Karma according to the Jainas, is material nature. It
is matter in a subtle form and it is a substantive force. It is
constituted of finer particles of matter. The kind of matter fit to
manifest Karma fills the universe. It has the special property of
developing the effects of merit and demerit. By its activity due to the
contact with the physical world, the soul becomes penetlated with the
particles of Karmic body (karma sarlra) which is constantly attached to
the soul till it succeeds to be free from it. 'No where has the physical
nature of Karma been asserted with such stress as in Jainism. [21] A moral
fact produces a psycho-physical quality, a real and not merely a symbolic
mark, affecting the soul in its physical nature. This point of view has
been worried in detail in the form of mathematical calculations, in the
karmagrantha.
The Jaina tradition distinguishes two aspects: i) the
physical aspect (dravya-karman) and ii) the psychic aspect (bhava-karman).
The physical aspect comprises the particles of Karma (karma pudgala)
accruing into the soul and polluting it. The psychic aspect is primarily
the mental states and events arising out of the activity of mind, body and
speech. They are like the mental traces of the actions, as we experience
the mnemic traces long after the Conscious states experienced vanish. The
physical and the psychic Karma are mutually related to each other as cause
and effect.[22] The distinction between the physical and the psychic
aspects of Karma is psychologically significant, as it presents the
interaction of the bodily and the mental due to the incessant activity of
the soul.
This bondage of the soul to karman is of four types,
according to nature (prakrti), duration (sthiti), intensity (anubhaga or-rasa)
and quantity (pradesa).[23]
Karma can be distinguished into eight types: 1)
Jnanavaraniya, that which obscures right knowledge; 2)darsanavaraniya,
that which obscures right intuition; 3) vedaniya, arousing effective
states like feelings and emotions; 4) mohaniya, that which deludes right
faith; 5) ayuskarman, determining the age of the
individual; 6) nama karman, which produces various
circum stances collectively making up an individual existence like the
body and other special qualities of individuality; 7) gotra-karman,.
which determines the family. social standing, etc. of the individual; and
8) antaraya-karman which obstructs the inborn energy of the soul and
prevents the doing of good actions.
Each kind of Karma has its limits in time within which
it must exhaust itself. The accumulated Karma brings a transcendental-hue
or hallo to the soul which is called lesya. There are six lesyas. These
lesyas have predominantly a moral resultant.
Karma is substantive force. It has the property of
developing the effects of merit and demerit. The Karmic particles build up
a special body which is called karma-sarira which does not leave the soul
till its emancipation. Karma has its psychic effects also. Bhava-karma is
immediate to the Jivas, while Dravya-karman belongs to the body. Five
classes of Karmic conditions are mentioned On account of the rise (udaya),
suppression (upasama), ;annihilation (ksaya), suppression and annihilation
(ksayopasasna) and psychological effect (part,nama), the soul has five
conditions of thought and existence.[24] In the usual course of things,
Karma takes effect and produces results. The soul is said to be in
aupasamika state. Karma may be prevented from its operation for sometime.
In this state it is still present, like fire covered by ashes. The soul is
in the aupasamika state. When Karma is annihilated, it is in a ksayika
state. The fourth state is the mixed state. The last, unconditioned,
state leads to moksa.
The aim is to seek freedom from the miseries of this
life, to seek deliverance. But the path to Moksa is long and endless. We
have to free ourselves from the Karma that has already been accumulated
and to see that no more Karma is added. The soul gets bound by the
constant flow of Karma. This is called bundha. Mental states, like
passion, attachment and aversion, which prepare the ground for the
binding of the soul by Karma are called psychic bondage (bhava-bandha);
and the actual binding by the particles of Karma is called dravya-bandha.
When passions overcome us the particles get glued to our souls and bind
them just as a heated iron ball when immersed in water, absorbs water. But
the first step to the realization of the self is to see that all channels
:through which Karma has been flowing have been stopped so that no
additional Karma can accumulate. This is samvara. There are two kinds of
Samvara: bhava-samvara which is concerned with mental life, and
dravya-samvara which refers to the removal of Karmic particles. This is
possible by self-control and freedom from attachment. The practice of vows
(vrata), carefulness (samiti) self-control (gupti) observance of ten kinds
of dharma, reflection (anupreksa) and removing the various obstacles like
hunger and thirst and passion will stop the inflow of Karma and protect us
from the Impurities of fresh Karma. Here, right conduct (caritra) is
helpful.
The next important task is to remove the Karma that has
already accumulated. The destruction of Karma is called nirjara. Nirjara
is of two types: bhava-nirjara and dravya nirjaraThe Karma may exhaust
itself in its natural course when the fruits of karma are completely
exhausted. This is called savlpaka or akama nirjara when no efforts would
be required on one's part. The remaining Karma has to be removed by mean
of penance. This is avipaka-nirjara. The soul is like a mirror which looks
dim when the dust of Karma is deposited on its surface. When the Karma is
removed by Nirjara the soul shines in its pure and transcendent form. It
then attains the goal of Moksa. The Ghati Karmas are first removed. Still,
the Aghati Karmas, like ayus, nama, gotra and vedanzya have to disappear.
Last of all is the final ayogi state of kevala.
The influx of Karma affects the soul and brings
bondage. The soul's activity (yoga) is due to its inherent energy (virya).
The infinite energy of the soul gets imperfect expression by which Karma
accumulates and affects the soul; and this imperfect expression of energy
is responsible for the various processes of the Karmic matter.
Karmic matter undergoes various processes due to the
different types o� activity. The Pancasamgraha describes eight processes
of expression of energy karma in its limited form. These processes lead to
corresponding Karmic processes. The soul activates Karmic matter at every
moment of its worldly existence and assimilates it with different types of
karma which express themselves in due course in due course and bring the
disabilities and defilement of the soul.
The influx of Karma (asrava) into the soul and the
consequent bondage involve certain processes like i) transformation (samkra-mana)
of one type of Karma into that of another, ii) endurance of Karma for a
certain time (satta), iii) endurance without producing the effect (abadha)
and iv) coming into effect (udaya). This transformation is a process by
which the soul transforms the nature, duration, intensity and extensity of
Karma into those of another.[25] This transformation is generally
restricted to the change of one sub type of Karma to another subtype of
the same kind. For instance, in the Vedanya Karma. soul can transform the
Karma producing pain (asata vedaniya) into that producing
pleasure(satavedaniya). In the Jnanavarniya Karma it can transform
caksu-darsana into acaksu-darsana. A person having right intuition (samyag-darsana)
can either transform the karma leading to perversity (mithyatva) to that
leading to partially right and wrong intuition (samyagmithyatva).[26] But
we are told any Karma cannot be transformed into any other. One cannot transform karma obscuring intuitive
experience (darsana moha) with the Karma obstructing conduct (caritra-moha)
into that of any Karma (determining life duration). This explanation is
scientifically plausible and logically acceptable We find that electrical
energy can be transformed into heat or light energy. Transformation of one
Karma into another requires energy and this energy is determined by the
degree of the purity of the soul. A person having perversity of attitude (mythyatva)
cannot convert, cannot change the mithyatva karman into the mixed or
samyakva because the person with wrong belief is not pure and not capable
of such transformation. Conversely, a person with right belief (samyaktva)
cannot easily transform the Karma to any of the pure forms.
Transformation of Karma may also affect increase (udvartana),
decrease (apavartana), duration (sthiti) and intensity of the function (aunbhaga)
o� Karma.[27] The Jainas have worked out a scientific and detailed
analysis of these processes with a view to explaining the process of the
operation of Karma.
Karma may be made to express its effect prematurely. By
this process the souls attract back the Karmic particles which are to
fructify later. Karma is made to realize its effect prematurely. Through
gradual subsidence and destruction of Karma, the soul reaches the state of
perfection where in all the Karmas are removed and no additional Karma
accumulates. The inherent energy of the soul gets perfect expression. It
is possible that one who is free from energy obstructing Karma may still
continue to act in this world. The enlighted one is perfect. He may
continue to work for the welfare of all creatures. But his is a purely
detacbed activity and therefore free from any contamination leading to the
colouration of the soul (lesya).
III. The analysis of Karma and the involvement of Jiva
in the wheel of Samsara due to the impact of Karma on it raises a more
fundamental question as to how the soul which is immaterial and simple is
affected by the material Karma. Some seem to think that such a contact
between contradictory entities is logically difficult to accept. But souls
are imperfect because the particles of Karma which are foreign to the
nature of the soul enter into the soul and cause great changes in it. The
Karmic matter produces in the soul certain conditions even as a medical
pill given to an individual produces manifold physical and psychic
effects.[28] In the state of bondage the soul is infected with a kind of
susceptibility to come into contact with matter. This susceptibility finds
expression in the affective states. Through the Yoga (kaya-van-manh-karma
yogah the soul puts into notion the material substrata of its activityand
fine particles of matter are drawn to unite themselves to become Karma,
and enter into union with the Jiva. This mixing up is
ore intimate than milk and water than between fire and
iron ball.[29] The matter once entered into the soul separates itself into
a greater number of particles, karma-prakrti, with varying effects. Their
number and character are determined by the conduct of Jiva. If the
activity is good, Jiva assimilates good Karma; if it is bad, there is
bondage of Karma.
The soul's embodiment in the wheel of Samsara is an
empirical fact; and beginningless nature of this bondage is also a fact a
presupposition as some would like to say. The problem as to how the
immaterial soul gets mixed with Karma and is involved in the empirical
life has been considered from different points of view. Schools of
philosophy have analysed it on the basis of their metaphysical views. For
the Buddhist, soul is namarupa, psycho-physical in nature. Nescience (avidya)
is the seed of worldly existence; and nescience is formless like
consciousness, for, according to the Buddhists the formless can alone
affect the formless. The material rupa cannot affect the formless nama.
But the Jaina-contends that emancipation would not be possible, as the
seed for the emancipation would then be within consciousness itself. The
Yogacara school avoids the difficulty by making the physical world unreal.
But the Jina is a realist and he asserts the reality of the material
world. He says that it would be consistent to believe that the material
would affect the mental, as consciousness would be affected by
intoxicating, drugs.
The Nyaya-Vaisesika believes that conditions of bondage
belong to the soul, and the unseen potency expressing in merit and demerit
belongs to the soul Passions like anger and greed condition the bondage of
the soul. But the Jaina points out that as passions according to them are
qualities of the soul, conditioning its bondage, they must be rooted in
something material, for conditions of the passions must be distinct from
the qualities of the soul.[30] There is no bondage without the interaction
between spirit and matter; and there is no interaction without bondage.
According to Jaina, the worldly existence is possible in the relation of
identity-cum-difference between the spiritual and the material. The Nyaya
Vaiesika regards merit and demerit as arising out of the activity of the
body and mind, though it does accept any form of identity between spirit
and matter. The Jaina does not understand the situation. The Samkhya-Yoga
presents a duality between purusa and prakrti. The conscious principle is
involved in the evil of the world, though it does not belong to it. The
Purusa is not real affected by the changes in the world. The spiritual is
ever kept aloof from the material, and conditions of worldly existence is
a state of bondage and as such presupposes a fall of the principle of
consciousness. For the Vedantin the world is only empirically true, and
karma belongs to the empirical existence and as such an illusion.
