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An Introduction to Jain Philosophy
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versa. It is karma that puts the soul in a suitable body, it tends to move its limbs and act.
The Jainas have considered karma as material in nature. The particles of matter which enter the soul and get intermingled with it are called Karma in the Jaina terminology. The karmic particles affecting the soul are called karma-vargaņās. The particles of matter which are responsible for constituting the body are called 'nokarmavargaņās.' Jiva attracts the karma-vargaņā by the activity which is three fold, i.e. bodily, speech and mind. The karmic encrustation with the jiva is due to these activities and the activities are in turn specificated by the karmic encrustations. In this way the karmic particles of encrustations and the yoga of the jiva are mutually interactive. Karma and the tendency to activity are intimately related with each other with the mutually casual relations, in the state of bondage, jiva and karma are more intimate than milk and water. But the liberation of jiva (soul) from matter is possible by certain means. The soul must stop the influx of new karmas and eliminate the acquired ones. Through this two-fold method, it can attain the ultimate goal, i.e., emancipation. Type of Karma
There are eight types of karma has distinguished in Jaina Philosophy. These are: i. Jñānāvaranīya karma which obstructs the knowledge of soul. ii. Darśnāvaranīya karma which obstructs right faith. iii. Vedanīya karma which cause sensations or feelings of pain
and pleasure. Mohanīya karma which cause infatuation and affects right belief and right conduct. Nāma karma which determines the personality of the being,
viz., his body, structure etc. vi. Gotra karma which determines the gotra, family or descent
etc. vii. Āyu karma which determines the duration of life.
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