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164
Tattvartha Sutra
[6.11-26]
It is possible. Just as laziness, negligence, and false teachings are not counted as kinds of influx due to ignorance or perception, yet they are still sources of influx. Similarly, acts such as killing, bondage, punishment, and evil practices are not counted among the sources of non-knowledgeable influx, yet they are still sources of influx.
Question: The sources of each fundamental nature have been represented as different. This raises the question of whether the sources of ignorance and the like are only bound to the karmas of knowledge and perception, or whether they are also bound to other karmas. If the sources of one type of karma can also bind to other types, then it is pointless to describe the sources separately by their nature, as the sources of one type are also sources of another. And if it is assumed that the sources of one type are only the sources of that type and not of another, then it leads to a contradiction in scripture. The rule of scripture is that, generally speaking, all natural states except lifespan are bound together. According to this rule, when there is bondage of the influx related to knowledge, there is also bondage of the other six types of karmas. Influx only occurs for one type of karma at a time; however, bondage can occur for one type and also for other non-conflicting types. Thus, the view that a particular source is bound to a particular nature is contradicted by scripture. Therefore, what purpose does the division of sources by nature serve?
Answer: Here, the division of sources is explained with respect to the aspects of experience, i.e., the bondage of essences. The implication is that at the time of experiencing the influx of any one type of karma, there is bondage of other types of karmas as well; this scriptural rule should only occur with respect to regional bondage, not with respect to experiential bondage. In essence, the division of sources is with respect to experiential bondage and not regional bondage. Thus, by acknowledging the regional bondage of multiple types of karmas simultaneously, difficulties do not arise in the aforementioned scriptural rule, and the influxes mentioned in the classification of natures also function only in regard to the experiential bondage of those natures. Therefore, the division of influxes specified here is not obstructed.
With this arrangement, both the aforementioned scriptural rule and the division of the presented influxes remain unobstructed. Nevertheless, it is particularly significant that the division of influx is supported, relying on experiential bondage, primarily in relation to the main theme.