Chapter-42 - Jeeva (living beings)

1. What is called 'Jeeva'?

Who has consciousness, who is sensitive to pleasure and pain, is 'Jeeva' or who, from the behavioural point of view, was alive, is living alive, and shall remain alive through ten types of vitalities pertaining to senses, mind ,etc., is called 'Jeeva'.

2. What is pure Jeeva (living being) ?

Acharya Kundkund Swami has described the characteristic of pure Jeeva in the 54 ballad (Gatha) of Samayasar treatise, thus -

अरसमरूवमगंधं अव्वत्तं चेदणागुण मसदं ।

जाण अलिंगग्गहणं जीव मणिद्दिट्ट संठाणं ।।।

Meaning - The pure Jeeva is that which is without taste, any appearance, odour and precisely, is not within the reach of senses, it only possesses attribute of consciousness, is not in the form of word / speech. It can not be grasped / known through any of the marks and of which there is no particular/definite shape.

3. What are the synonym names of Jeeva ?

Synonym names of the Jeeva are as follows -

1. Prani (Animate being) - Because of the presence of senses, strength, respiration and age, it is called Prani.
2. Atma (Soul) - Because it goes on moving constantly (Atati) in human, hell ,etc. body forms, hence is called Atma.
3. Jantu (Creature) - It is called Jantu due to taking birth again and again.
4. Purush (Man) - Because of Puru, i.e. remaining absorbed, i.e. having tendency of enjoying excellent enjoyment, is called Purush.
5. Puman (A title for living being) - It is called Puman due to purifying one's own soul.
6. Antaratma (Inner soul) - It is called Anataratma due to being hidden/intervening in knowledge - obscuring ,etc. eight Karmas.
7. Jñāni (Learned) - It is called Jñãni because is possessed of virtue of knowledge.
8. Sattva (Existence, i.e. existence of Karmic configurations) - Who take birth and die in many birth places due to fruit of his virtuous and evil Karmas, are Sattva.
9. Sankut (Contracted) - It is contracted due to getting extreme subtle / micro body.
10. Asankuta (Soul-points pervaded through the universe) - Pervades the entire universe, hence is Asankuta.
11. Kshetragya (Knower of the forms of being) - The word Kshetra denotes one's own form and because of knowing that form it is, Kshetragya.
12. Vishnu (Causing one's own body pervaded) - Due to pervading one's own present body, is called Vishnu.
13. Swambhoo (Self-born) - It is Swambhoo due to taking birth by himself.
14. Shariri (Having body) - It is Shariri due to existing with body in the state of worldly  being, is called Shariri.

4. How many kinds are of 'Jeeva'?

'Jeeva' is of two kinds - Worldly beings and Liberated souls or beings -

1. Worldly beings - Who are transmigrating in four kinds of body-forms, are Worldly beings.
2. Liberated souls - Who are free from all the eight Karmas ,are Liberated souls.

5. How many kinds are worldly beings ?

Worldly beings are of two kinds - 'Bhavya' (who are supposed / are eligible to get liberation) and 'Abhavya' (who would never get final emancipation). There are also two other kinds of Jeeva, - 'Trasa' (mobile beings two sensed to five sensed beings) and 'Sthavara' (immobile or static beings).

1. Trasa - Whose 'Trasa Nam-Karma' is on rise (fruition),are called 'Trasa Jeeva'.
2. Sthavara - Who can not hustle and bustle to save themselves or whose 'Sthavar NamKarma' is on rise (fruition), are called 'Sthavara Jeeva'.

6. How many kinds are 'Trasa Jeeva'?

There are four kinds of Trasa Jeeva - Two-sensed, three-sensed, four-sensed and fivesensed.

7. Who are called two-sensed beings ?

Two-sensed Jeevas are those who possess sensory organ of touch and sensory organ of taste (tounge), for example - 'Lat' (an insect that infests stored grains) earthworm, leech, shell, cowrie, conch-shell etc.

8. Who are called three-sensed beings ?

Three-sensed Jeevas are those who possess three senses-sensory organ of touch, taste and smell, for example- ant, bed-bug, scorpion, weevil, centipede (common in rainy season), etc.

9. Who are called four-sensed 'Jeeva'?

Four-sensed Jeevas are those who possess four senses - sensory organs of touch, taste, smell and eye, for example - A large black bee, mosquito, locust, honey-bee, fly, wasp, hornet, etc.

10. Who are called five-sensed 'Jeeva'?

Five-sensed Jeevas are those who possess following five senses - sensory organs of touch, taste, smell, eye and ear, such as human, snake, elephant, horse, parrot, etc..

11. How many kinds are five - sensed 'Jeeva' ?

1. Beings with mental power - That being who grasps (comprehends) education, exhortion, modulation of voice, is a being with mental power.
2. Beings without mental power - That being who does not comprehend education / instruction counsel, modulation of voice, is a being without mental power.

12. In how many body-forms the beings with mental power are found ?

Beings with mental power remain in all the four body-forms.

13. In how many body-forms the beings without mental power are found ?

They are found only in 'Tiryancha' body-form, i.e. , 'Gati' of animals and plants. One sensed, Two-sensed, Three-sensed, Four-sensed, are only beings without mental power and among five-sensed beings some parrots and some reptiles are also beings without men tal power.

14. How many kinds are 'Sthavara Jeeva'?

These are of five kinds -

1. Earth-bodied - Whose body is only earth, are Earth-bodied beings for example - soil, sand, coal, gold, silver, stone, mica ,etc. in the state of their existence in the mine.
2. Water-bodied - Whose body is only water, for example - water, hail stone, fog (mist) dew,etc.
3. Fire-bodied - Whose body is only fire, are called fire-bodied, for example - flame, cinder, flame of the lamp, fire of dung-cake, lightning and thunder.
4. Air-bodied - Whose body is only Air, are Air bodied, for example - common air, Ghanvat valaya (circle of dense atmospheric Air-layer), Tanuvatvalaya (circle of thin atmospheric Airlayer) ,etc..
5. Vanaspati kayik - Vegetable-bodied - Whose body is only vegetation, are vegetable bodied, for example - trees, plants, etc.

15. Of how many kind are vegetable-bodied ?

Vegetable-bodied are two types -

1. Pratyeka Vanaspati - Individual plant - The vegetable-bodied beings which have individual body ,i.e. the owner of one body is only one living being, are called Individual bodied.
2. Sadharan Vanaspati - Common plant - The vegetable beings who have common body, i.e. the owner of one body are many living beings, are called common bodied. They are also called Nigodia Jeeva (of lowest body-forms).

16. How many kinds are Individual bodied vegetables ?

The Individual bodied are of two types -

1. Spratishthit Pratyeka Vanaspati (Symbiotic Individual Vegetable) - Even being a Jeeva as main in an individual body many lowest form of life may live in it with the support of that individual body, is symbiotic individual vegetable.
2. Apratishthit Pratyeka Vanaspati (Non-symbiotic Individual Vegetable) - With which support none Nigodia Jeeva (lowest form of life) live, is called non-symbiotic vegetable.

17. What is the difference between symbiotic individual vegetable and common plants ?

With whose support gross Nigodia Jeeva live, are symbiotic individual vegetation and where infinite times infinite Nigodia Jeeva live, are called common plants.

18. Of how many kinds are common plants / vegetation ?

There are two kinds of common vegetation -

Nitya Nigod (Permanently lowest form of life) - Those who have not got any mode of life from beginning-less time except Nigod, are Nitya Nigod.

Itar Nigod (other Nigod) - Who after getting out from Nigod took birth in other body - form and again came in the Nigod, are Itar Nigod.

19. Whether the milk is Jeeva or Ajeeva ?

The milk is non-soul (Ajeeva).

20. Who is Bhavya Jeeva ?

Who is fit to manifest right belief ,etc. dispositions, is Bhavya (capable of attaining right belief/salvation).

21. How many kinds are of Bhavya Jeeva ?

Bhavya Jeeva are of three types - 1. Aasanna Bhavya, 2. Dur Bhavya, 3. Abhavya sam Bhavya.

22. Who is Aasanna Bhavya (worthy of attaining salvation shortly) ?

Who believe at this very time that, "the pleasure of the omniscient is the supremely excellent pleasure of all", they worthy of attaining salvation, are Aasanna Bhavya.

23. Who is, Dur Bhavya ?

The adept who will believe in future that, "the pleasure of the omniscient is supremely excellent pleasure of all", are Dur Bhavya.

24. Who is' Abhavya sam Bhavya' (Dooranudur Bhavya' ,i.e. Beings who can never get salvation due to some external reason ,i.e. non-availablity of right belief, etc.)?

The Dooranudur Bhavya remain unable to get right belief. They have been described as Bhavya because with regard to potency there is possibility of destroying the transmigration but that strength is not manifested. They remain always in the Nigod - mode ab-aterno till ad-infinitum

25. Who is Abhavya ?

1. The one who has no ability of getting the right belief manifested, is Abhavya.
2. The one who is not fit of transforming the natural attributes of knowledge ,etc. in natural quadruplet infinite excellence in future, is Abhavya.

Note : see the table for knowing the kinds of Jeeva -

26. How many kinds are of Earth-bodied, etc. five Sthavaras ?

Ans. These all are of four kinds each -

common earth, Earth-being. Earth-bodied and Earth body in an inanimate form.

Common Earth, Earth being, Earth-bodied, Earth body. Common Water, Water being, Water-bodied, Water body. Common Air, Air being, Air-bodied and Air body.

Common Fire, Fire being, Fire-bodied, Fire body. Common Vegetation, Vegetable being, Vegetable-bodied, Vegetable body. (Commentary on Moolachar, 5/8)

27. In what way four kinds of Earth-bodied would be formed ?

Four kinds of earth-bodied are formed, thus -

Common earth - It is common, there is no living organism in it, for example - bed of instantaneous birth of celestial beings.

Prithivi Jeeva - The one placed in transmigratory motion of soul, i.e. karmic bodily activities. One who is going to adopt the body of earth.

Earth-bodied - Who has taken birth as earth-bodied being.

Prithvi kaya - Earth body in an inanimate form - It is lifeless, i.e. without organism, from which the living organism has gone, now only the body is lying for example - brick, ornaments of gold, etc.

Note - (1) Out of these four, the common earth and Earth body (Prithvikaya) are inanimate and a being placed in transmigatory motion of soul and Earth bodied beings are animate.(Jeeva Kand, commentary on Mukhtari, Ballad 182)

28. In what way four kinds of water-bodied would be formed ?

Four kinds of water-bodied are formed -

1. Samanya Jala (common water) - The water of rains is the common water in which no organism germinates up to Antarmuhurta. Just as the water formed by mixing hydrogen and oxygen (H2O) is common water, also no organism germinates in it.
2. Jala Jeeva (water being ,i.e. organism which is in the process of transmigrating into form of water-bodied) - The soul-organism which is in transmigratory motion (Karmic bodily activities), who is going to assume the body of the water.
3. Jala Kayika (water-bodied) - The one who has assumed the body of the water.
4. Jala Kaya - One from which the Jeeva has left the water, now only body is lying, like Prasuka boiled / sterilized water in inanimate form. Note : Similarly, four kinds of remaining Fire-bodied, Air bodied and Vegetable-bodied should be formed.

29. At how many places the lowest form of life are not found ?

The gross lowest forms of life are not found in the following eight places - In the earthbodied, water-bodied, air-bodied, in the body of celestial and infernal beings, in the translocational / assimilating body (Aharak Sharir), and in the body of omniscient (with physical form and without physical form). The microNigodia Jeeva are filled in the whole of universe. 

30. What are the three kinds of Jeeva ?

The Jeeva are of three types with regard to Bahiratma, (wrong believer), Antaratma (right believer) and Parmatma (omniscient).

(1) Bahiratma - One whose soul is prone to false-belief, is well possessed of intense passion and who holds that the body and soul is one and the same, is Bahiratma. Specific mention : The being placed in the first Gunasthan is the most heinous false believer, the beings of the second Gunasthan are of medium type of false believer and those who are in the third Gunasthan are lowest type of false believer. (Kartikeyanupreksha commentary, 193)

(2) Antaratma - Living being who is skilled in Jina-words, knows the difference between the soul and body and who has subdued the eight wicked prides, is Antaratma.

Specific mention: The being placed in from seventh Gunasthan up to twelfth Gunasthan are excellent Antaratma, of fifth & sixth Gunasthan are medium Antaratma and those who are placed in the fourth Gunasthan are lowest Antaratma. (Kartikeyanupreksha ,Gatha, 195-197)

(3) Parmatma - The omniscient with physical presence who knows all the matter substances and those whose body is virtually knowledge and who have attained the supermost bliss, the Lord Siddha, are Parmatma.

Examples are as follows - Bahiratma

31. Give examples of Bahiratma & Antaratma ?

32. How many kinds of flow of consciousness (Upyoga) are there with regard to spiritu ality?

There are three kinds of flow of consciousness with regard to spirituality -

1. Inauspicious flow of consciousness, 2. Auspicious flow of consciousness, 3. Pure flow of consciousness.

(1) Ashubhopyoga - Whose flow of consciousness is engrossed delightfully in passions, is engaged in listening to the bad tales, bad thoughts and bad company, is aggressive and is following the wrong path, such person are said be engaged in Ashubhopyoga. (Pravachansar, 2/66)

(2) Shubhopyoga - The soul engrossed in worshipping true Deity - Scripture - Guru and charitable works, is of good conduct and is engaged in fasting, etc. vows, possesses auspicious flow of consciousness. (Pravachansar, 69) That person is the master of Shubhopyoga who knows omniscients, keeps faith in Siddhas and saints, i.e. is affectionate towards five supreme souls (Panch Parmeshthi) and is compassionate towards living beings. (Pravachansar, 157)

(3) Precisely the characteristic of keeping equanimity in life and death such kind of supreme indifferent and restraintful of consciousness, is Shuddhopyoga or taking support of only Antaratma rising above the auspicious-inauspicious.

33. Who is Shuddhopyogi ?

सुविदिदपदत्थसुतो संजमतवसंजदो विगदरागो। 
समणो समसुहदुक्खो भणिदो सुद्धोवओगो ति॥ 14 ॥ 

Meaning - One who has well known the matter-substances and precepts, who is accompanied by restraint and penance, who is free from attachment ,i.e. non-attached to all worldly things and who keeps pleasure and pain at par, such saint has been said as Shuddhopyogi i.e. master of Shuddhopyoga. (Pravachansar, Gatha 14)

34. What are the other names of Shuddhopyoga ?

Utsarga Marga (path of renunciation), Nischaya Marga (absolute path of salvation), Sarva parityaga (renouncement of all), Parmopeksha Sanyam (supreme indifferent restraint), Veetrag Charitra (attachment-less conduct) and Shuddhopyoga (pure flow of conscious ness) all these are synonyms.

35. What is the fruit of which Upyoga ?

The sins are accumulated by Ashubhopyoga and the virtues are accumulated by Shubhopyoga and by Shuddhopyoga none of them is accumulated. (Pravachansar, 156)

36. Which Gunasthan remains in which Upyoga?

Decreasing - Ashubhyoga remains from first Gunasthan to third Gunasthan from the fourth Gunasthan to the sixth Gunasthan there is ascending Shubhopyoga and from the seventh to twelth Gunasthan remains the increasing Shuddhopyoga. The fruit of the Shuddhopyoga remains in the thirteenth and fourteenth Gunasthan. (Commentary on Pravachansar, 9)