Introduction to Jainism

Author(s): Rudi Jansma, Sneh Rani Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 89

KARMA
This seemed to me the acme of spiritual selfishness. Rather have six million Jews killed in gas chambers than accept some delay on one's own spiritual path! Is that compassion!? According to Jains it is. What it is all about is that there are different levels of viewing the world. There comes a moment when one sees beyond the boundaries between life and death (and not only theoretically), and sees that the path of the soul is far more essential and everlasting than that of physical existence; when one really knows the purpose of existence, of the soul clothed in several invisible garments, and understands that karma takes place not only on earth, but also in the “hereafter.” The practice of compassion then becomes something that entirely transcends what we in the world call compassion. But for me as a "common” man I think the best thing I can do is to train myself in "common” compassion.
Karmic fruits can be harvested in various ways. If they taste sweet we may get attached to them, and perhaps wander from the spiritual path. If they are sour, we can struggle on through our faith, protesting either loudly or silently. But once we have become indifferent to illusions -- of course karmas are also illusions - we no longer suffer. If we are not attached to money, why then suffer if something is stolen from us? If our mind is focused on higher thinking and meditation, we perceive physical pain, but do not suffer psychologically. The monks said to me that if you meditate on the fact that in reality you are not your body (but in essence a free soul) your physical suffering becomes a futility and no obstacle whatsoever, but on the contrary helps you to strengthen your character and to master your spiritual energies. If we use the forces of our soul, our sins are “forgiven,” i.e. automatically weakened. Compassion, karma and forgiveness are three aspects of the same truth.
Karmic matter: pudgala
According to Jainism the whole cosmos is built of substance. Two types of substance are distinguished: living and non