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Samani Charitrapragya, "Mahāvīra, Anekāntavāda, and the World Today"
eternal. It is impermanent with respect to its modes (paryāya) or forms which originate and vanish.. Jayanti: Of the states of slumber and awakening, which is desirable or better? Mahavira: For some souls, the state of slumber is better, for others the state of awakening. Slumber is better for those who are constantly engaged in sinful activities, and awakening or consciousness for those who are engaged in meritorious deeds. Somil: Are you one or many? Mahavira: I am one, two as well as many. I am one in respect of substance. However in respect of knowledge and intuition, I am two. I am many in respect of ever-changing states of
consciousness." Several thousand questions were asked of Mahāvīra. Questions pertained not only to the nature of soul (jīva), but also to the nature of matter (ajīva). Take for instance the following.
Gautam: Is the nature of matter eternal or changing? Mahāvīra: It is eternal as well as changing. From the perspective of substance, it is unchanging and eternal. From the perspective of its attributes and modes it is constantly changing as manifested by the different colors, smells, tastes, etc. Gautam: Does being change into being? Does non-being change into non-being? Mahāvīra: Exactly so. Gautam: Does such a change occur owing to some effort or spontaneously?
2 Bhagavati Sutra (Ladnun: Jain Vishva Bharati, 1994): 7/58, 59.
3 Bhagavati Sūtra, op. cit., 12/53, 54.
* Bhagavati Sutra, op. cit., 14/4/3.
Bhagavati Sutra, op. cit., 19/219, 220.
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