ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 453

Metaphysical considerations Jains believe in the duality of existence i.e. living beings (jiva or sentient beings) and non living beings (ajiva or insentient beings). Jiva in pure form is called siddha or pure soul, and when it is associated or defiled with matter impurities called karmas, it is called empirical soul or sansari jiva. So a Jain considers, 'I am the soul and am immortal and responsible for all my acts and actions - reactions'. Diseases or even death are momentary stages of the body associated with me. Hence both do not disturb my state of equanimity. I am the master of my own self and have the capability to remove all impurities associated with me and achieve my nature of infinite knowledge and bliss. Right faith-knowledge-conduct together is the path of attaining this pure state of my soul.
Jiva suffers pains /sicknesses due to de-meritorious karmas or enjoy good health and pleasures due to meritorious karmas associated with it. One of the karma types called body building or Nama karma (93 sub types) details each sub type responsible for different types and ailments of the physical body associated with sansari jiva. Similarly life span or death is determined by another type of karma called Ayu. The karma literature, (Karaoànuyoga), is full of explanations of the cause and effect i.e. influx, bondage, stoppage of influx and dissociation of existing karmas.
The karmas can be in ten states (Bandha or bondage, Satta or existence, Udaya or activation / realization, Udiraða or premature fruition, Udvartana or increasing the duration and/or intensity of the karma, Apavartana or reducing the duration of existence and activity, Saokramaòa or interchange of nature, Upaoeama or subsidence, Nidhatti or immunization of karmas against certain external activities and Nikacana 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.
Sickness of the body is therefore the direct result of the past karmas and our present actions. The present actions include the food (tamasika and rajasika) we eat, the activities we perform for living, stress and strains (called passions or Kasayas in Jainism) we develop or build, role ego (ahama in Jainism) plays and finally unbridled desires we harbour for worldly wealth and comfort. Jains assign all these causes to perverted views (mithyåtva) and hence prescribe developing right faith first (as given in the path of purification) then with right knowledge about self (causes of disease and its prevention and cure) and then practice the path to be healthy. Thus with wrong faith we necessarily are asking for pain in one form or the other
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 karmika bondage takes place when the soul has perverted views and tainted with passions (anger, pride, deceit and greed). Kundkund talks of three types of manifestations of the soul, namely auspicious (oeubha), inauspicious (aoeubha) and pure (oeudha). 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. So tirthankars and ascetics have laid down the regimen of minor vows (aouvrata) to maximize the auspicious manifestation of soul (resulting in comforts, pleasures and heavenly happiness) and minimize the inauspicious manifestation of the soul. So the Jain code of conduct emphasizes prevention (which can be considered as synonymous with stoppage (influx) or self restraint (sanyama) and when inflicted with pain to practice penance (tapa) for dissociation of karmas /pain.
Dhammo mangala mukkibbhan ahinsa sanjamo tavo Devå vi tan namansanti jassa dhamme saya maoo
This verse from Dasavalkalika sutra describes this doctrine of Jain code of conduct.
The concept of aura (leoeyå in Jainism) is affected by our karmas and practice of code of conduct. Omniscient has pure aura while a cruel person has black aura. A good person forms a protective aura around his body, a sort of energetic immune system that defends & guards him from all negative
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0