Five non-soul realities form the nuts and bolts of existence in the Tattvartha Sutra: pudgala (matter), dharma (that which enables motion), adharma (that which enables rest), akasha (space), and kala (time). Each plays its part, weaving the fabric of reality without ever possessing consciousness.

1. Pudgala (Matter)
   • Exists as atoms and aggregates—from the subtlest of karmic particles to the densest of mountains.
   • Undergoes perpetual transformation through combination, separation, growth, and decay.
   • Interacts with jiva by binding karmic particles to the soul’s surface, shaping experiences and future lifecycles.

2. Dharma and Adharma (Mediums of Motion and Rest)
   • Unlike any deity or force, these are passive principles. Dharma is the “track” on which motion happens; adharma is the “brake” that allows rest.
   • Neither compels movement nor halts it directly, but create the environmental conditions for both.
   • Think of dharma as the smooth highway of a modern bullet train, adharma as the station platform that brings it to a halt.

3. Akasha (Space)
   • Provides the infinite theater where souls and non-souls unfold their dramas.
   • Divided into lokakasha (occupied universe) and alokakasha (void beyond), offering both the stage for cosmic events and the boundaryless expanse beyond.

4. Kala (Time)
   • Serves as the ever-flowing river that sequences change—motion, rest, karma, liberation.
   • Measured in very fine slices (samaya), it underpins every transformation, from the swing of a planet to the flicker of a thought.

In today’s age of SpaceX launches and quantum computers, these ancient categories still feel surprisingly fresh. They foresee a world where matter, space, motion, rest, and time interlock like dancers in a cosmic ballet. By appreciating their silent interplay, it becomes clear how every physical event, from a heartbeat to a black-hole merger, is choreographed on the same stage outlined by Jain wisdom.