Jaina Culture

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

Page 84

KARMA AND LIBERATION
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power-obscuring karma are obstructive (ghatin), whereas the remaining four are unobstructive (aghātin). Of the obstructive types, some are completely obstructive, while others are partially obstructive. There is another classification as well. Karmas are classified under the heads of virtuous (punya) and sinful (pāpa) types. The karma that yields happiness and pleasure in life is virtuous. The sinful karma produces sorrow and pain.
Each of the eight fundamental types is divided into a number of sub-divisions, so that the entire number is exceedingly large. We propose to confine our account to 158 subtypes only.
The karma that obscures the comprehending faculty of the soul totally or partially is called comprehension-obscuring karma. It is classified into five sub-types corresponding to the five forms of comprehension emerging through the media of the senses and the mind (nati-jñāna) is of the first kind. The karma which obstructs the comprehension arising from the reading or hearing of scriptures or from the words of an authority (śruta-jñāna) is of the second kind. The third kind hinders the direct (spiritual) perception of material objects (avadhi-jñāna). The fourth kind obscures the direct perception of the thoughts of others (manah-paryāya-jñana). The fifth kind hinders the faculty of omniscience, i. e., perfect direct perception (kevala-jñāna) inherent in the self by natural disposition.
The karma that obscures the faculty of apprehension partially or wholly is called apprehension-obscuring karma. It is of nine sub-types corresponding to the four forms of apprehension and five kinds of 'sleep. The first four subtypes obscure visual apprehension (cakşurdarśana), non-visual apprehension (acakṣurdarśana), direct apprehension of material objects (avadhi-darśana) and perfect direct apprehension (kevala-darśana) respectively. The fifth kind causes a light and pleasant sleep. The sixth kind produces a deep sleep.