Philosophy In Jain Agams: Cause of the Transformation in the Matter

Jain philosophy accepts the existence of six substances. Among them soul and matter have the capacity of mobility. This means both have the intrinsic mode (that mode (transformation) of an entity, which occurs naturally, independently of anything else to cause it) and extrinsic mode (that mode (state), which depends for its occurrence on conditions which are external). Soul and matter have both the explicit mode (a mode, which is gross, lasts for some time and is amenable to verbal expression) and implicit mode (The subtle modification of the object, which lasts only for one samaya (smallest time-unit) and in spite of the transformation of which, the (extrinsic) form of the object does not undergo change. The other four substances have only implicit modes and not the explicit modes. A question has been raised in Bhagavatī, whether an atom and an aggregate of two, three up to infinite units which undergo simple vibration, complex vibration, motion, oscillation, collision, penetration and rise, gets transformed into newer modes? Lord Mahavira replied with a non-absolutistic approach that in the movement like vibration etc., atom and skandha both do sometimes get transformed into newer modes and sometimes they do not.^[1]

The implicit natural transformation of modes automatically goes on in pudgala but for the occurrence of explicit modes, vibrations etc. are required. The transformation of atom in skandha and skandha into atom or another skandha can occur only through vibrations etc. Due to such vibrations etc., they get transformed into newer modes.^[2] If these vibrations etc. do not occur then they cannot undergo transformation into another mode from the existing one.^[3] That is the reason Bhagavatī states, that they may or may not undergo vibration etc.