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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
soul. It exerts great influence on the soul. Good or bad actions (thoughts, speeches, overt behaviour) leave behind their traces on the soul. These traces are in the form of aggregates of material atoms. They are karmas. Good or bad actions give rise to auspicious or inauspicious karmas, whic in turn, give auspicious or inauspicious fruits to the soul. Various differences found among living beings and even among human beings are due to these auspicious and inauspicious karmas.
In the world, human beings rather than other living beings attract our attention. As we are closely acquainted with human conditions, our deep reflection on them offers solution to certain philosophical or spiritual problems.
In the world, we find two types of human beings, viz., some living virtuous life and others living vicious life. Again each of these types has two sub-types, viz., the happy and the unhappy. Thus, in all there are four types, viz., 1. those living virtuous life and happy, 2. those living vicious life and happy, 3. those living virtuous life and unhappy, and 4. those living vicious life and unhappy. In the world, we come across these four types of human beings. It is clear that the differences of auspicious karmas as also of inauspicious karmas cause these different human conditions. And keeping in view the four types of human beings, the Jaina thinkers generally point out that each of the two types of karmas, viz., the auspicious and the inauspicious has two sub-types. They are as follows: 1. Auspicious karmas related to auspicious activities and resulting in auspicious karmas, 2. Auspicious karmas related to inauspicious activities and resulting in inauspicious karmas, 3. Inauspicious karmas related to auspicious activities and resulting in auspicious karmas, and 4. Inauspicious karmas related to inauspicious activities and resulting in inauspicious karmas.
1. Auspicious karmas related to auspicious activities and resulting
in auspicious karmas (punyānubandhī punya) All auspicious karmas give man means of happiness on their rise. He acquires wealth, vehicles, bungalows, etc., on account of the fruition of auspicious karmas. But some auspicious karmas are such as would not wean him away from cherishing right inclination or faith and performing good actions. He does not indulge in sensual pleasures. He spends his wealth in religious and philanthropic activities. He is humble and does not hurt the feelings of others. He likes religious practices, finds pleasure in doing good to others and lives virtuous life. Thus, these auspicious
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