Jaina Psychology

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar

Page 32

KARMA: THE BASIS OF JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
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There is no experience of pleasure etc., in association with a nonmaterial entity, just as in connection with the ether.1 Thus, it is only a material entity that can produce any pleasure or pain and not a non-material substance. Because karma produces pleasure, pain, etc., therefore, it is material in nature. It should also be noted that it is the soul which is the essential cause of all our experience; karma is only the instrumental cause. Unless karma is associated with the soul, it cannot produce any effect. Really speaking, the karmic matter not associated with the soul is no karma at all. This is, in brief, about the material nature of karma.
The entire cosmos is full of karmic matter. The soul which is infected by karmic matter from time immemorial goes on acquiring new matter while enjoying empirical status. Through the actions of body, mind, and speech karmic matter gets into the self. It is tied to the self according to the strength of passions, viz., anger, pride, deceit, and greed. Thus, first of all there is an influx (āsrava) of karmic particles due to vibrations (yoga).2 At the same time there are certain other activities of consciousness, viz., passions (kaṣāya) through which bondage (bandha) takes place. In the state of bondage the self and karma are more intimate than milk and water. The particles of karma once entered into the self produce various types of effects.
The Jaina tradition distinguishes between physical karma and psychical karma. The former is material in nature, whereas the latter comprises those psychical effects and states which are produced in the soul due to the influx of physical karma. The former is the karmic matter that enters into the self. The latter is in the shape of various conscious activities. The physical and psychical karmas are mutually related to each other as cause and effect. As we have already mentioned, the self has been associated with karma from time immemorial, hence, no question of 'first association' does arise. Besides, the self is gathering new matter every moment. The
1 Viseṣāvasyaka-bhäṣya, 1626-7.
2 Kayavanmanahkarma yogaḥ. Sa asravah. Tattvärtha-sutra, VI, 1-2.
3 Sakaṣayatvajjivaḥ karmano yogyan pudgalanädatte. Sa bandhaḥ. Ibid., VIII, 2-3.
Anyonyakāryakāraṇabhāvajñāpanarthatvāt. Aştasahasri, p. 51.
5 Tacca karma pravāhatonādi. Karma-grantha, I, p. 3.