Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

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of consumable things, (4) enjoyment of non-consumable things (upabhoga) and (5) effort of exertion (virya). These five kinds of obstructive karmas hinder the individual from activities which are conducive to merit or renunciation.
As an instance of the first one, we may refer to usual experiences of many persons. They are inclined to give something in charity but somehow, there is some feeling or thought which prevents them from giving effect to charitable decision. The mind becomes indecisive and hesitation starts resulting in cancellation of the decision to give in charity. The second prevents them from enjoying profits or gains made by him. The third and the fourth Karmas hinder them from enjoying thing or properties, consumable or non-consumable, or movable or immovable, even though they possess them and desire to use and enjoy them. There are many instances in life where men accumulate wealth and property and are deprived of their use or enjoyment by some unforeseen cause or health problems. It is the result of these karmas. The fifth one prevents them from making efforts in the direction of achieving something good and beneficial to the soul. The hindrance may be either with reference to the spiritual activities or worldly success.
Creation of obstacles in the wages of others is the cause of Antaraya Karma or obstructive karmas. Causing obstructions to others in the performance of deeds of charity, generosity, conferring of public benefit, helping those in difficulties, undertaking works of public utility is the causes for the influx of obstructive karmas. Any activity obstructive of a good act or speech is sufficient to cause influx of this karma.
Mohaniya
The fourth destructive karma is Mohaniya. It obscures the power of discrimination and creates an infatuation or delusion in the individual in his approach to various matters in life. The operation of this karma makes the individual blind to the true nature of self. His knowledge, faith and conduct would either be false, or perverted. There are two main sub-divisions in the Mohaniya karma: (i) the faith deluding and (ii) the conduct deluding. In all there are twentyeight sub types of Mohaniya Karmas.
The Faith-deluding (Darshana-Mohaniya) karmas are of three kinds. The first is Mithyatva or wrong belief. The wrong belief relates to true nature of the Self, the tenets preached by the Tirthankaras and the validity of the scriptures composed by the great saints. The second one concerns a stage of mental attitude where the right and wrong beliefs are mixed up and there is inability to distinguish between the two. This is called Samyag-mithyatva-misra. The last one is Samyaktva-Prakrti. This is a state where the right belief is clouded by slight wrong belief, a sort of wavering. The firmness of right belief is somewhat hazy.
The causes of this kind of karma are: attributing faults and shortcomings to the omniscient, the scriptures, association of ascetics, the true religion and the heavenly beings. Such activities of speech and mind lead to the influx of faith-deluding karmas. Slandering the
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