Doctrine of Karman in Jain Philosophy

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Vijibai Jivanlal Panalal Charity Fund Mumbai

Page 94

(CHAP. VI.)
THE DOCTRINE OP KARMAN
63
Yoga alone causes bandha of sāta-vedaniya.
The karmans tirthakara and translocation-body and its limbs, are caused through none of the above mentioned causes of bondage ; they are, on the contrary, only bound by specially favoured men; the bandha of tirthakara is caused by true belief (samyaktva), that of the translocation-body and its limbs through self-control (samyama).
Each of the karmans can only be bound so long as its cause of bondage is in existence, if the cause disappears, the bandha of the corresponding prakyti ceases. The causes can only be eliminated successively and not out of their order. So long, therefore, as mithyātva exists, avirati, kaşāya and yoga are in operation, and all prakrtis caused through these 4 can be bound. If mith yātva is eliminated, the 16 karman-species caused thereby vanish, and so forth. If the first 3 causes of bondage are extinguished, the jiva only binds sāta-vedaniya. This lasts until the jīva returns within the power of the kaşāyas and binds corresponding k., or till the jīva also completely annihilates the yoga, and thus altogether puts an end to bandha.
We have seen which k-prakrtis can be bound, as long as certain psychical factors are in existence; in the following we learn details concerning the actions through which the jiva produces a karman'.
Hostility against knowledge and undifferentiated cognition, against those who know and the means of cognition, denial, annihilation and hindrance of them, disregard of the doctrine and its commandments, rebelliousness and lack of discipline towards teachers and masters, destruction of books, the tearing out of the eyes, etc.- such actions are the causes of the bandha of the ks jñānu- and darśanāvarana.
Piety, respect for parents and teachers, gentleness, pity, keeping of vows, honourable conduct, overcoming of passions, giving of alms, fidelity in belief, are causing the bandha of sāta-vedaniya-k; the contrary causes the bandha of asāta-vedaniya-k.
The teaching of a false, the hindrance of the true religion, the blasphemy of the Jains, of the saints, of the images of gods, of the community, of the canon, the rape of sacred objects, causes darśanamohanīya-k.
1 What is here reproduced is the doctrine of the asravas, dealt with in detail in Tattv. VI. The āstavas are the activities of body, speech and manas which cause certain karmans. Regarding two meanings of the word ástava vide Sarvadarśanasamgraha p. 30; comp. Colebrooke p. 246, Wilson p. 310, Jhaveri 27, Mrs. Stevenson 67. In the Kgs. the word which only occurs I, 25 in a Sūtra, is neither in the text nor in the commentary used in this place, it is only spoken of the “bandhahetavah" which cause, that the jiva "badhnāti, javati, samupārjayati" a certain k. In quotations however, the word frequently occurs.