Philosophy In Jain Agams: Perceptivity in Matter

Pudgala (matter) is a corporeal substance due to its characteristics of touch, taste etc. out of the six substances matter alone is sense perceptible substance, but, the whole class of matter is not perceivable by the senses. There are two kinds of chadmastha (non-omniscients).

1. Possessor of sensory knowledge
2. Possessor of supra-sensory knowledge

Person possessing the power of sensory perception only, cannot perceive atom and aggregate up to the subtle aggregates having infinite pradeśas. It is written in Bhagavatī that atom and such aggregates are perceptible for non-omniscients and for others they are not.^[1] From a single atom up to the subtle aggregates having innumerable pradeśas, remain completely non-perceptible through the sense organs. The statement with reference to non perception of infinite-units-aggregate by person possessed of sensory knowledge is for aggregates with subtle transformation having infinite units and not for aggregates with gross transformation having infinite units. Some of the aggregates (having gross transformation) of infinite units are perceptible through senses. If the above statement of Bhagavatī would have been applicable for both subtle and gross aggregates, then a question would have arisen as to which are the sentient beings who do not perceive the matter in this world? Since, all the sentient beings of this world perceive or possess matter in some or other form.

Some of the possessors of simpler kind of clairvoyance do know or perceive the atom and the knowledge can extend up to aggregate of infinite units.^[2] A possessor of higher level of clairvoyance and an omniscient does know and perceive them but do not know and perceive them simultaneously. Perception occurs in a sequence^[3] because only one cognitive activity can be accomplished in one instant (Samaya, smallest unit) of time. In conclusion we can hold that sensory perception is limited to the perception of gross aggregate of infinite units, but supra-sensory knowledge can perceive both atom and aggregates.