Gandharavada

Author(s): Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha

Page 68

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Annihilation of Karma :
Karma can be annihilated and emancipation attained by (i) samyag-darśana, (true faith) (ii) samayag-jñāna (true knowledge), (iii) samyag-cāritra (true conduct), or to put it briefly by knowledge and action. In the other darśanas, jñāna alone is mostly regarded as the immediate cause of the annihilation of karma, and action etc. are regarded as causes indirectly as bringing about purity of the mind. Some regard knowledge and action as joint causes of the annihilation of karma. Bhakti (devotion), and yoga too are accorded this honour. On comparison, we find that samyak-caritra comprehends restraint of the mind, conquest of the sense-organs, purity of the citta (mind and even soul with the Buddhists and the Jainas), etc. and so does the same work as action and yoga. Samyag-darśana means faith, which is allied to bhakti. Samyag-jñāna is the path of knowledge. Classification of Karma :
The soul in its pure state possesses perfection of all sort; but its characteristic attributes are obscured in the defiled state of bondage. In the state of perfection, the soul has infinite knowledge, infinite intuition, and bliss and is free from delusion, delimited longevity, embodied existence, gradation of status and obstruction of energy. The karma matter obscures and obstructs these characteristics of the soul. The soul under the influence of kasăya (passion) and yoga (vibrations of body, vocal organ, mind) binds unto itself karmic matter; this is the state of bondage. A very fine simile is given for this : As a lamp by virtue of its heat draws up oil with its heat, and after doing so transforms it into its body (i.e. the glow or flame), so the soul-lamp with the qualities of attachment, etc. attracts, by the wick of its vibrations, material aggregates (skandha) and after having done so, transforms them into karman
"Uşmaguṇaḥ san dipaḥ sneham vartyā yathā samädatte, ådaya sariratayă pariņamayati că'pi tam sneham; tadvad rāgādiguṇaḥ svayoga vartyä "tmadipa adatte, skandhān adāya tathā pariņamyati tāmś ca karmatayā."