________________ 218 TATTVARTHA SUTRA outlook, because the people there have been stuck with that approach for more than a millennium. But the theory of Karma is not fatalistic, because it also presents the concept of wholesome Karma. It specifically states that human life is acquired as a result of much wholesome Karma. We, as human beings, are therefore likely to have a positive balance instead of a negative one. Moreover, the theory does state that one can endeavor to be free from Karma during the human life. Thus instead of having a negative tune, the theory actually happens to play a positive one. This aspect hardly comes to the notice of the western mind. It normally equates Karma with sinful activity and therefore tends to treat the concept of Karma as a canon of condemnation. It is accustomed to the concept of an Almighty, who judges the activities of every being and allots life in heaven or hell depending upon the activities in the present life. Those people are therefore prone to conceive of Karma as a tool in the hands of the Almighty. By wielding that weapon He condemns the wicked people to miserable lives. Since poor and miserable people are thus considered to have obtained the hard life by virtue of their Karma, it is ridiculously held that Karma theory would forbid doing anything to ameliorate their misery. This is not the right interpretation. The concept of Karma does not term it as a means in the hands of any supernatural judge. It is a mechanism that functions automatically. Take, for instance, the case of a person consuming ambrosia or poison. No almighty decides that he should gain a hale and hearty life by virtue of taking the ambrosia or that he should die by virtue of taking the poison. Similarly, neither the ambrosia nor the poison has any design to bring forth those results. The results Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
