Introduction to Jainism

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

Page 94

INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
The subdivision of karmas
Karma which may be experienced is divided into two classes: (1) destructive karmas, which attack and affect the very nature of the soul; (2) non-destructive karmas, which do not affect the very nature of the soul, but burden it.
These two classes are each divided into in four types.
The four destructive karmas are:
1 knowledge-obscuring karmas, which are subdivided into five kinds:
obstructing the function of senses and mind obstructing the ability to use reasoning obstructing the ability of clairvoyance obstructing the ability to be aware of thoughtforms of others obstructing the ability of omniscience.
The first two subdivisions of each type represent karmas such as blindness, deafness, mental deficiencies, etc. The latter three show that if we were fully "healthy," clairvoyance, perception of thoughts, and omniscience would be as normal for us as our ability to see and use the other sense perceptions, and to think and reason, according to our merits.
2
Perception-obscuring karmas, which are of four kinds:
obstructing perception by means of the eyes obstructing perception by means of other senses obstructing perception preceding clairvoyance obstructing perception associated with omniscience.