Jain Journal 1973 01

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

Page 49

140
JAIN JOURNAL
is contradicted by our experiences as well. Since the experience of pleasure and pain do not exist outside the body, the natural conclusion will be, the soul does not exist outside its habitation. As long as the soul is wandering in the world it has to remain in the body that is provided to it by this Nāma karma. After Nirvana the physical body does not imprison the soul and so the liberated soul's size does not undergo any further change. Its size remains almost like the last body which was abandoned prior to the atainment of emancipation.
(7) Gotra Karma causes birth in high or low family. As the potter by means of wheel shapes the clod of earth into small or big earthenwares in the like manner a Jiva is placed in a high or low status as is determined by this karma. A person engaged in the vicious habit of speaking ill of others and flattering himself is reborn in a low and downtrodden family. On the other hand the gentle, humble, noble, and meek person obtains high status in life and brilliant surroundings which are favourable for supreme sptritual advancement.
(8) Antarāya Karma acts as an impediment in the attainment of desired objects. Its function is mechanically to put up obstacles in the enjoyment of the fruits of the various favourable karmas, e.g., a man patronised by the beldame fickle fortune and all the treasures of the world is not able to enjoy the sweet fruits of his agreeable surroundings because of this karma. If this karma operates one cannot enjoy best health in spite of all efforts to keep himself fit. This karma is accumulated by evil practices such as butchery of animals, maliciously injuring or hurting others, putting impediments in the pious practices of the noble souls and doing other evil activities.
Several times thousands of people accumulate the similar type of karmas under common circumstances and when the time of fruition arrives all are affected thereby. This gives us some idea of such common freaks of it which amaze all the world, e.g., death of multitudes in some epidemic, earth-quake or incendiarism and the like.
It is to be noted that due to their past accumulated karmas the wise and the pious suffer in the present period of life and the wicked enjoy the fruits of their past good karmas. The present life reaps the harvest of the seeds of karmas sown in the past but the karmas that are being sown at present will produce their result in due course of time.
The relation of the soul with the karmas is visualised from different points. From the practical or 'Vyavahāra' point of view the soul is made