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door-keeper does not allow persons to meet the king, etc. so also the intuition-obscuring Karma does not allow apprehension of things. (3) Just as on licking honey from the sharp edge of a sword, the person enjoys honey as well as suffers pain, so also the feeling-producing Karma produces pleasure and pain in man. (4) Just as wine stupefies a person, so also the delusion-producing Karma perverts the person. (5) Just as wooden fetters stop the movement of a person, so also the longevity-determining Karma obliges the soul to stay in a particular body. (6) Just as the painter produces different pictures, so also the body-making Karma makes different bodies. (7) Just as a potter makes earthen pots of different sizes, so alo the status-determining Karma determines status in society. (8) Just as a treasurer generates obstructions in giving money, etc. to others, so also the obstruction-generating Karma causes handicaps in charity, in gains and in selfpower. It is no doubt true that Karmas bind the self to mundane existence. Now the question that arises is this : How the self is bound by Karma ? What are the causes that create Kārmic bondage in the self ? The answer of the Jaina is that its actions (mental, bodily and vocal) polluted by passions cause empirical bondage to the self. The passion-free actions do not bring about any mundane bondage whatsoever. Actions with passion are known as Jñeyārtha-parinamana Kriyās, since they are consequent upon transmuting the inherent meanings of the objects of the world and actions without passions are Jñapati-kriyās, since they arise in consequence of having supersensuous knowledge which knows things without any distortion and predilections. Bondage of Karmas presupposes influx of
Mahavira and his Philosophy of Life
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