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CHAPTER
VII
THE DOCTRINE OF LESYA
Before dealing with some other aspects of Karma, it is instructive to discuss another doctrine which is closely connected with the Karma theory, that is the doctrine of Leśyās.
According to the concept of the Jaina thinkers, there are an in finite number of souls in the universe. All of them possess the essential characteristics of perfect knowledge, bliss, etc. The souls, however, differ on account of their entanglement with the subtle and invisible atomic forms of Karmic matter. The bright and blissful soul becomes blurred and clouded by Karmic matter which is set in motion by the passions and the activities of the body, mind and speech. The vibrations of the activities and of the kaşāyas determine the nature and material of bondage. The totality of Karma amalgamated by a soul induces on it a transcendental colour, a kind of complexion which cannot be perceived by our eyes. That is called Leśyā. There are six Leśyās : black, blue, grey, yellow, red and white. They have also a prominently moral bearing; for the Leśyā indicates the character of the innividual who owns it. The first three belong to bad characters and the last three to good characters. In other words, the first three are the resultants of evil and the last three of good cmotions.
Almost all the Jaina philosophers who have dealt with the subject of Karma have referred to and expanded theory of
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