________________
114
Jaina View of Life
Karma is substantive force. It has the property of developing the effects of merit and demerit. The Karmic particles build up a special body which is called karma-sarira which does not leave the soul till its emancipation. Karma has its psychic effects also. Bhāva-karma is immediate to the Jivas, while Dravya-karman belongs to the body. Five classes of Karmic conditions are mentioned. On account of the rise (udaya), suppression (upasama), annihilation (kşaya), suppression and annihilation (kşayopasama) and psychological effect ( pariņāma), the soul has five conditions of thought and existence.” In the usual course of things, Karma takes effect and produces results, The soul is said to be in audayika state. Karma may be prevented from its operation for sometime. In this state it is still present, like fire covered by ashes. The soul is in the aupašāmika state. When Karma is annihilated, it is in a kşāyika state. The fourth state is the mixed state. The last, unconditioned, state leads to mokşa.
The aim is to seek freedom from the miseries of this life, to şeek deliverance. But the path to Mokşa is long and endless. We have to free ourselves from the Karma that has already been accumulated and to see that no new Karma is added. The soul gets bound by the constant flow of Karma. This is called bandha. Mental states, like passion, attachment and aversion, which prepare the ground for the binding of the soul by Karma are called psychic bondage (bhāva-bandha); and the actual binding by the particles of Karma is called dravya-bandha. When passions overcome us, the particles get glued to our souls and bind them, just as a heated iron ball when immersed in water, absorbs water. But the first step to the realization of the self is to see that all channels through which Karma has been flowing have been stopped so that no additional Karma can accumulate. This is samvara. There are two kinds of Saṁvara: bhava-samvara which is concerned with mental life, and dravyasamvara which refers to the removal of Karmic particles. This
24. Pañcāstikāyasāra, 62,
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
