Book Title: Introduction to Jainism and its Culture
Author(s): Balbhadra Jain
Publisher: Kundkund Gyanpith Indore

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Page 176
________________ In this world birth, death, and life are caused by ayu karma. When a new ayu karma comes to fruition and soul forms a new body it is called birth. To have that body in that realm for the duration of that ayu karma is called life. And, when at the end of that duration the soul leaves the body it is called death. The motive cause of birth, life and death is ayu karma. In other words the cause of creation, sustenance, and destruction of life is ayu karma only. NĀMA KARMA Fruition of Nāma karma determines the realm such as human, genus such as one-sensed, sense organs, body and its organs, breathing, voice, temperature, mobility (underground, on ground and in sky), fame notoriety, and all other external attributes. This karma also determines Tīrthankarahood. The overall physical structure of the body is also determined by this karma. GOTRA KARMA Fruition of Gotra karma causes a soul to be born in low or high caste families. High caste means civilized or noble and low caste means uncivilized or ignoble. The family where good and pious ⚫conduct and thoughts prevail is called civilized family and that where bad and evil conduct and thoughts, such as violence, and other sinful activities prevail is called uncivilized family. TRANSFORMATION OF KARMAS Due to yoga (association) and passions karmic particles get into unitary bonding with space-points in soul and they are transformed into various kinds of karmas. The attitudes of a being are strange. Due to these attitudes many a time there is a transformation in the state of karmas. One kind of karma changes into another kind. This is called transition of karmas. This transition does not apply to the basic categories of karmas and only to the subsidiary categories. This means that under the influence of the attitude of the being, one sub-category of a basic category transforms into another sub-category of the same basic category. This makes the potency of the first sub-category yield intense or mild fruits according to the sub-category into which it has transformed. For example, when Matijñānāvaraṇa transforms into Jain Education International 159 For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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