$JES 302 Jain Philosophy Level 3 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 98

THEORY OF KARMA AND REINCARNATION
the soul, they are called karmas. Karmas are classified into eight categories depending upon their nature. The karmas can be good (Punya) or bad (Päp). The good karmas are the result of good or pious activities while the bad karmas are the result of bad or sinful activities.
Process of the Bondage (Bandha) of Karmas
Bandha soul has had this karm. This karmic m
Bandha is the attachment of karma particles (karma Pudgal) to the soul. Jainism believes that the soul has had this karmic matter bondage from eternity. Also from eternity the soul is ignorant about its true nature. This karmic matter is known as the Kärman body or causal body or karma.
At every moment some of the Karmas continually produce their effects creating pleasure or pains to the soul. After producing the effects, Karmas separate from the soul.
Also at every moment the soul continually attracts new Karmic matter because of its ignorance, lack of self restraint, passions, unmindfulness, and activities of body, mind, and speech.
Hence the soul, which was covered by karmic matter from eternity, continues acquiring new karma from the universe and exhausting old karma into the universe through the above mentioned process at every moment.
Because of this continual process of acquiring and exhausting karma particles, the soul has to pass through the cycles of births and deaths, and experiencing pleasure and pain. So under normal circumstances the soul cannot attain freedom from karma, and hence liberation.
Our activities are:
1. Physical, 2. Verbal or
3. Mental We further do these activities in three different ways,
1. We do the activities ourselves, 2. We ask someone else to do for us, or 3. We encourage someone else to carry out these activities.
Thus, in different combinations, we do our activities in nine (3x3) different ways that cause bondage of the karmas to the soul. At the time of the bondage of karmas to the soul, the following four characteristics play an important role. They are:
What kind (Nature) of Karmas will these be? How many Kärman particles (Quantity) will attach? How long (Duration) will these karmas stay with the soul? How strong (Intensity) will the bondage of these karmas be?
Prakruti Bandha Pradesha Bandha Sthiti Bandha Ras Bandha
The nature and the quantity of the bondage of the karmas depend on the vigor of activities while the duration and the intensity of the bondage of the karmas depend on the intensity of the passion behind those activities.
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JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I