Ahimsa Crisis You Decide

Author(s): Sulekh C Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 62

Jains believe that himsa is the sole cause of the inflow, binding, and increasing of the karmic load and only ahimsa leads to the stopping and shedding-and thus the reduction of the karmic load. Now we will turn in earnest to karma and its mechanisms ahimsa or himsa.
FOUR STAGES OF KARMAS
In Jain philosophy, significant emphasis is given to the four stages of karma. These include:
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Stoppage of the inflow of karma, called Samvar, and Annihilation or destruction of karma, called Nirjara. All un-liberated (mundane) souls are bound by karmas. The quantity and intensity of the binding and quality of karmas (karmic load) depend upon one's own actions in life.
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Inflow (the incoming movement) of karma, called Asrava,
Binding of karma, called Bandha,
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Karma can be likened to a dust storm around a house. As soon as the window of the house is opened, the dust particles start coming in. This is asrava or inflow. The quantity, intensity, and quality of incoming dust particles is now controlled by the speed of the incoming particles, how much of the window is open, for how long and whether the window has some kind of wire screen on it or not.
Now the dust particles stick and accumulate onto the floors and walls of the house. This is Bandha, or binding or attachment. After a while the window is closed slightly or completely. Then, the inflow of the dust is either reduced or completely stopped. This is called samvar (stoppage). Now, the owner of the house takes a vacuum cleaner and removes all or some of the dust particles. This is called nirjara (annihilation or destruction), or reducing the karmic load of the particles.
Himsa is the cause of asrava (influx) of papa (bad or sinful) karma and ahimsa is the path to punya (good deeds) and samvar (stoppage of inflow) of karma.
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide