________________
Chapter 13: Guru's Explanation of the Soul Bearing the Consequences
160
liberation. Most religions support that view. But Jainism specifically states that however wholesome the activities, they cannot lead to liberation. Its concept of liberation is the Karmaless state, where the soul stays in a totally unadulterated and pure state forever.
As unwholesome activities lead to bondage, so do wholesome ones. The difference lies in the nature of the consequences. The wholesome activities lead to a superior type of life, while the unwholesome ones lead to an inferior one. Since both of them cause continuation of the worldly life, they are not useful in proceeding towards liberation. The wholesome bondage is differentiated from the unwholesome one by calling the former as "shackles of gold", while the latter as "shackles of iron". In order to gain liberation one has to break both the types of shackles.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
