Jain Journal 1990 01

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

Page 13

JAIN JOURNAL
an extension of ahimsă in intellectual field. Absolutism or imperialism in thought, word and deed is unknown to the Jainas, the spirit of which is a foe to all kinds of force and fanaticism. Jainism has tried to develop a neither-nor attitude by avoiding extremes.
Soul and Karma--The Basis of Freedom and Bondage :
The Jainas believe in the doctrine of Soul as the possessor of material karma22 and in the doctrine of extended consciousness.23 The Jainas subscribe to the doctrine of constitutional freedom of the Soul and its potential four-fold infinites, meaning thereby that the Soul is intrinsically pure and innately perfect. But Soul and karma stand to each other in relation to beginningless conjunction.24 Karma is an aggregate of very fine imperceptible material particles, which are the crystalised effect of the past activities or energies. The link between the matter and spirit is found in the doctrine of the subtle body (karman-sarira or linga-sarira) a resultant of the unseen potency and caused by a principle of susceptibility due to passions and vibrations. "The Soul by its commerce with the outer world becomes literally penetrated with the particles of subtle-matter."25 Moreover, the mundane soul is not absolutely formless, because the Jainas believe in the doctrine of extended consciousness, like the doctrine of pudgala in Buddhism and the Upanişads, 26 and also to some extent in Plato and Alexander, while the Sankhya, Yoga, Vedanta, and Nyaya-Vaisesikas and the Buddhists kept consciousness quite aloof from matter. The Jainas could easily conceive of the inter-influencing of the Soul and karmic-matter, hence the relation between the Soul and karma became very easy. The karmic-matter mixes with the Soul as milk mixes with water or fire with iron. Thus formless (amúrta) karma is affected by mürta karma, as consciousness is affected by drink or medicine. This is the relation of concrete identity between the Soul and the karma. Logically, if like begets like, and the cause is non-different from the effect, the effect (body) is physical, hence the cause (karma) has indeed a physical form.27 But unless karma is associated with the jiva (Soul), it cannot produce any effect, because the karma is only the instrumental cause and it is the Soul, which is essential cause of all experiences. Hence the doctrine of Soul as the possessor of material karma is inevitable to explain
11 Mehta, M. L., Outlines of Jaina Philosophy, p. 61. 98 Tattvartha-sutra, V. 16. ; Syadavada-manjari, v. 8. 34 Nahar & Ghosh, An Epitome of Jainism, p. 285. 15 Radhakrishnan. S., Indian Philosophy, Vol. I, p. 319. 26 Katha, IV. 12 ; Chandogya, III. 14.3. ; Svetasvatara, I. 16. 27 Mehta, M. L., Ibid., p. 63; Nyayavatara-vartika, p. 292.