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Tattvartha Sutra
Firstly, the eight types of karmas are: knowledge-obscuring, perception-obscuring, feeling-producing, deluding, life-span, name, body, and obstruction.
Through specific activities, a soul experiences karma in a single portion of matter, resulting in a variety of potentialities according to the nature of the activity. These potentialities are invisible, yet they can only be counted by their effects – the outcomes they produce. Countless effects are experienced by a single or many worldly souls. The inherent nature of these effects is indeed innumerable; however, they can be succinctly classified into eight categories. This is called the fundamental nature of karmas. The distinctions of these eight fundamental karmas are mentioned here:
1. Knowledge-obscuring karma, which obscures specific knowledge;
2. Perception-obscuring karma, which obscures general perception;
3. Feeling-producing karma, which produces pleasure or pain;
4. Deluding karma, which enables the soul to attain liberation;
5. Life-span karma, which affects the duration of existence;
6. Name karma, which determines specific movements, birth, etc.;
7. Body karma, which leads to elevation or degradation;
8. Obstruction karma, which obstructs the exchange in various matters.
Although the various natures of karma have been classified into these eight parts for a concise understanding, an inquisitive mind may explore them in greater depth.