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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
MIND, THE CAUSE OF BONDAGE AND EMANCIPATION
Worldly bonds are to be attributed to the mind. How can the same mind bring about contradictory results ? If mind is engrossed in sinful acts, mind becomes the root cause of Karmic bonds, and if mind is engrossed in pious acts it becomes the cause of emancipation. Then what are the pious acts? Those acts which are performed with faith, right belief and strictly according to the commands of Lord Jineshvara and according to right principles are called pious and pure acts of religion.
Some say that acts performed with knowledge are called pure acts of religion. Then it might be doubted after what degree of knowledge one would begin to perform religious acts. If one has to wait till revelation of Omniscience then should such a person not perform any religious act till then ? Moreover what is the use of any such act after acquiring Omniscience ? Thinking on these lines, acts would be of no use at all. Thus one should proceed with religious acts gradually as one goes on acquiring more and more knowledge. That is pure act which is performed with right-belief and pure mind. Action with proper knowledge is the action equipped with faith.
Bondages of Karmas differ according to feelings or intentions and this is laid down in scriptures. You recite the following stanza while performing ‘Pratikramana' as one of the essential ceremonies.. :
"If a soul performs some sinful act pressed under circumstances even after performing 'Pratikramana' for the sinful acts done in the past, then the bond of Karmas is loosely contracted as he does not do sinful acts out of keen desire or mercilessness”.
Sometimes a person with false-belief does an act knowing it well as sinful act, then the Karmic bond is loosely contracted which is of course not so loose as contracted by a person of right belief. It is more loose than that contracted by a person of false-belief outright.
Acts of violence, untruth, sexual intercourse, and hoarding are sinful acts and still we rejoice in performing them as we have not firmly and solemnly thought over the fact that they are sinful acts.
