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be correspondingly diverse. That is to say, it is but evident that men perform different kinds of actions which can lead them to hell, heaven, etc.; if they are expected to experience the fruits of these actions in another world, then there should be found the same diversity and dissimilarity among these beings in the other world as was found in this world. As one is in this world (performer of good or sinful action and therefore one who binds good or sinful karman) so will he be in the other world (enjoyer of good or sinful karman) (1781-2).
It can be argued here that action yields fruit only in this world and not in another, that is to say, agriculture, etc. can bear fruit in this world, but acts of charity, ctc. which are for another world cannot bear any fruit in the other world; consequently there would be no fruit in the other world, and hence no dissimilarity in the conditions. But here the rival thinker forgets that in that case the similarity of the souls he is driving at will not be possible, since karman is the cause of the soul's birth in another life, while the fruit of karman in another world is not recognised by him. It cannot be said that a soul is born in a similar state in another world even without karman. For in that case, it would be as good as saying that similarity is produced even without any cause and at the same time there would be the loss or destruction of karman which is the result of acts of charity, injury etc. which are already accomplished. Or there would be the contingency of there being no karman at all; for acts of charity, injury, etc. would be looked upon as fruitless; karman would not be binding and in the absence of the cause; the other-worldly existence would not be there, leave alone similarity in it. If the other-worldly existence be admitted in spite of there being no karman, it would be without any cause; if even this be admitted, then that worldly existence would come to an end too without any cause and all efforts at the practice of austerity, self-control etc. would be useless. And if worldly existence is looked upon as uncaused, then dissimilarity of souls too can be looked upon as uincaused for the position is the
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