________________
Essentials of Jaina Philosophy
25
of activity. The quantity of karmic atoms depends on the degree or intensity of activity. This is so because even passion-free soul binds karmic atoms to itself due to its activities. On the other hand, duration of karmas and the intensity of their fruits depend on passions. The stronger the passions, the longer is the duration of karmas and the greater is the intensity of their fruits. In other words, the bondage in respect of nature and the bondage in respect of quantity depend on the activity concerned But the bondage in respect of duration and the bondage in respect of intensity are due to passions. Thus, activity and passion are the two causes of bondage.
Going into the details, one finds five causes of bondage, viz. mithyātva (pervert inclination or faith), avirati (non-restraint), pramāda (carelessness), kasāya (passions) and yoga (activities). Mithyātva means lack of faith in the existence of soul or absence of spiritual reflection. Avirati means not to desist from vices, violence, etc. and to indulge in the enjoyment of worldly pleasures. Pramāda means self-forgetfulness, spiritual lethargy and lack of feeling of regard for virtuous acts. It also means not to remain awake to the memory of what has to be done and what has not to be done. Kaşāya means passions like anger, greed, etc. Yoga means activity of mind, speech and body.
Through the mouth of a tunnel, etc., water enters a pond and when that mouth is closed the inflow of water stops. Water enters a boat through holes and when those holes are filled with some proper substance water stops entering the boat. Similarly, activities of mind, speech and body are the entrances through which karmic matter enters the soul, and when these entrances are shut, the karmic matter stops entering the soul. It is a common experience that when we shut windows and doors, the dust does not enter a room and settle on clothes hanging in it. Similarly, when the activities that serve as doors for the entry of the karmic matter are completely arrested, no karmic matter at all enters the soul and sticks to it. This event takes place in the life of the liberated-while-living-in-theworld (jīvanmukta) at the last moment when he enters the disembodied state of liberation. Before the attainment of the disembodied state of liberation, he does have a body and consequently activities of mind, speech and body. So through these activities karmic matter does enter his soul and get somewhat bound with it. But the bound karmic matter gets dissociated from his soul the moment it is bound with it, because his soul is completely liberated from passions and spiritual lethargy. It is like the
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
