Harmless Soul

Author(s): W J Johnson, Dayanand Bhargav
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 82

68 Harmless Souls own kaşāya doctrine in the first adhikaraņa - that of jīva - and merely repeating the received (ascetic) adhikarana of influx in the ajīva list. In other words, the division of the mechanism of bondage into two types of karma, that which causes bondage - which 'sticks' or adheres - and that which does not, is prepared for or justified by this division into two types of adhikarana ; mere physical action of a mechanical kind, and motivated, impassioned action, are separated. Such a separation would not be necessary unless the soteriological consequences of there being two substrata of influx (i.e. two types of karma producing action) were perceived as different. Both can bind, but Umāsvāti, in attempting to combine the two, puts emphasis on the first: it becomes a question of behaviour and attitude, not just of behaviour.
This opens the way for the later commentators and their preoccupation with attitude. Furthermore, there is no logical reason why there should be influx of two types of karma - binding and non-binding - unless the kasāya doctrine is a later addition. For if the idea that it is only passionate action which binds had been there in the earliest form of the doctrine, there would have been no reason to posit a complex doctrine of 'stickiness', etc.: Jains would simply have been able to say that activity accompanied by passion causes influx of karma and other activity does not. (The original doctrine must have been that physical activity alone was the source of karma and thus binding.) It is clear, therefore, that there are two layers of doctrine here, and that the superimposition of one upon the other marks a change for which there are historical rather than logical (i.e. strictly doctrinal) reasons.
Returning to the adhikaraņa of the ajīva type enumerated at Tattvärtha Sūtra 6:9 (10), it is probable that this list is based upon the original rules for ascetics in their wandering life. In fact all the categories are to do with himsā caused by physical activity, and relate very closely to the 5 samiti. These are enumerated at Tattvārtha Sūtra 9:5, where they are listed as one category of the modes of