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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
(10)
The karmic material particles are first attracted to the soul and then bound with it. The function of attracting them to a soul is performed by the activity (the activity of mind, speech and body). So the activity is called asrava (influx), rather cause of the influx. And the function of binding the karmic material particles with the soul is performed by mithyatva (unwholesome inclination or faith or conviction), avirati (non-restraint), pramāda (lethargy) and kaṣāya (passion). So they are called the causesof-bondage. Even activity is there with these four, viz., mithyātva, etc., to act as a cause of bondage. This is the reason why the Tattvärthasutra VIII.1 declares all these five as the causes of bondage. But in the Tattvärthasutra VI. I yoga (activity) alone is called asrava, the remaining four, viz., mithyātva, etc., are not called asrava (influx), rather causes-of
āsrava.
From this we can understand that yoga (activity) is the cause of both the influx and the bondage. Similarly, mithyātva, etc., which are the causes of bondage can also be regarded as asrava (influx), rather causes of āsrava (influx). This can be explained as follows.
In scriptures, the separate causes of influxes of eight basic karma-types and their sub-divisions are mentioned. Therein the different tendencies and mental dispositions of the form of defects like mithyātva, avirati, pramada and kaṣāya are mentioned as the causes of influxes of those different karmas. As the activity (yoga) causes the influx when it is vitiated by mithyatva etc., the latter can also be regarded as causes of influx.
The above observation shows that activity is known as asrava (influx), rather asravahetu (cause of influx). And as the scriptures include it in the list of the causes of bondage, it is also a cause of bondage. Again, as mithyātva, etc., are attached to yoga (activity), the cause of influx, they too are the causes of influx. And they are surely the causes of bondage. In other words, activity is a cause of influx and a cause of bondage as well; and mithyātva, etc., which are causes of bondage are causes of influx as well. From this we can notice that the functions of attracting (influxing) and binding are done by almost this one 'gang' alone-the gang of the
'samskāra'. The terms 'daiva', 'bhagya' 'punya-papa' are such as are generally used in all the systems and religious sects and by the masses. All the systems that accept soul and rebirth accept also karma. And rebirth is the result of karma.
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