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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
the interpenetration of the smallest units of milk and water. This state is compared to red-hot iron in which fire and iron become one with the other. The fine karmic particles are received by all the space-points of the soul and not by its some space-points lying in a particular direction. The karmic bondages of all the worldly souls are not uniform, because their activities of mind, speech and body are not uniform. This is the reason why the bondages-in-respect-of-the-quantity-of-the-karmic-particles differ with different souls in accordance with their different quanta of activity. Infinite molecules of each karma-type are bound to all the spacepoints of the soul. The molecules of the karmic particles of different groups, lying in the area pervaded by the space-points of the souls, enter into the bondage with the soul; those lying outside the area pervaded by the space-points of the soul can never enter into the bondage with the soul. The karmic molecules that are being bound with the soul are each formed of infinite times infinite atoms.
The first state of karmas is bondage. Without it, no other state is possible. Bondage has four types, viz., bondage-in-respect-of-nature, bondage-inrespect-of-duration, bondage-in-respect-of-flavour and bondage-in-respectof-quantity. We have already explained these four types. (2-3) Increased realization (Udvartanā) and Decreased realization (Apavartanā): As we know, when the bondage of karmic matter with the soul takes place, at that very time the length-of-duration-of-time of its association with the soul and the intensity of its fruition (flavour) are also bound or fixed. But despite this fixation, a person can increase or decrease the length of duration and the intensity of fruition. The increase of the length of duration and the intensity of fruition is called udvartanā. Contrary to it, the decrease of the length of duration and the intensity of fruition is called apavartanā. After having bound the inauspicious karmas, if a living being performs auspicious acts, then he can reduce the length of their duration and the intensity of their fruition. From this one should learn a lesson that if a person who has made his soul impure by leading an evil life under the sway of ignorance and delusion realises his mistakes, improves his living, becomes righteous and performs auspicious acts, then by force of his auspicious mental states, good feelings and righteous conduct he can reduce the length of duration and the intensity of fruition of the formerly bound inauspicious karmas. The degraded and fallen man can very well elevate himself and ascend the ladder of spiritual progress. The great sinners who had bound karmas causing birth in a terrible hell
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