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The Theory of Karma.
[September
limit to the duration of individual existence and fix the age upto which one would persist in the body. The duration here below is not measured by the days, months or years but by breaths. And when the number of breaths allotted to the separate individual existence have expired, the soul flies form this tenament and animates a fresh body.
VI. Nama Karma- Accumulation of Skandhas which determine the colour, beauty, organization, symmetry etc. of the physical system.
VII. Gotra Karma-Accumulation of Skandhas which furnish basis for high or low birth as well as for the family, race, lineage, caste, posision, occupation, etc., in which the individual soul is born. The birth, in the absolute sense, is neither high nor low, nor has it anything to do with the spiritual unfoldment, since these institutions have been arbitrarily created by the human ingenuity, and not a dispensation of nature. This Karma affects the soul only in so far as it affords better opportunities for its evolut ionin high birth where uplifting hereditary tendencies are congenial to the growth of Spirit and the environmental pressure less suppressing than in the low birth,
VIII. Antaraya karma-Accumulatiou of Skandhas which in terfere with the success and prosperity in all undertakings. This karma also handicaps the freedom in action, governing as it does the physical and partly moral nature of the individual.
These are only the rough outlines of the principal groups of karma, the sub-divisions of which have been so very minutely discussed and subtleties so nicely discriminated and explained in the Jain literature, as to turn the btightest intellect of this age perfectly giddy.
When the soul frees itself of these karmas, the perfect enlightenment is the reward, and thus emancipated and disembodied, it rests in Absolute Bliss for ever more. SUSHIL.
