________________
like to maintain a friendship with such people. Nobody will trust them. One should be truthful and straightforward towards others. Mithyatva Shalya Mithyatva Shalya means false faith or to trust a false god, false guru, or false religion. Even though it is listed last, it is the most dangerous non-virtuous activity. False faith does not allow one to realize all other seventeen non-virtuous activities as a source of Päp karma. As a result, one does not feel remorse for that action nor does one turn away from it. This false faith is the root cause, which makes one wandering through the life cycle of birth and death.
Practical Aspects of Punya Karma and Pap Karma From the practical point of view, people prefer Punya over Päp and therefore they engage themselves in such acts and thoughts that bring in Punya for the following reasons: Good activities bring Punya, and bad activities Päp. Happy and comfortable situations like handsome and strong or beautiful and graceful body, good health, loving spouse, children to be proud of, wealth, amenities, to be born in higher family, and longer lifespan are due to Punya. Non-virtuous Karma on the other hand result in unhappy and miserable situations like ugliness, illness, quarrelsome and wicked spouse, not having children, vicious children, poverty, to be born in lower family, shorter lifespan, etc. The fruit of Punya is pleasure and the fruit of Päp is pain. From a realistic point of view, both Punya and Päp lead the soul further into the Samsär because: Both are caused by physical, verbal and mental activities Both are karmic material in nature Fruition of both is harmful to the real happiness of soul Both lead towards the path of in flux and bondage. As long as the soul is embodied, it does indulge in some or other activity. This activity may be physical, verbal, or mental or all. It is possible that a person may refrain from physical activity for some time. His mental apparatus however never rests. It functions even in sleeps. Every activity involves Karma and he has to bear consequences eventually. Because of the ever presence of the Karma (Kärman body), subtle vibration of the soul creates an Adhyavasäya (primal drive - subconscious mind) that affects the thought process associated with colors (Leshyä). These psychic colors depending upon their good or bad nature generate passionate thoughts that may translate into good or bad activities. These activities are responsible for influx and bondage of good or bad karma. Good as well bad bondage of Karma hinders the purity and freedom of soul. Punya bondage is like handcuffs made of gold and the Päp bondage are like iron handcuffs causing the soul to wander in the cycle of birth and death, because fruits of good or bad karma have to be borne. Therefore, a true believer should treat Punya and Päp as an obstruction to attaining Moksha, the path of liberation and the true nature of the soul. Thus, he should always be absorbed in the "self" (endeavor for the activities that stop and eradicate Karma). However, when Jiva is in the lower spiritual stages (Gunasthäna), and long continued self-absorption is not possible, he should resort to Punya - good deeds, such as, devotion to Pancha Paramesthi, services to Jain ascetics, and study of scriptures in order to keep away Pramäda. However, he should continue his efforts to attain the status of self-absorption. Classification of Punya (Shubha) and Päp (Ashubha) Karma: Out of the approximately hundred varieties of nature Bondage or Prakriti Bandha, some are considered as virtuous or Shubha Prakritis and some are termed as non-virtuous or Ashubha Prakritis. However,
JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE - 2
201
