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Karma Philosophy
299
type of the same main karma-type. That is, knowledge-obscuring karma can never transform itself into any of the remaining seven main karmatypes; but pleasant-feeling-producing karma can transform itself into painfulfeeling-producing karma, and vice versa. Thus the mutual transformation is possible in the case of sub-types of the same main karma-type. Of course, there are exceptions to this. As for instance, the four sub-types of the lifespan-determining karma can never be transformed one into another; mutual transformation is not possible in their case. The bound infernallife-span-determining karma-type can never be transformed into any of the remaining three life-span-determining karmas, viz., animal-life-span-determining karma, human-life-span-determining karma and celestial-life-spandetermining. Similarly, mutual transformation is not possible even in the case of the two sub-types of deluding karma, viz., right-conviction-deluding karma and right-conduct-deluding karma. (8) Subsidence (Upasama): Subsidence is the state in which the already risen karmic matter is subsided, suppressed. It is like covering the burning charcoal with ashes. The rise (udaya), the premature rise or realization (udīraņā), the transformation (sankramana), the increased realization (udvartanā), the decreased realization (apavartanā), the nidhatti and the nikācană are suspended by special spiritual efforts in the state of subsidence. The state of subsidence primarily means the state of the karma as it is pressed down or controlled by the will when it is felt to be rising.
(9) Nidhatti: Nidhatti is a state in which there is no possibility of udīraņā and sankramana. But in this state, there can take place udvartan, and apavartanā. Thus this state implies that the bondage of the karma is so tight that udīraņā and sankramana cannot take place, but not so tight that even udvartanā and apavartanā too cannot take place. (10) Nikācanā: Nikācanā is the state in which even udvartanā and apavartanā are impossible. This state, thus, implies that the bondage is so tight that no change is possible in it. The karma in this state is unalterable. Barring some rare exceptions, it invariably gives its fruit when it rises, and the soul has to undergo its experience without fail.
(13)
Every birth of a soul is a rebirth in view of its previous birth. There can never be any birth which is not connected with the previous birth.
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