ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 157

SCHOOL OF
TIONAL
SELF STUDY IS THE
SUPREME AUSTERITY
NN STUDIES
jīva and karma particles to lead to bonding. However, material karmas and non-material soul cannot have bonding together.
In current science, the atoms bind together due to opposite charges with necessary internal and external energy for bonding. They have been called as 'smooth and rough' in scriptures with lightning as their example. The material karmas and worldly was should also have these properties. The free karma particles are very powerful, but a large amount of their energy is spent during their conversion into bondable karmas. Still, they have sufficient energy to cause continuous jīva -karma bonding. The worldly jīva's association with karmas is already charged. These karmas particles are charged as described in scriptures:
3.1.1 Theories of Bonding
Currently, there are many theories regarding karmic bonding, some traditional and some recent based on scientific experimentations. The first one has developed from time to time based on factors of bonding and nature of karma and jīva while the latter are the results of developments of atomic theory.
In the first instance, Jainism was taken as an ascetic religion. All its theories were based on their spiritual progress. Accordingly, the first theory involved bonding due to activities emerged from physical and social possessions. The theory postulates that
✓ All activities are sinful and they bind karmas. Activities and Karmas are synonyms. The activities (mental, speech or physical) emerged from passions; attachment and aversion etc result in binding karma.
✓ The control on activities (mental, speech or physical) leads to lesser bonding.
✓ It is only actual actions, which leads to bonding other factors are just instrumental.
✓ The activities of ascetics performed vigilantly may not lead to rebirth.
✓ All activities of laity are long-time bonding ones.
The scriptures mention 25 kinds of activities, which may be incidental, natural, induced due to ignorance or thought that may bind karmas.
Similarly there is theory of functional consciousness, which states 'When entities or sensual perceptions are in proximity, they create passions, which are a form of consciousness and
Page 144 of 385
STUDY NOTES version 5.0