CHAURAASI LAKH JOON
Ancient books mention that there are 84 lakh (8.4 million) [in other words innumerable] types of species on this earth.
According to this ‘theory’, the division of creatures is as follows: nine hundred thousand in the sea (water), one million with wings (birds etc.), two million plant life, 1.1 million reptiles, three million four-legged animals, four hundred thousand human-like (includes monkeys and apes etc.). Jainism has different classification.
The reference to the Chauraasi Lakh Joon, in the Sikh literature, is to express the infinity of creation, and, the number is not to account. Sikhism believes that His creation is not countable. There are hundreds of thousands of earths and there are countless creatures of every type on each earth.
Similarly, Sikhism rejects the belief that one has to pass through 8.4 million lives (i.e. to live the life of 8.4 million creatures) before again being born as a human being.
In Sikhism, the reference to comparison of 8.4 million lives and human life means that human being is supreme among all the so-called 8.4 million (numerous) creatures. God has granted human beings a life, which is better than the rest of the numerous creatures. Birth as a human being has not been achieved after passing through 8.4 million lives but it is superior-most life.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)