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An Epitome of Jainism In Jaina Philosophy, however, the word Karma has quite a different and unique significance. The starting principle of Jainism is that there is an eternal beginningless union between soul and matter. This union though without a beginning is not without an end. When once the union is entirely broken, when once the soul is free from the slightest vestige of a contact with matter, nothing can bind it again. It is liberated.
The activity of the soul which invites and enables matter of an exeptionally subtle form to flow into it, as also the matter which actually does flow into the soul, is called Karma. The thought-activity is called Bhâva-Karma; and the actual matter flowing into the Soul and binding it is called Dravya-Karma. It is a substance. It is matter, in itself inert, lifeless, like a pebble, but in combination with Jiva, Life, its potency is immense, beyond calculation, beyond measure. It then keeps the Jiva itself bound and fettered, a prisoner, dancing constantly at Karma's beck and gesture. At each step, the momemtumn for a new movement is gained. At each embrace of matter, the delighted deluded soul throbs and vibrates for a fresh embrace. Wily matter is ever ready to attack the soul and to flow into it with its million insinuations, and to keep alive and vigorous the bondage of the living by the non-living. It is so very fine, so very subtle, that it cannot be perceived, recognised, discerned by any the most highly developed sense organ, or by the most perfected, the highest magnifying microscope It eludes all efforts of the Chemist and the Physicist to calculate, measure, graph, photograph, utilise, harness or control it. It is millions of times finer and subtler than the waves of sound, light, or electricity, or the electrons, protons, conceived by man. And yet this matter is ever and anon surrounding us on all sides, and permeating through and through every particle of our body and soul. There is no space where it is not. And it is perceivable, appreciable, knowable by the Omniscients; and its workings, metamorphoses, make-ups and changes, are explained by Acharyas, who have heard the letterless Voice of the Omniscient, and who have transmitted the knowledge thus directly acquired from the Omniscient to others through the past milleniums, by speech and in writings.
Karma is the Cause, the first, the ultimate, the original Cause which keeps the Universe going. All phenomena, all changes, all manifestations are due to Kârmic effects.
And Jaina saints, the Masters of wisdom, have analysed the workings of Karma in the most minutest details. And what would be a marvel and a miracle to the Modern Man is that they did so without the use of pen, pencil, or paper, without any of the modern resources and appliances. Mind and Memory were the only two instruments they used for researches into the workings and inter-actions of Soul and Matter, with an accuracy and a wealth of detail which would command the admiration of the modern scientist.
The Jaina Saints did all this wonderful research work without any selfish
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