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Letter 23
151
wishes to destroy or get rid of those substances. And in this process continuously new Karma Bandha are being formed.
After discussing all this in details one realises that one who does not understand Atma or one's own self, has fallacious beliefs about all the seven Tattvas. The basic idea behind knowing the seven Tattvas in their proper perspective is not just to know about them, but to know the one unique Pure Soul i.e. Shuddha Atma i.e. to know one's own self.
Punya ( virtuous deeds ) and Paap (sin ) are part of Asrava and Bandha Tativa among seven Tattvas. But despite this some Acharyas explain them separately and call them nine things or Padarthas (TR). Whether you say seven Tattvas or nine Padarthas it means the same thing.
In true sense of the word Punya and Paap both are the names of Karmas. And both being Karmas they are of the same kind or type. Since both create or begate anxiety, they are bad. But Mithya Drishti Jeev considers Punya to be good and Paap to be bad. Because he thinks that because of Punya, things happen according to his wishes, so it is good or favourable and because of Paap things don't happen as per his wishes, so they are bad therefore despises them.
In fact pleasure or misery is due to the fallacious beliefs of Jeev. He considers his body to be himself and if the body is healthy then he thinks himself to be happy, this is his additional error. He thinks himself happy, if he has favourable external circumstances surrounding him. Therefore he considers that fruitation of Punya to be good, because that creates favourable circumstances. And the fruitation of Paap to be bad. But this is also his fallacious belief. This is the error about Bandha Tattva.
Because when one considers fruitation of Punya Karma to be good i.e. he considers Bandha to be good, how will he ever consider Moksha which is absence of Bandha to be good ?
The one who considers Punya Bandha to be good he considers Shubha Asrava or Shubha Raag which is the cause of the Punya Bandha to be good and Ashubha Raag to be bad. Now one who considers Asrava to be good and worthy of practicing he does not understand Samvar which is absence of Asrava. Therefore he does not consider Samvar to be good. He who considers Asrava, Bandha itself to be good how can he ever consider Samvar, Nirjara and Moksha to be good ?
Just observe that one fallacious belief leads to a chain of such fallacious beliefs. Have you ever observed a potter making the heap of earthen pots by placing them one upon the other? If in the bottom line the pots are kept upside down, then in all the above rows they have to be stacked in the same upside down fashion. Similarly once a single
