ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

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

Page 218

to oscillating between the auspicious and inauspicious psychical states. But saints have exhibited its practicability, e.g. Kundakunda talks of three types of manifestations of the soul, namely auspicious (śubha), inauspicious (aśubha) and pure (śuddha), The pure manifestation is the ideal which is attempted by the monks by observing the vows fully. However the householders or lay-people are not able to practice the vows fully. To overthrow the relative life of virtue and vice (effects of auspicious and inauspicious states) in the interest of absolute higher life seems to be practically impossible and sometimes a mere stretching of imagination, a dream unrealizable.
Sickness of the body is therefore the direct result of the past karmas and our present actions. The present actions include the food (tāmasika and rājasika) we eat, the activities we perform for living, stress and strains (called passions or kasāyas in Jainism) we develop or build, role ego (aham in Jainism) plays and finally unbridled desires we harbour for worldly wealth and comfort. Jains assign all these causes to perverted views (mithyātva) and hence prescribe developing right faith first (as given in the path of purification) along with right knowledge about self (causes of disease and its prevention and cure) and practice the path to be healthy. Thus with wrong faith we necessarily are asking for pain in one form or the other.
The karmas, bonded with the soul, can be in ten states (Bandha or bondage, Sattā or existence, Udaya or activation / realization, Udīraņā or premature fruition, Udvartan, or increasing the duration and/or intensity of the karma, Apavartanā or reducing the duration of existence and activity, Sankramaņa or interchange of nature, Upaśama or subsidence, Nidhatti or immunization of karmas against certain external activities and Nikācană or immunization of karmas against all external activities). Most of these states, except the last one, can be changed to suit the owner by following strenuous Jain code of conduct. In fact complete annihilation of karmas from the body is the highest ideal (liberation) desired by all Jains.
Ethical considerations We have seen earlier that karmas bonded with the soul are the root cause of all pains. Further it is said that the karmic bondage takes place when the soul has perverted views and tainted with passions (anger, pride, deceit and greed). Kundakunda talks of three types of manifestations of the soul, namely auspicious (śubha), inauspicious (aśubha) and pure (śuddha), The pure manifestation is the ideal which is attempted by the monks by observing
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