Answer

Yes — in Jain Dharma, the four are understood as living beings of those forms:

• Prithvikāya — earth-bodied जीव
• Apkāya — water-bodied जीव
• Teukāya — fire-bodied जीव
• Vāyukāya — air-bodied जीव

So it is not only that a soul is “inside” earth, water, fire, or air. Rather, those bodies themselves are considered jīva-bodies in Jain understanding.

Explanation

Your distinction is very natural, but Jain philosophy sees it a little differently.

There are two ideas here:

1. A jīva with a body made of earth/water/fire/air
2. An inert element like ordinary matter

In Jainism, when we speak of earth-bodied or water-bodied beings, we mean:

• there is a living soul
• and that soul has a body made of that particular element

So the “earth,” “water,” “fire,” and “air” in this context are not just dead matter. They are embodied living beings of a very subtle kind.

A helpful way to think of it is:

• Human beings have a human body
• Similarly, these beings have earth, water, fire, or air as their body

Spiritual Understanding

This teaching deepens ahiṃsā in Jain Dharma.

It reminds us that life is present in many forms, even in places where we may not easily recognize it. Because of this:

• we become more careful in our actions
• we reduce harm
• we develop greater compassion and restraint

Jainism expands the idea of life far beyond visible animals and humans.

Takeaway

So, in short: yes, Jainism does treat earth-, water-, fire-, and air-bodied beings as jīvas themselves — not merely as inert elements containing jīvas. The element is understood as the body of that living being.