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Jaina Mokşa in Indian Philosophy
mundane soul is not absolutely formless, because the Jainas believe in the Doctrine of Extended Consciousness. While the Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya-Vaiśeşikas and the Buddhists kept consciousness quite free from matter, the Jainas could easily conceive of the inter-influencing of the soul and Karmicmatter; hence the relation between soul and Karma become very easy. The Karmic-matter mixes with the soul as milk mixes with water or fire with iron. Thus formless (amurta) Karma is affected by Murta Karma, as consciousness is affected by drink or medicine. Logically, the cause is non-different from the effect. The effect (body) is physical. Hence the cause (Karma) has indeed a physical form.1 But unless karma is associated with the Jiva (soul), it cannot produce any effect; because Karma is only an instrumental cause; it is the Soul, which is the essential cause of all experiences. This explains the Doctrine of the Soul as the Possessor of Material Karma. The question arises, but why is the conscious soul associated with unconscious matter. Unlike Sakhya, which propounds a Doctrine of Unconscious Teleology, Jainas work out a karma-phenomenology. Karma is a substantive force or matter in a subtle form, which fills all cosmic space. It is due to karma that the Soul acquires the conditions of nescicnce or ignorance. The relation between soul and non-soul is beginningless, and is due to nescience or avidya. This is responsible for worldly existence, or bondage which is determined by the Nature (Prakṛti ), Duration (Sthiti), Intensity (Anubhava) and Quantity (Pradeśa )2 of Karmas. Jiva takes matter in accordance with its own karmas and passions (kaşayas). This is our bondages, the causes of which arc
1. Meha, M. L.: Ibid., p. 63; Nyayavatara-värttika, p. 292. 2. Tattvartha-Sutra; VIII. 3; Dharmasharmabhudayama, XXI. 108; Pañcastikaya-sara, V. 148; Vardhamana Puraya, XIV. 45; Adhyatma-Kamala-Martanda, IV. 7; Dravya-sangraha, 33; Karma-Grantha, 6.
3. Tattvartha-sutra, VIII. 2.
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