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The creation and the conduct or management of the universe
has been gathering karmas according to its mental propensities and the physical actions like consuming food. Experiencing the karmaş of the earlier life, gathering new karmas, and entering new bodies according to karmas are enternal and endless pro
cesses.
These karmas are of two kinds namely, good karmas and evil karmas (punya and papa). The jiva on account of the efficacy of some punya (Merit) discarded its form as a plant or tree etc. and assumed the form of Prithvikay. In this manner, after being born in the lower and higher states of existences the jiva has been wandering through the realms of Dwindriya (having two senses) Thrindriya (having three senses) Chaturindriya (having four senses) and Panchendriya (having five senses). During these developments it also had to assu ne the form of Ekendriya. Whenever its sin increased, it fell to lower levels and whenever its merit increased, it got the opportunity of rising to higher levels. This wandering of the jiva through the various states has been going on endlessly and this process has had no beginning.
Question: How does merit (Punya) increase ?
Answer: After receiving the severe buffets of Karma, by means of Akam Nirjara, i.e. by destroying evil Karmas even unintentionally by the Karmas become light and then merit increases on account of natural and auspicious thoughts and feelings. Another point is this. Merit increases if one pursues the path of Dharma. There is no rule that merit should keep increasing in the future. It depends only on the principle of cause and effect. Merit or sin arises in accordance with the kind of actions that the Jiva does.
After having received the buffets of Karma, on account of carrying out impure Dharma, when the time arrives for the enjoyment of the merit that has been attained, the Jiva probably falls into sinful activities, increases its sins and tumbles headlong into a lower state of existence. But if the pure Dharma is practised, the result will be the attainment of more merit and then one thinks deeply of Dharma and merit increases. It increases more than before.
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