Doctrine of Karman in Jain Philosophy

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

Page 96

VI.)
THE DOCTRINE OF KARMAN
2. THE IMPEDING AND DESTRUCTION OF KARMAN Concerning the impeding and destruction of karman, the Kgs. give us no explanation, as their aim is simply a theoretical exposition of the annihilation of the ks., but is in no way an indication of the means which must be practically employed in pursuit of this aim. Considering the great importance which the doctrine of samvara and nirjarā have for the philosophy of the Jaina, as a counterpart to the preceding section, I believed myself, however, called upon to give a condensed description of the practical means for karman-annihilation. The following account is based if I except the short notices Kg. I 2 and the section on the parişahās, Ps. 435 et seq-chiefly on Tattv. IX. Comp. Hemacandra, Yogaśāstra I, 33 et seq., IV 78 et seq.
The karman assimilated by the jīva realising itself, fades, consumes itself. But as the jiva is ever binding new karman, through the consumption of karman, no decrease of it is produced. A reduction of karman is only possible, if, through suitable measures the binding of new karman is prevented and the existing karman is annihilated.
The suppression of the inflow of new karman is called "impeding" (samvara). It is attained by 6 means. These are :
1. gupti, control, i.e. the right regulation of the activity of body, speech and mind.
2. samiti, carefulness in walking, speaking, collecting alms, in the lifting up and laying down of a thing, and in the discharging of the body, to avoid sins against laws, and to hinder the killing of living beings.
3. dharma, the 10 duties of a monk, namely : forbearance, humility, purity, self-abnegation, truthfulness, self-control, asceticism, abstinence, voluntary poverty, and spiritual obedience.
4. bhāvanā, anupreksā, the 12 reflections, namely : the consideration of the transitoriness of all things, of the helplessness of man, of the samsārā, of the isolation of the soul, of the heterogeneity of soul and body, of the impurity of the body, of the inflow of karman, of its impeding and destruction, of the world, of the scarcity of enlightenment, and of the truth well proclaimed by religion.
. 5. parīsaha, the patient endurance of the 22 troubles, i.e., the jiva must be indifferent to : 1, hunger, 2. thirst, 3. cold, 4. heat, 5. mosquitoes, 6. nakedness or bad clothing, 7. the discomfort connected with long wandering, 8. women, 9. a vagrant life, 10 the place where he meditates, 11. the couch he finds, 12. abusive words, 13. illtreatment, 14. the unpleasantness of begging, 15. the failure in begging, 16. sickness, 17. the pricking of the grass-blades on which he lies,