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CHAPTER 1X
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES (Tattvas)
(Karma theory continued )
In his poem entitled “Starting from Whitman, the great American poet says :
Paumanok” Walt
“Was somebody asking me to see the soul ? See, your own shape and countenance, persons, substances, beasts. The trees, the running rivers, the rocks and sands."
He seems to accept the theory of Karma due to which an individual soul might take its birth in various states of existence. The Karma doctrine is a fundamental part of Jaina philosophy, as it appears to be of most other religions; but nowhere, if our sources and their knowledge are comprehensive enough, has the physical nature of the Karman been asserted with such stress as in Jainism. The doctrine has been developed with a minuteness in detail, careful classification and precision in statements. The conception has been most realistic and does credit to the most methodical modern system.1 These detajls can be seen in the voluminous commentaries on the 'Dhavala' and the ‘Jayadhavala', which are found summarised in the 'Gommațasāra' referred to above.
It is necessary to remember that according to Jaina Metaphysics, the Universe is divided into two everlasting, uncreated, and independent categories of substances : Jiva (the soul) and Ajīva (non-soul). The link between the soul and non-soul is Karma. Mention has already been made of the characteristics of
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