Answer

In Jain Dharma, a living being is called a jiva. A one-sensed living being has only one sense, which is touch. A living being with more senses has two to five senses, so it can experience the world in a richer way.

Explanation

1) What is the same in both?

Both one-sensed and multi-sensed living beings are living souls. That means both:

• Have jiva inside them
• Have life, not just matter
• Are subject to birth and death
• Experience some form of pain and pleasure
• Carry karma
• Need to be treated with ahimsa and respect

So, in Jain view, a tiny plant and a human being are both living beings. The difference is not “alive” vs “not alive”; the difference is the level of senses and consciousness-expression.

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2) One-sensed living beings

A one-sensed being has only:

• Touch

It cannot see, hear, smell, or taste.

Examples of one-sensed beings in Jainism:

• Plants
• Water-bodied beings
• Fire-bodied beings
• Air-bodied beings
• Earth-bodied beings

Simple examples:

• A tree is one-sensed.
• A blade of grass is one-sensed.
• A drop of water, in Jain understanding, may contain water-bodied life.
• Fire and air are also considered living in Jain philosophy.

These beings are very simple in body and experience. They have life, but very limited sense-experience.

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3) Living beings with more senses

These beings have two, three, four, or five senses.

Two-sensed beings

They have:

• Touch
• Taste

Example:

• Some worms
• Shell-like creatures

Three-sensed beings

They have:

• Touch
• Taste
• Smell

Example:

• Ants
• Lice
• Some small insects

Four-sensed beings

They have:

• Touch
• Taste
• Smell
• Sight

Example:

• Bees
• Flies
• Mosquitoes
• Scorpions

Five-sensed beings

They have:

• Touch
• Taste
• Smell
• Sight
• Hearing

Example:

• Humans
• Cows
• Birds
• Deer
• Lions
• Celestial beings
• Infernal beings

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4) Main differences

A. Number of senses

• One-sensed being: only touch
• More-sensed being: two to five senses

B. Awareness of the world

• One-sensed beings have a very limited way of experiencing life
• More-sensed beings can understand more of the world through multiple senses

C. Mobility and activity

• One-sensed beings are generally very limited in movement
• Many multi-sensed beings can move, search for food, avoid danger, and interact more actively

D. Complexity of life

• One-sensed beings are simpler in body and response
• More-sensed beings have more complex behavior, perception, and reaction

E. Spiritual opportunity

• Humans, as five-sensed beings, have a special advantage in Jain Dharma because they can practice:

- right faith - right knowledge - right conduct - tapas - ahimsa

So, although all jivas are sacred, a human being has much greater capacity for spiritual progress.

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Spiritual Understanding

Jain Dharma teaches that life is present in many forms, not only in humans and animals. This makes our attitude very careful and compassionate.

Why this matters:

• We should not think only visible creatures are living beings
• Even plants and subtle life forms deserve respect
• Ahimsa becomes deep and broad
• We learn humility, because the soul exists in many kinds of bodies

The number of senses does not make a soul “more important” in the ultimate spiritual sense. Every jiva is sacred. But the number of senses does show how much that being can perceive and act in the world.

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Takeaway

In simple words:

• One-sensed beings have only touch
• More-sensed beings have 2 to 5 senses
• Both are living souls
• The difference is in sense power, awareness, and complexity

Easy example:

• A tree = one-sensed
• An ant = three-sensed
• A bee = four-sensed
• A human = five-sensed

If you want, I can also make this into a very simple chart or explain it in Gujarati/Hindi.