Jaina Psychology

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

Page 34

KARMA: THE BASIS OF JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
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is another classification as well. They are classified under the heads of virtuous (punya) and sinful (pāpa) types. The virtuous types are auspicious and the sinful types are inauspicious in nature. The karma that yields pleasure in life is virtuous and the karma that leads to pain is sinful.
Each of the eight main types is again divided into a number of sub-types. The latter can be further classified into yet smaller subdivisions, so that the entire number is exceedingly large. We propose to confine our account to the following one hundred and fifty-eight types only.
1
The karma that obscures the comprehending faculty of the soul totally or partially is called comprehension-obscuring karma. It is classified into five sub-types corresponding to the five forms of comprehension recognized by Jaina epistemology. The karma obscuring the comprehension (which is imperfect) emerging through the media of the senses and the mind (mati-jñāna) is of the first type.
That karma which causes the obstruction of a comprehension acquired by reading or hearing the scriptures, or by the words of an authority (śruta-jñāna) (which, too, is not perfect) is of the second type. The third type hinders the transcendental perception of material objects (avadhi-jñāna). The fourth one obscures the transcendental perception of the thoughts of others (manah-paryayajñāna). The fifth one hinders the faculty of omniscience, i.e., perfect perception (kevala-jñāna) inherent in the self by natural disposition.1
Now, we come to the apprehension-obscuring (darśanāvarana) karma. In Jaina philosophy, the term 'darśana' is used to signify two meanings. Firstly, it means belief or faith. Secondly, it means the simple awareness of an object, the mere apprehension of a thing.
it is the first stage of cognition generally known as indeterminate perception. In darśanīvarana karma, the term darśana' is used to denote the second meaning. We have used the term 'apprehension in place of indeterminate perception. The karma that obscures the faculty of apprehension inherent in the soul, partially or wholly, is called apprehension-obscuring karma. It is of nine sub-types corresponding to the four forms of apprehension and five
1 Karma-grantha, I, 4-9.