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Through deep thought and subtle contemplation, Indian philosophy has made a great contribution that is unique and unparalleled in itself. The framework of karma in Jain philosophy, while outlining the characteristics of karma, its divisions, and sub-divisions, considers three stages for each karma: bondage, existence, and fruition. These stages of karma are also described in other philosophies. They call bondage 'kriyaman', existence 'mantrit', and fruition 'prarabdh'. However, the way Jain philosophy explains the different experiential states of the embodied soul through eight karmas, including jnanavarniya, and their sub-divisions, is not found in other philosophies. Even in Patanjali's philosophy, karma is categorized into three types of consequences: jati (birth), ayu (lifespan), and bhog (enjoyment). But compared to Jain philosophy's views on karma, this description appears unclear and insignificant.
Jain philosophy clearly defines the nature of the soul and karma, explaining how karma is connected to the soul, its causes, the reasons for the development of different powers in karma, the duration of the connection between the soul and karma, its minimum and maximum time limits, the duration for which karma can bear fruit, whether the time for karma to bear fruit can be changed, and if so, what self-transformations are necessary for it. What self-transformations can transform the intensity of karma from strong to weak and vice versa? How is the inherently pure soul stained by the influence of karma, and why does the soul not deviate from its nature even when covered by the veils of karma? These are some of the questions about the bondage, existence, and...