Jaina Karmaology

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 84

Jaina Karmology
79 use in the process of bringing tranquility has gained sufficient scientificity. 20. All these eight primary species have been placed under two groups :
(1) Destructive karmas
(2) Non-destructive karmas i. Knowledge-obscuring karma V. Life-span determining karma ii. Conation-obscuring karma vi. Physique-making karma iii. Deluding karma
vii. Status-determining karma iv. Obstructive karma.
viii. Sensation/feeling-producing
karma. The destructive karmas destroy or obstruct the power of total or partial realisation of innate properties of soul. They are the seeds or cause of fresh karmic bondage. In contrast, the non-destructive karmas do not have power to cause fresh bondage. Their bondage is due to the effect of destructive karmas. Hence, they are called bondage-qua-effect in contrast with bondage-qua-seed in earlier case. The aphorist Umāsvā mi has not specifically mentioned this grouping.
The four destructive karmas are inauspicious or demeritearning only while the non-destructive ones may be auspicious as well as in-auspicious (merit-cum-demerit). Alongwith karmas, there are quasi-karmas also which are defined as the 19 variforms out of 23 ones excluding karmic, speech, mind and luminous variforms. They are also defined as karma to some extent as they do not effect the qualities of soul. The first four bodies are, thus, quasi-karmas.
Bhāşkarnandi has raised a question that the non-destructive karmas do neither effect the qualities of soul nor cause additional bondage in the soul. Hence, this tetrad should not be called karmas at all. However, they are karmas as they are obstacles in attaining the true nature of soul, i.e. salvation. They are, thus, themselves a bondage. Secondly, they are non-destructive as they do not obstruct the acquirement of enlightenment which is a characteristics of the ‘liberated while living'.
These eight primary species have been illustrated with some popular examples which indicate their functions as shown below in Table 4 alongwith some other informations.
Table 4 : Popular Description about Eight Karmas