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obscuring karma, the living being does not acquire knowledge this way or that way. 5. Alternatively, there are always different causes for different effects. We observe different types of sprouts (effects) from different types of seeds (causes). Similarly, there is difference in the karmas of knowledge obscuring and delusion (causes) because of their different effects. The ignorance is the effect of knowledge-obscuring karma while conductal infatuation is the effect of delusion karma. 6. The difference between the knowledge and conation should be taken as in 8.4.5 earlier. The effects in terms of knowledge and conation are different due to their different causes of destruction and destructioncum-subsidence of knowledge-and conation-obscuring karmas. Thus, these two karmas are also different. 7-8. Despite the common-ness of knowledge-obscuring karma, it has many (five) sub-classes in terms of sensory-knowledge-obscuring etc. because of the potential difference among the karmas influxing through various factors of diverse degrees. (They have been detailed in chap. 6.5). This can be illustrated by the fact that despite the sameness of rain water falling from the sky, it has different varieties and tastes depending upon where it falls-in a metallic vessel or on soil etc.. Similarly, other karmas are also transformed into their different subsprcies . This sould be explained on the same reasoning as above.
9.Q. It is postulated that the mattergic reality is a single entity. How could it cause the contradictory effects like obscuring, experiencing and delusion etc.?
10. A. There is no discrepancy here. It is the inherent nature of realities that they cause contradictory effects. It is observed that the fire (i) burns (ii) cooks (the foods) , (iii) bakes bricks and (iv) lights. All these capacities are non-contradictorily found in fire. Similarly, the single mattergic reality may also have different capacities.
11. Moreover, every object has manifold forms. It could be taken as one and many with reference to different aspects. The mattergic reality may be one with respect to substantive standpoint. It may be many with respect to modal standpoint in terms of multi-atomic aggregates formed by bonding of many atoms of positive and negetive natures
12. The Vaiseșikas also opine that a single substance like milk or
ghee etc. is seen to serve the cause of growth of the senses of different Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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