________________
Karma Philosophy
age of a particular inauspicious karma-type. This urges him to undertake good activities and to refrain from evil activities. This is the obvious purpose behind the separate mention of the causes-of-bondage of different karma-types.
(11)
(About Life-span)
We have already mentioned four sub-divisions of the life-span-determining karma, viz., human-life-span-determining karma, animal-life-spandetermining karma, celestial-life-span-determining karma and infernal-lifespan-determining karma.
The clock which has been wound moves for a definite period of time and after that it automatically stops. And if it is obstructed by something during the period, it stops even before the end of that period. Similarly, soul's association with a physical body in human, animal, celestial or infernal existence continues till the end of the fixed duration of time, provided it is not confronted with any obstruction. And the soul does not inhabit the physical body even for a moment more than the fixed duration. But when this clock of the form of body stops even before the completion of the fixed duration on account of some obstructive causes like poison, fear, attack of weapon, unbearable pain, etc., the cessation or death occurring on account of these causes is known as 'untimely death'.
285
A long rope spread out takes long time to burn out, when it is set to fire at one end only and gradually burns. But the same rope, coiled and folded, burns to ashes at once, when it is set to fire. Similarly, if the material karmic particles of the life-span-determining karma are experienced gradually, then they are worked out at the end of the fixed duration; but, if they are experienced all together at once on account of the calamities like weapon, water (flood), poison, fire, etc., then they are worked out before the completion of the fixed duration and 'untimely death' occurs. When the quantum of karmic particles of a life-span of seventy years is experienced gradually, death occurs at the end of seventy years. But, instead of experiencing them gradually, if at the age of twentyfive years, some deadly accident takes place or some destructive attempt is made on one's life, and as a result all the remaining karmic particles of forty five years are experienced together all at once in a moment or two, or in two or four hours, then death will take place at that very time.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
