Ahimsa Varsh 2600th Birth Anniversary of Mahavir Swami

Author(s): Naresh Jain, P Jayaraman
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 51

A Way to Stop Inflow of Karma
- An interpretation
- Rajiv Jain
on a daily basis. This is called "Swadhyaya". Just reading a few paragraphs daily provides blissful nourishment to the mind, body and soul.
Religious books and scriptures are richly filled with pointed stories and discussions. Reading at night just for a few minutes (Swadhyaya) will help reduce karma inflow and together with Meditation will allow us to move forward in the process toward salvation.
here are many steps involved in reaching Keval
Gyan in Jainism. Each of the steps has a prescribed method outlined in the scriptures. For instance, the process of shedding karma bound to the soul - Nirjara - is accomplished through Tapa or Pratikraman. The experience of the soul can be practiced through meditation. The cessation of all inflow of karma can be attained by renouncing all material needs and by pursuing a life of austerity (monkhood). Even if we shed all karma bound to soul, salvation can never be realized unless karma inflow stops.
But for the laity, stopping the inflow of karma by disassociating completely from the world is not an easy and practical task.
All around us each day, we encounter forces pulling us away from the religious path. We get absorbed in our daily routine, whether it be school or job. Popular culture
seduces the senses. Money culture breeds materialism. All of these forces digress us from the right path and lead us to a mundane life. Greed, anger, and neglect of religion then arise which cause the inflow of karma.
Our forefathers had it a bit easier. The community they lived in, made religion an integral part of life. They were surrounded by talk of religion. Attending temples daily and going on frequent religious pilgrimages, created a sort of impregnable shield around the soul, precluding the mind from wavering, and thereby reducing karmic inflow. We however, are living in a much more complex society that requires us to individually recreate the same disciplined atmosphere.
What then is a pragmatic way to stop karma formation for children and adults alike today?
A powerful, effective, yet simple way to keep the mind at a higher state every day can be through reading religious books and scriptures
Ahimsa is ...
Avoidance of
Harm
Intended by
Mind Speech or Action
courtesy: International Jain Sangh