Doctrine of Karman in Jain Philosophy

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

Page 98

VII
THE WAY OF SALVATION 1. THE CAPABILITY OF SALVATION
Gandhi 76 et seq., Warren 45 The souls, the number of which is infinite, are of a two-fold kind : 1. worldly souls (samsārin) provided with karman-matter, and 2. released souls (mukta, siddha) free from karman. The former are again separated into 2 groups : 1. into souls, in which a spiritual development has not yet begun, and 2. into such, in which it has begun. Each of these 2 latter species comprises two classes of jīvas, namely, 1. such as can attain salvation (bhavya) and 2. such as cannot (abhavya).
The entire universe is filled with very minute, fine living beings (nigoda), imperceptible to our senses, which pervade everything and which nothing can destroy. The jīvas have undifferentiated unbelief (avyakta mithyātva), they have no tendency either for good or evil ; a spiritual development has not yet begun in them. Special circumstances are rousing the nigoda out of its apathy ; its unbelief differentiates itself, assumes a certain form (vyakta mithyātva) ; through it the nigoda awakes from indifference and starts a spiritual development,
, under favourable circumstances, leads finally to salvation.
The beginning of development as well as the capability of salvation are solely dependent upon accidental circumstances : “In a whirlpool some bit of stick or paper or other matter may in the surging of the water get to one side and become separated from the rest, be caught by the wind, and dried by the sun ; and so some such thing may happen to a nigoda which would awaken just a spark of the latent potential power of development” (Gandhi 77). The same parable is used in order to show that also the bhavyatva is dependent upon chance.
The number of abhavyas is small in comparison to that of the bhavyas. Jivas incapable of being released, are existing in all classes of beings; they never reach beyond the mith yātva (and thereby not beyond the 1st guṇasthāna) and feel themselves quite well in the
1 A Jain gentleman related to me the following parable: Some men want to go from London to Brigton, but they do not know the way and have no possibility of learning it. Therefore they start as chance leads them. Some of them in the end, after longer or shorter wandering, arrive in Brigton, whilst others never reach there.
ing it. The Brigton. Tuled to me