identified: touch, taste, smell, color, shape, and insensibility.

A reality, therefore, is a synthesis of both general and specific attributes, reflecting an inclusive rather than exclusive nature.

Comparison with Current Views:

The paper compares the Jain definition of matter with the modern scientific definition, which typically includes weight, occupying space (form/volume), and being subject to experience and knowledge.

Weight: Jainas do not consider weight a primary general property, possibly because they included energies like light and heat as material, which might not possess weight. The concept of "agurulaghutva" might hint at a very small or negligible weight. Modern science, however, suggests that even energies have an equivalent weight. The paper posits that "weightlessness" in Jain texts might mean very small or negligible weight, and that basic units of matter (paramanu) might have been described as devoid of weight, or that they represent energy.
Other General Properties: Jainas include important properties like constant motion and changeability, which are not explicitly part of the basic scientific definition but are acknowledged in modern physics (e.g., conservation of mass and energy, kinetic state). The author suggests that Jain canonical content in these areas is overlooked by modern science.
Specific Attributes: The paper details the scripturally defined specific attributes of matter:
- Touch: Eight sub-categories (hot-cold, smooth-non-smooth, light-heavy, hard-soft). Jain scholars like N. L. Jain have interpreted "smooth-non-smooth" differently. Other properties like liquidity, solidification, lubrication, and density are also mentioned. Modern science has a much more detailed quantitative understanding of these.
- Taste: Five tastes (sour, sweet, astringent, bitter, acidic). Haribhadra Suri's suggestion to include "salty" within "sweet" is noted. Modern science recognizes four basic tastes and the combined effect of taste and smell.
- Smell: Two categories (good and bad). Modern perfumery science has made significant strides, recognizing nine classes of odors and quantifying olfactory coefficients.
- Color: Five colors (black, blue, yellow, white, red). Modern science focuses on basic colors (three) and the frequency of light. The Jain assertion that these colors are coexistent is substantiated by modern findings.
- Shape: Ten types of shapes are mentioned scripturally, while modern geometry and crystallography recognize many more. Scriptural descriptions often pertain to natural substances.

The paper concludes by highlighting the conceptual and intellectual maturity of Jain philosophical content, particularly in epistemology and the definition of matter. While current scientific knowledge has advanced significantly in detailing differentiating attributes, Jain concepts often serve as supplementary rather than contradictory. The author suggests that with the aid of modern instruments and a greater inclination towards experimentation, Jain seers could have achieved even more remarkable insights. The discussion aims to illuminate both the knowledge possessed during the scriptural age and the progress made in the current era.