Jīva & Parasparopagraho Jīvānām and Biocentrism

According to Jain tradition, the concepts Jīva and parasparopagraho jīvānām will show that life is the centre of the earth. It can be said that life-force is not the only inherited issue of human beings, but also of all other living beings. In some of the verses of Ấchārānga Sūtra, it has been stated that

“There are living beings/Living on the earth,/Living in grass/ Living on leaves,/Living in wood/ Living in cow dung,/Living in dust-heaps.”²⁶⁵

In this verse life appears as a concept of the omni-presence of life. This concept of life is also expressed by Stephane Kaja, an environmentalist, in his book An Attentive Heart: Conversation with Trees.²⁶⁶ In that text, he states that the living things of this earth are interconnected through the life-process of its different living components. This recent biocentric outlook is also found in Jainism. On the basis of the idea of nature and the importance of interconnectedness among all living beings, Jain religion divides all living beings into five classes, which is shown through the following figure:

265 Jacobi, Herman (trans.), (1884), 2008 Jaina Sūtra, part 1, p.8.

266 Kaja, Stephane, An Attentive Heart: Conversation with Trees

Figure 5.1: classification of Dravya (substance)

In the figure-16, the extended substance is divided into two: jīva and ajīva. The Jaina religion upholds the view that the universe comprises two dravyas (substances):

(i) jiva and (ii) ajīva. Only jīvas are the living beings who have got the capacity to possess extension and have asti (existence) and kāya (physical appearance). Jīvas are of two kinds — those that are perfect and those that are in bondage. They are called mukta and baddha respectively.

Life of the living beings that are in bondage are of two types: (i) Some are immobile and (ii) some are mobile. The immobile living beings on the earth are five matters: water, air, fire, vegetation, and earth. They have only one-sense that is touch and can produce tactual consciousness. The earth contains some particular component, such as water, air, soil etc. All these components are alive and have got consciousness.These five basic elements of the earth have got the capacity to possess

life. On the other hand, each of the mobile substances possesses two to five senses.

Among them, human beings have advanced a lot and have developed thinking capacity through their five senses. In this defense, it may appear that the position of human beings is above any other animal or living being. But, it is also confirmed in the Tattvārtha Sūtra that in the process of long evolution the human species has become disciplined as well as compassionate living beings. That is why, there are given the responsibility to maintain oneness and harmony among all living beings.

The Jaina concept of jīva is compatible with the view of biocentrism. According to the Ảcārānga Sūtra, jīva is the symbol of consciousness. It is co-extensive with physical embodiment. Jīva implies that only human beings have got the five senses compared to other living beings. At this point, two issues in the Jaina philosophy need to be maintained, which are as follwos:

Firstly, the Jainas believe that human beings are a fact of evolution and have got the most developed mind amongst all living beings. In the kingdom of living beings, human beings have got more capacity and more developed form than any other living being.

Secondly, though human beings have got more developed form; they are no necessarily superior to other things and beings. The Jaina religion does not allow them to subdue all other living-beings under them.

The first point mentioned above is supported by the Darwinian evolutionary biology. In this discourse, it is said that in the history of evolution the place of human beings is different in terms of intelligence. Others than that, they have got the same components and have the same role in the long course of evolution. In this regard, human beings are the integrated part of nature and have got the same significance like other living beings. So, this is an egalitarian approach that was first incorporated in the Jaina thought of tradition. The second point makes a difference between the Christian worlds in the west and the world of the Jainas. Christian ecological view is quite anthropocentric in nature. It supports the idea of placing human beings above all other things. But, Jaina tradition of placing does not give any superior position to human beings in nature.

And, Jaina tradition confirms the view of intimacy of life-form that was found in the different sūtras of Jaina traditions. In some of the verses of Ậcārānga Sūtra, the same idea is pronounced, such as follows:

“Thoroughly knowingly the earth-bodies and water-bodies and fire-bodies and wind-bodies, the lichens, seeds, and sprouts, he comprehended that they are, if narrowly inspected, imbued with life…”²⁶⁷

The concept of jīva in Jainism can be understood by citing an example of the organic whole. In this regard, Frede Rajotte states:

“just as in a human body you cannot separate the life of the lungs from the life of the stomach or the life of the brain, it is beginning to look as though you cannot separate the life of human beings from the life of the trees, the insects, or the seas.”²⁶⁸

What does it reflect in the broader scale of life? The only answer can be found in the ideas that lie in the following verses of Ấcārānga Sūtra: “All beings are found of life./ They like pleasure, they hate pain,/They shun destruction./ They like life and long to live./ To all, life is dear.”²⁶⁹

In relation to jīvā, Jain tratidion also introduces the view of parasparopagraho jīvānām. Now let us know the etymological meaning of this term. Paraspara stands for mutuality, upagraha assistance and jīvānam (this is the plural form of jīvā)

“living beings”. On the basis of this etymological meaning, some exponents regard this term as something that is “providing service to one other.”²⁷⁰ Some other Jaina analysts explain tha: “all form of life is bound together by mutual support and interdependence.”²⁷¹ We also find the same meaning (second meaning given by Dr.

Vilas A. Sangave) in Dundas’s works. Dundas interprets this term as “mutual support towards all living beings.”²⁷²

267 Jacobi, 2008. Ấcārānga Sūtra, part 1, 1.8.1, 11-12.

268Rojette, Frede, and Elizabeth Breuilly, 1992. “What is the Crisis?” in Elizabeth Breuilly and Plamer, Martin, Christianity and Ecology, London: Carnell Publishers.

269 Jacobi, 2008. Ấcārānga Sūtra, part 1:2:3, p.19.

270 Tatia, Nathmal (tr.) (1994) (from Sanskrit version). Tattvārtha Sūtra: That Which Is of Vācaka Umāsvāti. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman Altamira. p.131.

Also see Tattvārthsūtra, 5.21.

271Sangave, Dr. Vilas A. 2001. Facets of Jainology: Selected Research Papers on Jain Society, Religion, and Culture. Mumbai: Popular Prakashan. p. 123

272 Dundas, Paul. 2002. “Limits of a Jain Environmental ethic”, in ed. Chapple, Christopher, Jainism and Ecology: Non- violence in the Web of Life,. USA: Harvard University Press.