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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
feeling-producing karma producing pleasant experiences and longevitydetermining karma causing longevity of the heavenly class of beings, human class of beings and animal class of beings-these are auspicious karmas.1
INFLOW OF KARMIC MATTER (ASRAVA)
The entire universe is full of karmic matter. The inflow of karmic matter into a soul takes place on account of the soul's activities. So, these activities themselves are also regarded as the inflow of karmic matter.
Through soul's mental, vocal and bodily activities the karmic matter is attracted towards the soul, flows into it and gets bound with it. The auspicious activities cause the bondage of auspicious karmic matter, and the inauspicious activities cause the bondage of inauspicious karmic matter. The bodily operations like violence, theft, incontinence, etc. are cases of inauspicious bodily activities; those like mercy, donation, continence, etc. are cases of auspicious bodily activities. True but blameworthy speech, false speech, harsh speech and the like are cases of inauspicious vocal activities; blameless true speech, soft speech, civilised speech and the like are cases of auspicious vocal activities. Thinking ill of others, thinking of injuring others and the like are cases of inauspicious mental activities; thinking well of others, feeling happy on seeing others flourish and the like are cases of auspicious mental activities.
The auspicious or inauspicious character of bodily or vocal activities depends on the auspicious or inauspicious character of the accompanying mental operation or state. The main cause of the bondage of auspicious or inauspicious karmic matter with soul is mental activity. And the vocal and bodily activities are regarded as causes of bondage insofar as they assist mental activity.
STOPPAGE OF THE INFLOW OF KARMIC MATTER (SAMṀVARA)
For the stoppage of the inflow of karmic matter into a soul, the Sanskrit term 'samvara' is used. This term is formed from two words, viz. a prepo
1. It is to be specially noted that not only the karma of auspicious type is regarded as auspicious but also that karma which undergoes the process of voluntary partial dissociation and thereby secures the reduction of the amount of karmic atoms is regarded as auspicious. Study the following statements of Acarya Hemacandra.
(i)
nirjarā saiva rupam yasya tasmāt, punyād iti punyam na prakṛtirupam, kintu karmalāghavarupam, tasmāt/-Yogasāstra, Vṛtti on IV. 107.
(ii) punyataḥ karmalāghavalakṣaṇāt śubhakarmodayalakṣaṇāc ca/-Ibid., Vṛtti on IV. 108.
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