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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
observable genes, glandular secretions or nucleic acids etc. However, their functions are very much akin to them. Besides self-generation, the volitions are also originated through 12 types of impulsive instincts described by McDugal in 1923 to which many more have now been added. It is seen from the Table 1 below that almost all of them may have karmic origin.
Table 1 : Volitions and their karmic origin S.No. Volitions
Karmic Origin Happiness
Feeling producing karnia Sorrow
Feeling producing karma Fear
Feeling producing & deluding karma Anger
Conduct deluding karma Pride Love/attachment Hate/aversion Shame/guiltremorse
Feeling producing & deluding karma Humour/laughter
Deluding karma Sex/libido
Deluding karma Possessiveness/greed
Deluding karma Deceit
Deluding karma
Thus, the karma theory could be expressed in terms of current psychology. However, the theory seems to peep a little deeper in an indirect way.
The main object of religious system is to let the living being move towards spiritual growth leading to the highest happiness and bliss. This path is infested with many types of detractions due to the variety of undesirable volitional behaviour and instincts or motives. These make up the world physically miserable. The religion aims at to reduce these miseries through volitional controls. The names of different volitions given in the aphorism 2.1 are based on the type of processes of controlling or purifying them, thus, leading the individual towards meritorious ones to improve happiness. These processes refer to karmic system as different karmic types cause these varying volitions. The Jaina psychology is, thus, based on karma rather than physiology or neurophysiology which peep into conscious, sub-conscious and even unconscious mind. However, it seems the karma theory peeps though unconscious mind.
The current psychologists agree that there are many undesirable volitions and their attendant activities which require control. A number of defense mechanisms have been proposed in this direction. They have an object of improved and more sociable man for psychologists. In contrast, they have an object of spiritual improvement for the religionists. In fact, many of the so called undesirable volitions may be desirable to some extent but their duration
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