V. Therefore, the Karma theory is an explanation of the
moral justice in the universe. It is the conception of an all controlling
law of natural retribution which links together the successive earth lives
of each individual soul. It �satisfied my sense of justice and threw
light on the problem of unmerited suffering.'[55] For the modern European
varieties of Karma theory, 'It is not the mechanical idea of an identical
soul-substance passing from body to body, but the mystical idea of
suffering with and for others', that forms the real attraction of the
doctrine. And perhaps that may be the true explanation of its ascendancy
in the East as well.[56]
Judged by the historic standards, the Karma theory did
much to raise man status and to wean him from coaxing gods through
sacrifice and prayer. It insisted on individual expiation, and emphasised
the moral continuity of life here and hereafter.[57]
Karma is in fact a striking answer to the �fathomless
injustice to the nature of things' and it appeals 'to the overpowering
sense of the necessity of justice.' 'The conception of an all controlling
Iaw of natural retribution which links together the successive earth lives
of each individual soul, both satisfied my sense of justice and threw
light on the problem of seemingly unmerited suffering.[58]
Having discussed the arguments and counter arguments of
the logical Justification of the doctrine of Karma, we may say that, from
the real point of view (niscaya-naya) logical justification of the
doctrine is not possible nor necessary. It is the expression of the
highest knoIedge and experience of the seers. We must accept it as
authority. When the ascetic, named Kaladevala, saw the newborn Siddhartha
Gautama he was at once delighted and sad, delighted because he saw the
vision of Siddhartha as one to be the Buddha, and sad because he saw that
he would not live to see that glorious day. This need not be taken as mere
fable. It has a great significance in presenting the experience o� a
seer. The story is told of Pythagoras remonstrating with a man ~-how as
beating a dog, because in the howling of the animal he recognised the
voice of a departed friend. The spice of malice in this anecdote is
perhaps misplaced. And, "Oh, Agnibhuti, Karma is pratyaksa to me, the
omniscient being, just as your doubt is pratyaksa to me.[59]
VI. We may add here a note on the much discussed
doctrine of Lesya.
We have seen that the perfect soul may continue to work
for the welfare of all creatures. But he is detached from all activity and
is free from any contamination which leads to the coloration of hallo for
the soul (lesya).
1. According to the Jainas, the soul is a substance
distinct from matter. Matter and soul influence each other, yet are quite
distinct from one another The soul is a spiritual monad. From the noumenal
point of view, the sou1 is pure and perfect. It is pure consciousness. It
is characterised by upayoga and is formless. Upayoga is the hormic force.
But the purity of the soul is defined by the influx of karma It gets
entangled in the wheel of Samsara and embodied through the operation of
Karma. This entanglement is beginningless, though it has an end. lt is
subjected to the forces of Karma through feelings, emotions and activity
(yoga). The soul is associated with Karma and forms a subtle body called
the karma-sarira comparable to the linga-sarira of the Samkhya school. The
immediate presence of the Karmic matter in the soul throws a reflection,
as it were, on the soul, as a colour ed flower does in a mirror or a
crystal.[60] The subt1e Karmic matter is invisible to the eye and to tbe
instruments of Science. The influx of Karma affects the soul in various
forms and produces certain type of 'aura' or coloration about it. This
coloration or hallo is the lesya. But this coloration does not affect the
soul in its pure nature. The colour of the reflection does not belong to
the soul. When the soul becomes free from Karmic matter and reaches the
Siddhahood, it becomes free from this forein element of coloration.
2. Lesya is of two kinds: dravyalesya and bhava lesya.
Dravya Lesya refers to the Karmic material affecting the organism. Bhava
Lesya refers to the psychic conditions affecting the organism and thereby
radiating the colour, which may be called transcendental coloration. Thus,
the effect of Karma in matters affecting the nature of the organism-though
it cannot be said that Lesya refers to the colour of the body. We are
told that the denizens of hell are black in colour. Celestial beings get
different colours on the basis of the impact of a different Karma. So is
the case with human beings.[61] ' This distinction may be referred to the
racial colours and the innumerable distinctions in the individual shades
of colour. Bhava Lesya refers to the psychic conditions affecting the
individual in creating an aura around the organism. The psychic
conditions create reflexes, and they, in turn, may give rise, through some
form of radiation, to some kinds of coloration round the organism rhis may
not be ordinaiily visible to the eye, but only to persons disciplined in
Yoga. Further distinctions are ;made in lesya. Six types of primary
colours are suggested. Three of them refer to evilminded persons. The
remaining are attributed to morally good persons. The six lesyas are: I)
black (krsna), 2) blue (nila), 3) dove-grey (kapota), 4) yellow (pita), e)
pink (padma) and 6) white (sukla). For instance, a man who is wicked and
cruel gets the black lesya. A man who is affected by anger and envy and
who loves pleasure gets the-blue lesya. One who is base and dishonest has
grey. On the contrary, a well-disciplined man develops the red lesya. One
who has subdued the passion has yellow. One who is engrossed in meditation
of the Dharma and truth has the white lesya. But the fully liberated souls
have no lesya at all. [62] The ethical or moral significance of this
doctrine has been emphasized in this distinction. The Lesyas are treated
as an index of temperament and character. Lesyas have a moral
bearing.[63] The Jainas give the example of six travellers in the
forest. They see a tree full of fruits. The man with a black Lesya
intends to uproot the tree; that with a blue, to cut the trunk; that with
a grey, to cut the branches; that with a yellow, to take the twigs on|y;
the man with the pink Lesya intends to pluck the fruits, while the one who
has a pure white Lesya is content to take whatever fruits have fallen on
the ground.[64]
There are degrees of expression of Lesya in terms of
time and intensity. We are told that in the case of black Lesya the
duration varies from half a muhurta to thirty-three sdgaropamas. The
effect of the blue Lesya varies from half a Muhurta to ten Sagarpamas plus
one Palyopama and a part of an asamkhyeya. So is the variation in the
duration of other Lesyas. [65] The Jainas have given a fabulous
mathematical calculation of the effects and the generation of Lesya.[66]
think they were fond of such arithmetic formulations.
3. There has been a controversy regarding the antiquity
and the nature of lesya. Leumann found a resemblance between the six
Lesyas and Gosala's division of mankind into six classes.[67] Jacobi was
perplexed by the resemblance and thought it difficult to bring the Lesya
doctrine into harmony with the rest of their creed [68]
However, as Dr. Upadhya points out, these early
scholars on Jainism were misled by their supposition that the Lesyas
represent the colours of the soul. Tradition never says that the soul
itself has colour.[69] Colour and sense qualities are associated with
Karmic matter flowing into the soul. Karma is a subtle type a matter and
the soul has a subtle body known as the karma sarira.[70] We have seen
that the immediate impact of Karma throws a reflection on the soul, as a
coloured flower does on crystal. The colour does not form part of the
crystal; so Lesya is not part of the soul. It may also be noted that the
liberated soul is free �rom Karmic matter and also from any form of Lesya.
Thus,the conception of Lesya is closely associatcd with the Karma theory.
In Buddhism too, Karma is classified according to
colours:1) black, 2) white. 3)-black and white, and 4) not black and not
white [71] The same classification was adopted in the yoga school. But
these systems do not accept the material nature of Karma. Therefore,
DASGUPTA suggests that the idea of the black and white Karma in the Yoga
philosophy was probably suggested by the Jaina view. [72]
4. The problem of interpreting the Lesya thRory in
terms of modern psychologyespecially of para-psychology, has been engaging
my attention for some time past. The bhava-lesya has a psychological
significance. It is an aura created round the soul due to psychic effects
and Yoga. It is dependent on the activity of the mind. The six primary
colours are effects of the Karmic influx arising out of the mental states
and events. Every psychosist brings some after-effects which are both
physical and psychic; it is possible to show, by proper analysis and
investigation, that such psychic phenomena exist and are detectable. The
effects of psychic states are transformed. through some form of radiation
into the `aura' of co1our spreading round the organism, like the halo
supposed to surround a prophet. We have heard that the gods and the
prophets like Jesus. Mahavira and Buddha, had halo round themn?. The
Jainas have said that the enlightened ones still living in this world get
a white halo around them. But those who are liberated are without any
Lesya or coloration. They are alesyi. Such aura or coloration may not be
visible to the eye, not detectable by the ordinary instruments of science.
But men disciplined in the Yoga and those who have developed an extra
sensory capacity may see it. We may perhaps find some methods pertinent to
para-psychology by which may discover the possibility and existence of
such phenomena. lt would, therefore, be a problem for the
parapsychologist's research.
I have recently read an autobiographical note by LAMA
MANGALABJUNG RAMPA, who states that he could see, owing to the Yogic
discipline he had undergone, the `aura' of colour round an individual. It
varied with individual difference in mental states at the moment. He once
saw blue rays of light elmanating from a Chinese delegation which had gone
to see the Dalai Lama. He then appealed to the Dalai lama not to take the
delegation at their word, as they were full of fraud.
It would not, therefore, be a presumption to suggest
that the Lesya phenomena should be investigated by the methods of para-psychology.
I may also point out that some have suggested a
resemblance between the Iesya doctrine and the theosophical view of the
transcendental colours in the individual.[73] We may refer here to the
theosophical writings of Mrs. Besant.[74] The Jainas say that the soul is
immaterial; consciousness and its states are also immaterial and
colourless. Colour is in matter; and matter certainly acts and reacts on
the soul by the inflow and bondage (bandha) of the Karmic matter due to
passions and modifications in the mental states.
