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JAINA PHILOSOPHY : AN INTRODUCTION
How could the amūrta soul be favourably or adversely affected by the mūrta karma ? The answer is : It can be affected in the way as vijñāna etc. are affected by a drink of wine, medicine etc.
Or, the mundane soul is not absolutely amūrta, because it has assumed an alteration in the continuous chain of karma, which has no beginning. Now, since karma is mūrta and ātman is similar to karma to a certain extent, ātman is also mūrta to that extent, even though it is amūrta by its svabhāva. Consequently, the soul can be affected by the mūrta karma. Bondage :
Influx (äsrava) precedes bondage (bandha). Just as water flows into the lake through streams, so also karmic matter flows into the soul through the channel of activity. This is called influx. It is of two types: psychical and physical. That modification of consciousness by which karma gets into the soul is known as psychical influx. The karmic matter itself which enters the soul, is called physical influx. In other words, psychical influx is nothing but the mental, bodily or vocal activity, whereas physical influx is a peculiar type of matter. The influx of karma is of two kinds: virtuous (punya) and sinful (pāpa). Meritorious activities cause the influx of virtuous karmas, while wicked actions are responsible for the inflow of sinful karmas. Injury, falsehood, stealing, envy etc. are wicked activities. The opposites of these are meritorious ones. How can activity be meritorious or wicked ? That activity which is performed with good intentions is meritorious and that which is performed with evil intentions is wicked. The influx of persons with passions extends transmigration and that of persons free from passions prevents or shortens it.
Bondage is also of two types: psychical and physical That conscious state by which karma is bound with the soul is called psychical bondage. The interpenetration of the karmic particles and the soul is known as physical bondage.
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