________________
176
JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
Sometimes it is held that the doctrine of karma is uncongenial.1 We do not want to come back to this world of misery and | toil. Why do we return then? This objection has no basis, since
it is not on our likes and dislikes that everything depends. A law works independent of our wishes. Hence, the doctrine of transmigration which is an offshoot of the doctrine of karma, is somewhat satisfactory solution of the problem of inequality and variegation. JAINA ACCOUNT OF TRANSMIGRATION
The Jaina thinkers, just like the other adherents of the karmatheory, maintain that the individual has to reap the fruit of his good or evil actions. Sometimes the fruit is enjoyed in this very life, whereas sometimes it is reaped in the next life or thereafter, It depends on the length of duration (sthiti) of a particular karma. There are the following eight alternatives regarding this problem. (1) Evil deeds of this life have their evil results in this life. (2) Evil deeds of this life have their evil results in another life. (3) Evil deeds of a former life have their evil results in this life. (4) Evil deeds of a former life have their results in a life after this. (5) Good actions of this life bring good results in this life. (6) Good actions of this life bring good results in a later life. (7) Good actions of a former life bring, good results in this life. (8) Good actions of a former life bring good results in a subsequent life.
There is a belief that 'once consciousness attains to human level there is no return. If evil reaches a stage beyond redemption there may be an utter dissolution of that entity; otherwise, though man may become a super-man, he will never be less than man. This conception is influenced by the Theory of Evolution. According to it, once a soul has reached the human stage in the evolutionary progress, it will not go back into lower forms in spite of the forces of karmas in action. The Jaina tradition has never entertained this notion of the Theosophists. The Jaina holds that the soul of a human being after death can go back to animals or vegetables. It may also go to heaven and live there for some
1 Karma and Rebirth, p. 61. 2 Sthānānga-sutra, IV, 2, 7. 3 Karma and Rebirth, p. 59,
