Jain Stories 02

Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

Page 14

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to right conduct Altogether, the Jaina story literature is a vast store-house of knowledge
The Jaipa short stories are a type by themselves and, strictly speaking, they may not be comparable with legends, fables and folk tales from other cultures and countries wherein the objective does not, by and largc, extend bcyond equociating an ethical norm or social behaviour Ip contrast, most of the Jaina stories, unless they are historical cpisodes or personal accounts, have a clearly religious purpose which is to turn people from domestic life to the monastic order and ultimately to literation As an illustration, all stories contained 10 the Uttaradhyay ana Surra bare this bias They are, therefore, not very useful for children but presume a certain degree of maturity in the reader
A very important codimon element in many Jaipa stories is the illustration of karna effect Karnia pursues all souls, from human till those of the most iovisible insects and bacteria, through various existences, and this process is going on from an eteroal past and will continue through an eternal future In the case of the human soul, however, the difference is that this soul not only experiences, but is fully conscious of karma effect It knows pretty well, since it is a part of the cultural heritage, that karma is the determinant of which the buman life is a determined product Karma is not mere action, but a very subtle matter which is always affixed on the space-points of the soul, impartiog in the process some weight to it, so that the soul becomes incapable to rise to the crest of the sphere (loka) which is liberation Karma takes the soul through the cycle of birth and death, and birth agaia When a bad karma fructifies, a human soul suffers untold misery, when a good karma fructifies, it has pleasant experience, wealth, prosperity, power and fame. As one karma is exhausted through fructification, others are Tushing in all the time, so that there is at no time a vacuum In fact, not a single karmia lasts for ever. For there's nothing permanent in the natural order. Bright day dawns as a bad karnia is exhausted through fructification, making room for a softer one. Given right endeavour, a human soul can earn its own liberation from the clutches of karma