Answer

In Jain Dharma, a stone can be a body of prithvikāya jīva — an earth-bodied living being. So it is not correct to say that only “earth” is alive and “loose stones” are not. A loose stone can also be a living earth-bodied entity.

Explanation

Jainism teaches that even very small forms of matter can be inhabited by life. Earth, clay, sand, dust, stones, minerals, and gems are all included in the category of earth-bodied beings.

So:

• Earth is jīva when it is inhabited by an earth-bodied soul.
• A stone can also be jīva if it is part of that living earth-body.
• The stone itself is not the soul; it is the body of the jīva.

In practical Jain understanding, picking up a stone can involve subtle violence, because you may be disturbing an earth-bodied living being.

Spiritual Understanding

This teaching develops ahimsa and deep sensitivity toward life.

Jain Dharma trains us to see that life is not only in visible animals or humans, but also in forms that appear lifeless to ordinary eyes. This helps us become:

• more careful,
• more compassionate,
• and less harmful in thought, speech, and action.

Takeaway

A loose stone is not automatically “non-living” in Jain view. It can be the body of an earth-bodied jīva. So the safe Jain attitude is to handle such things with care and avoid unnecessary disturbance.