JAINA Convention 2011 07 Houston TX

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 85

JAINA CONVENTION 2011
"Live and Help Live"
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once in a life time a soul acquires all 8 categories of karma. Ayu (age determining) karma of the next life is acquired only once in a current life time. Only the Mohaniya karma (Mithyatva and Kashaya or non-spiritual conduct together is responsible for the bondage of new karma of all 8 categories. In the absence of Mohaniya karma, no new karma are attached to the soul even though the other remaining karma, namely Inänävaraniya,
Darshanävaraniya, Antaraya, Vedaniya, näma, Gotra, and Ayu Karma are present. In the absence of Mohaniya Karma, theoretically one can say that Iryäpathic Karma are being attached to the soul due to activities of body, speech, and mind. However these karma have no power and hence they are not considered as karma in
this article. All Ghäti karma subdue the innate qualities of the soul and hence all four categories of Ghäti karma and all their sub-categories are classified as Päp or Sinful karma. Only Aghäti karma that are responsible for the physical environment of a living being are classified as the result of Punya karma or Pap karma. . Certain sub-categories of Aghäti karma
that produce a human life, a healthy body, high social status, and a longer life span are considered the result of Punya or virtuous karma. Certain sub-categories of Aghäti karma produce an unhealthy body, a shorter life span, low social status, poverty, birth in hell, or as an animal, insect, or in a vegetative state or similar categories. These are considered the result of Päp or
sinful karma. In summary all Punya or Pious karma are Aghäti karma while Pap or Sinful karma belongs to both Ghäti and Aghäti karma. Discussion on Ghäti, Aghäti, Punya (Pious) and Pap (Sinful) karma Jain philosophy categorizes worldly souls in to 14 levels of spiritual progress (Gunasthänas). Also it states that all worldly souls (except the
souls at 12th level or higher - Vitaraga state and Keval-Jnäni) are under the influence of Mohaniya karma meaning under Mithyätva and Kashaya. Since we are under this influence at every moment, we always acquire some Pap karma at every moment. Under normal circumstances, the environment created by Päp karma are not conducive to the spiritual progress of a soul because it produces an unhealthy body, a shorter life span, low social status, poverty, birth in hell, or as insects, animals etc. Only the environment created by Punya karma are conducive to attain a higher spiritual state because they can result in human birth, healthy body, spiritual education, a longer life span and so on. Without a human life and spiritual environment one cannot attain a Vitaraga state (a spiritual state bevond attachment and aversion) and hence Keval jnän (infinite knowledge). Now if we think in terms of Punya and Pap karma, we can conclude that at every moment a person, who is always under the influence of Mohaniya karma, may acquire either all Pap karma or both Punya and Pap karma by reflecting and doing non-virtuous or virtuous activities. Under no circumstances, will a person acquire only Punya karma and no Pap karma. Therefore, at every moment, we should be very alert and try our best to acquire maximum Punya karma and minimum Pap karma. Under such effort a net reduction in Ghäti karma will occur because all Ghäti karma are Pap karma only.
This can be accomplished by continuously reflecting and working on to the reduction of our Mithyätva and Kashaya (reduce Karta Bhava or ego) while continuously reflecting and doing pious and virtuous activities of body, speech and mind. The highest pious activities of body, speech and mind are the six Abhyantar Tapa (internal austerities): Präyashchitta (repentance for bad deeds), Vinay (humility towards all living beings), Vaiyavruttya (rendering selfless service to all living beings), Swadhyay (study of the spiritual literature), Dhyana (meditation
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