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Karma Philosophy
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spite of his efforts, he should not be disappointed and dejected. In making efforts, it is not that we transgress the law of karma but on the contrary respecting the law we desire to achieve progress and to remove calamity. Human effort does not contradict the law of karma. As a matter of fact, human effort goes well with the law of karma. We do not violate the Law of Nature by planning to dig out channels for diverting rushing waters of the flood, which would otherwise inundate many villages, but on the contrary we make use of the Law of Nature by making efforts to save the villages. Similarly, we should also make use of the law of karma as far as possible by making efforts to remove calamity or to achieve upliftment. The fact that every effort bears its proper fruit is the foundation of the law of karma.
When some helpless person is suffering from miseries or is unjustly tortured, we should not blame his past karma but should at once rush to his help; it is our duty. It is a sin to leave the miserable person to his destiny or karma and not to attempt to relieve him of the misery. Both the science of Religion and the science of karma advise us to make sincere efforts to dissipate and destroy the influence of karma and not in the least to sit idle, blaming our karma. From the moment of man's descent in embryo to that of the end of his life, he depends on others, he seeks and receives cooperation and help from others. Thus entire humanity is like one family, and its happiness and peace, upliftment and progress depend on mutual cooperation and affection and amicable living. It is a crime in the regime of spirituality to be selfish, to remain always clung to one's possessions with strong attachment, to neglect other's interests thinking constantly of one's own, and to be hard-hearted.
Doctrine of rebirth or that of karma is not the doctrine nourishing and encouraging inactivity or idleness. On the contrary, it is the doctrine that inspires man to make proper efforts and to undertake good works leading to progress. So it is a very useful doctrine conducive to all progress. It advises man to put forth proper efforts to destroy veils of karmas, to advance on the path of liberation and ultimately to attain liberation. It is the function of the doctrine of karma to connect the present birth with the past and the future births in the cause-effect chain. If the future birth is not good, then it is in the hands of man to make efforts to improve it as also to effect changes in inauspicious karmas and in their fruition. This is what the doctrine of karma teaches. So the doctrine of karma is not in any sense the doctrine of fatalism.
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