The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c8.225

c8.225

§95. Other problems related to the question of simultaneity (Pannav. 204 b, 208 a) may be left aside here. Instead we come to discuss the process of reincarnation itself. Released by the māraṇ’antiya samugghāya from the particles of the hitherto āuya-kamma the soul moves towards the new place in order to take its house there. But this is but the one possibility open to it. The other one mentioned together with it consists in the soul returning (paḍiniyattai), performing the āuya-ejection once again and then definitely taking its home at the new place destined for it by its deeds—while one-sensed beings may do so at any place.¹ This theory appears in Viy. 272 b only and does not recur in the Pannav. The vehicle by means of which the soul changes its place is the Karman body (T. 2, 26), and it seems that this is its particular and only function. The new place is reached by following either a straight or bent course (Viy. 85 b), and to move on the latter is called *viggaha-gai*.² Acc. to Mahāvīra (§ 21) there are seven of such courses (*seḍhi*) of substance particles, aggregates and beings (Viy. 866 b; Ṭhāṇ. 705 b) among which we find the straight one (*ujjuya’āyaya*) and both the one bent once and twice (*egao-vamka, duhao-v.* (but see also below). Each straight distance takes 1 *samaya* (Viy. 630 a); *egao-v.* means two, *duhao-v.* three *samaya* time of travel, while one sensed beings may partly need even four. This is (Viy. 630 a) still a speed leaving behind all earthly comparisons. In this connexion we must know that the upward- and downward-movement takes place within a shaft (*nāḷi*, Viy. 957 b) measuring 100,000 *joy.* in diametre which goes through the whole world perpendicularly and confines the places of existence of most beings. As far as the starting point and the place of destination within this shaft, called *trasa-nāḍi* by later authors, are situated on one level it takes the soul but 1 *samaya* to cover the straight course (*ega-samaiya viggaha*). If, however, we have a different level the soul first will move either up- or downwards in 1 *sam.* and then horizontally to its place of destination (*du-s. v.*). If the place of destination does not lie, as was assumed above, within the range of a main direction but in that of a side direction, first the one (by a *sama-śreṇi*) and then the latter (by a *viseḍhi, viśreṇi*) has to be gained (*du-s.-v.*, *ti-s. v.*). Now, if, as is the case with all one-sensed beings known to be spread world-wide in unrestricted numbers, the starting point lies without the nālī, then it follows that the soul can equally enter it from a main direction only, and not until doing so by an intermediate direction will the soul be able to gain it (ti-s. v., cau-s. v.). Indeed, in case it should happen that the place of destination equally lies in an intermediate direction, the soul would need another fifth sam. (Viy. 287 b), as is the opinion of some authors, though Abhayadeva professes (Sthān. 177 b) it to be his own. But the text does not go beyond 4 sam. and confines them to the one-sensed beings.¹ For this comp. Viy. 287 a, 632 a and Saya 34, 954 b ff., but especially Vy. offering details on these passages, and Ṭhāṇ. 177 a.