Jain Journal 1969 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 36

130
That which is fruitful even with a small fractional action and that which is fruitless even if heaven and earth are moved is karma which should be known to be a multiform fate conferring benefits or nonbenefits.
JAIN JOURNAL
To substantiate the oddities of the world most of the founders of religions have accepted the doctrine of karma by different names, e.g., Vedanta School asserts avidya, Sankhya School narrates prakṛti, Buddhism states vāsanā, Nyaya and Vaisesika Schools enunciate adṛṣṭa. In western countries also through implication the same principle of karma is everywhere accepted. But these schools have not gone deep into details with regard to karma theory, while the Jaina school has fully explained the major, minor, and sub-minor characteristics of karma, causes of karma, annihilation of karma, etc.
Soul is a conscious entity, while karma is a matter or substance and non-sentient. Embodied soul is closely associated with karma from time immemorial. The causes of the association of soul with karma are four in number: (1) wrong confidence (mithyātva), (2) lack of self-control (avirati), (3) passions (kaşayas) and (4) activities of mind, speech and body (yoga).
verse.
By dint of these causes the embodied soul associates with the material substance named karmaṇavargaṇa which pervades throughout the uniNot even an infinitesimal fraction of space is devoid of karmanavargaṇā but this kārmaṇavargaṇā is invisible to our eyes. Now when the kārmaṇavaragaṇā is joined with soul, it is called karma in Jainology. At the very time of this subtle association nature, period, intensity and mass of karma spring up in the combined kārmaṇavaragaṇā. The karma can be annihilated by the external and internal austerities (bahya abhyantara tapa). When all karma is exhausted, the soul acquires final emancipation and manifests infinite knoweldge, infinte perception, infinite power, and infinite happiness which were suppressed by karma. Thus Jainism gives every emboided individual soul an opportunity of being raised to the position of absolute liberation.
There are several ancient works on the combination of soul with kārmaṇavargaṇā. Karmaprakṛti, Bandhäṣṭaka, Kaşayaprabhṛta, Pañcasangraha and six Karmagranthas, etc. were written by Svetambara authors, while Dhavala, Jayadhavala, Mahādhavala, Labdhisāra, Kṣapaṇasāra, etc. were compiled by Digambara authors.