Philosophy In Jain Agams: Why Soul and Matter Move Only in Cosmic Space

Soul (soul here refers to the worldly soul which is associated with karmic matter) and matter are moving substances. What assists in their movement, why is their movement restricted to cosmic space and why don't they go to trans-cosmos? - Inevitable questions. Jain literature of the post-canonical age, answers it as, that the soul and matter move with the assistance of dharmāstikāya and the trans-cosmos is devoid of dharmāstikāya hence, the objects and soul cannot move in that area.^[1] In the Āgamic literature, Dharmāstikāya has been characterized as a movement-assisting substance^[2], but there is a mention of some more assisting factors of movement other than the dharmāstikāya.

Sthānāṅga has stated four reasons for things not going beyond the cosmos^[3] -

1. Absence of motion
2. Absence of medium of motion which is the necessary condition of movement
3. Rukṣatā-dryness or the existence of negative electric charge of the pudgala near the periphery of the loka
4. Natural condition of the Cosmos (loka)

In the description of the cosmic system, when it is said that the soul and matter cannot move in the trans-cosmos, there is a mention of some different factors other than dharmāstikāya.

Where there is the movement of soul and matter, there exists loka and where there is loka, there is a movement of soul and matter.^[4] There is no movement of soul and matter in trans-cosmos and the boundary line of loka is also stated based on the possibility of movement. Still a question remains unanswered that why the movement is in cosmic region only and why it is not in the trans-cosmic region?

All the material entities, that occupy the boundary (end) of loka (cosmos), spontaneously become rukṣa (assume negative electricity) in spite of remaining abaddhaspṛṣṭa (i.e. non-bound and non-touched) by the other rukṣa material entities, and hence jīva (soul) and pudgala (matter) are incapable of crossing over and going outside of the cosmos.^[5] This statement expresses that soul and matter cannot move to the trans-cosmic region because the material cluster at the end of cosmos is so dry (possessing negative electricity) that they do not assist in the movement of soul and matter beyond the boundary of the cosmos. It means that even in the presence of dharmāstikāya, due to non-assistance of matter, crossing over becomes impossible. Even in the context of mentioning the restriction of the movement of atoms, there is no mention of the medium of motion.^[6]

A question has been put forward in Bhagavatī whether it is possible for a deity to stand at the end of the cosmos and extend their arm in the trans-cosmos area and move it.^[7] It is answered in negation. One cannot wave the hand in the trans-cosmos area standing at the end of cosmos because there is no existence and assistance of pudgala (matter) over there.

jīvaṇaṃ āhārovaciā poggalā, boṅdinciā poggalā, kalevaraciā poggalā, poggalameva pappa jīvāṇa ya ajīvāṇa ya gatipariyāye āhijjai. Aloe ṇaṃ nevatthi jīva nevatthi poggalā.^[8]

It is clear here that matter is assumed to be the causal factor of movement of soul and material things. Even in the presence of dharmāstikāya, movement cannot occur without the assistance of matter. There is no matter in the trans-cosmic region, hence there is no movement of soul and matter there.^[9] As per Pt. Dalsukh Malvania - from this explanation we can draw a conclusion that if, at the time of the origination of this strata of Bhagavatī, had the concept of dharmāstikāya as the dravya, responsible for assisting motion been established, then the above reply would have been different. This implies that it did not exist at that time.^[10]

In this context, the opinion of Acharya Mahapragya about the necessity of material assistance in the movement is worthy of mention. "It is true that there are no souls and matter in the trans-cosmic region and all the pudgala on reaching the end of loka spontaneously become rukṣa, and they cannot cross the boundary and move to aloka. However it is intriguing why the liberated souls (which are free from pudgala) can go only up to the upper end of the cosmos? Why don't they cross the boundary of the cosmic region? In this case, the rule that motion does not take place on account of the absence of any assistance of any kind of pudgala and the rule that 'there is no soul and matter in trans-cosmos'-cannot negate motion of liberated souls. Secondly, the law that pudgala (paramāṇu) spontaneously become rukṣa on reaching the lokānta (end of the cosmos) too does not work here and stop the motion of the liberated soul in the aloka. Therefore, it is only the dharmāstikāya that becomes the determining or definitive factor for the absence of the motion of the liberated soul in the aloka (trans-cosmos). The liberated soul can travel up to the end of the loka, until there exists the medium of motion, viz., dharmāstikāya; beyond it, there is absence of such assistance in the aloka, and therefore, the liberated soul cannot go beyond the loka boundary.^[11]''

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that there had been an acceptance of the movement assisting factors other than dharmāstikāya in the āgama-age, but in post canonical philosophical literature, dharmāstikāya alone has been considered as the movement assisting factor.^[12] There is no description of other reasons as stated in the āgamas in the post canonical literature.

From the perspective of chronological development of thought, it seems that the philosophers of the post canonical period were trying to provide a systematic structure to the Jain beliefs and concepts.

Among the factors which assist movement, dharmāstikāya alone could act as a defining and unique concept, as other causes do not have the definite and specific characteristics that dharmāstikāya has. As a result of this significance, philosophers of the post canonical age neglected other factors and accepted dharmāstikāya alone as the movement assisting factor.