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Celebrating Jain Society of Houston Pratishtha Mahotsav 1995
THE KARMIC PROCESS
It will be seen that the first five chapters of the Tattvartha Sutra outline the nature of cognition and the Jain view of the universe. The remaining five chapters expJain the karmic process, wrong and right behavior in their relation to this process, and hence the path to final liberation. In Chapters VI and VIII, the inflow and binding of karma to the soul are discussed, Chapter IX takes up the reverse process, the stoppage of inflow and the shedding of karma. Chapter VII interposes a consideration of ethical behavior, and the other facet of the disciplined Jain life, austerity, links naturally with the subject matter in Chapter IX.
Inflow of karma to the soul is called asrava. It is the activity or vibration of body, speech and senses which brings about this inflow. This activity or vibration, as it affects the soul is called yoga (here given a specialized meaning). Chapter VI analyses the various types of karma and the several actions and emotions which cause their inflow into the soul. The analysis is interesting, for it brings an explanation of the complicated effects which previous actions have in the life of the individual. This discussion continues in Chapter VII where the causes of bandha, binding of karma to the soul are given. They are the absence of right faith, the failure to abstain from vicious acts, carelessness as to right and wrong behavior, passion, and activity. This leads on to complicated listing of the subtypes of karma.
RELIGIOUS DISCIPLINE IN THE TATTVARTHA SUTRA
While Chapters VI and VIII deal with the negative side of the karmic processes, giving detailed analysis at a fairly abstract level, Chapter VII and IX are largely concerned with the moral and disciplinary life of the individual which can lead to the halting and reversal of the karmic inflow. There are five vrata, translated 'vows' or 'restraints': when kept partially (by the lay person) they are known as anuvrata, or when they involve total renunciation they are mahavrata. These are the five main ethical principles of Jainism. They are listed in the first verse of Chapter VII, nonviolence, truthfulness nonstealing, chastity and nonacquisitiveness. They are briefly defined in subsequent verses and elaborated in verses 19 to 32. Verses 4 to 7 are a guide to mental attitudes: one should regard violence, stealing and so on as detestable and nothing but misery; one should cultivate friendship to all beings, pleasure for those whose merits are superior to one's own, compassion for those who are suffering and neutral feeling towards the dull and unreachable. One should reflect on the nature of the world and the body and view them with detachment.
The householder, like the homeless monk, may observe the five restraints, albeit in a reduced fashion. Certain supplementary restraints for a fixed time, fasting on certain days, foregoing bodily adornment or sleep, restraint on use of food, drink and other articles of daily use, and donation of food and the like to worthy recipients. Lastly there is sallekhana, or the fast to death.
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The cessation of the inflow of karma is called samvara: it is achieved through seven forms of religious discipline detailed in Chapter IX, restraint, watchfulness, rules of righteousness, deep reflection, endurance of afflictions, right conduct, and austerities. The process of shedding the accumulated karma is nirjara: austerities are also the means to nirjara. Each of these disciplines is defined and subdivided.
Restraint (gupti) means restricting the activities (yoga) of body, speech and senses, avoiding what is not necessary. Watchfulness (samiti) is its complement, involving positive caution in movement, speech, procurement of necessaries, handling and disposing of things, to avoid harm.
The rules (dharma) of righteousness are ten in number: they involve the qualities of forbearance, humility, sincerity, absence of greed, truthfulness selfrestraint, austerity, renunciation, absence of feelings of ownership.
Deep reflection (anupreksa) on the true nature of things as a means of stopping the karmic inflow involves reflection on the transient nature of life, the solitariness of the individual in the cycle of birth and death, the nature of karmic inflow and cessation ... Charitra, translated as right conduct, in this context describes the endeavor to remain steady in a state of spiritual purity. Its main characteristic is samayika or equanimity, a term often used for a period of quiet reflection for the cultivation of equanimity practiced daily by the pious Jain. A monk's initiation, with the promise of continued spiritual purity, is a form of charitra as here defined.
Parisaha, discomforts to be overcome, tapa, penances deliberately undertaken, are instrumental in teaching restraint of the passions. Twenty-two afflictions are listed which the monk has to learn to endure, these are less applicable to the lay person. However the twelve penances or austerities, six external or bodily and six internal or mental, apply both to the monk or nun and to the lay man or woman. It is made clear (IX.3) that austerities not only halt the fit is made clear that the flow of karma to the soul but also are instrumental in the actual shedding of already accumulated karma.
"The trouble with most people is that everytime they think, they think only of themselves"
(Author Unknown)
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