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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XXXVII, NO. 4 APRIL 2003
behind the whole theory of the cycle of births and deaths (karma samsara). Jaina dharma, as a religion without a creator, redeemer God, places the entire justification on the individual, the doer and the enjoyer of the fruits of action. In this, even gods are not spared! This is very different from the Semitic view, where God plays a vital role in the lives of people and saves them.' (10) Mokṣa or Nirvana for the Jains is both immediate and eschatological: it is immediate in the sense that one can enjoy the fruits of complete annihilation of karma here and now. It is eschatological in the sense that the effort at annihilating karma is continued also in the future course of lives and events. In both ways Nirvāņa is final and complete.
Every religious system has a way of understanding life and environment. Karma is the central theme for understanding dharma in all Indian religions. Hence karma-samsara is part of India's cultural ethos. There could be, and there are reasons for focussing on karma in Indian situation. But the sprititual masters are aware of the freedom of the individual, the power of self-will and self-effort. Karma as a logic of cause and effect is not, therefore, entirely pessimistic. Those who are critical of karma do not see this logic. Self-determination and self-discipline too arise out of the same consciousness of karma (call for action) that once determined a person's life. All efforts are for the sake of achieving fresh results. Humanity's future rests on New Karma or selfless action.
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