Gandharavada

SR No.: 006739
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha
Publication Year: 1966
Total Pages: 400
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

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unseen fruit at all, we would not be able to explain the very existence of innumerable worldly beings or transmigratory souls. The facts is that even while performing the activities of agriculture, etc. and attaining its fruit, crop. etc., they bind unto themselves the unseen fruit in the form of sin even though it was not intended by them and thus bound down they continue their transmigratory course. The very few performers of acts of charity, etc. obtain an unseen fruit of the nature of dharma or merit and thus are gradually liberated. It can be argued that those who perform good activities like acts of cbarity, etc. with an unseen fruit of the nature of dharma may attain it; no one should have any objection to this. But those who go in for activities like agriculture, slaughter etc. without intending to attain the unseen fruit of the nature of adharma, should have nothing to do with it. But this is not true. If the causal apparatus is perfect the fruit is bound to follow whether one intends it or not. If a farmer while sowing barley drops unknowingly seeds of other grain, if there is enough supply of water and there are also such other factors, these seeds will invariably sprout forth and grow even though the cultivator himself did not intend that they should. Similarly when a person indulges in cultivation, slaughter, etc. when the full complement of operative causes is present, the unseen fruit of the nature of adharma does invariably arise irrespective of the doer's intention. A truly wise person has no eye on the fruit of meritorious activities like charity, etc. and yet the fruit of the nature of dharma does arise. Thus all activities good or bad must have an unseen fruit-merit or demerit-as the existence of an infinite number of transmigratory souls could not be otherwise explained (1620).
Further, if those who perform activities like cultivation, slaughter, etc. only for the purpose of attaining a tangible fruit, do not attain along with it the unseen fruit (karma) also, they would not have the bondage of karma and thus would be liberated immediately on their death without any effort on their part. On the other hand, for those who perform good