Jainism Abroad

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 17

Prof. Pratapkumar J. Toliya: The Karma theory according to Jainism is not the way other philosophies are thinking. This is somewhat a unique theory, because it denotes so many points of view. It sees from several points of views. Mental Karma, Verbal Karma, and Physical Karma, all these have their importance in life, but the main is Mental Karma, because it is the mind that causes the karmas one-by-one and Jaina Philosophy says that there are 8 types of Karmas. These Karmas are being accumulated every moment, because the human mind cannot remain vacant. And if it remains vacant, it goes into Meditation and there will be no Karmas, no bondages. So first of all, when there is working of the Mind, it brings Karma, whether good or bad. Jainism - denotes here if one is to get rid of Karmas, one has to go through Meditation or study or thorough devotion or penance in many ways. Q. Give us the definition of Karma. A. Karma is the accumulation of certain type of things, whether good or bad, but you accumulate something and that becomes Karma. Whatever you accumulate mentally or physically that becomes your Karma. Dr. John Monelesco: That's not a definition. I want a more common sense explanation people can understand, because the word Karma means a thousand things to different people.
Dr. T.J.Salagia: Karma is your deeds, whatever you do that is what you are going to get, whether your deed is good deed or bad deed, in a simpler way you can call it whatever you are going to do you are going to get.
Prof. Pratapkumar J. Toliya: I want to clarify - there are three parts - Physical, Mental, and Verbal.
Dr. John Monelesco: it would be so simple to say what you reap is what you sow What you sow is what you reap. That is the basic principle. What I really want you to explain; in what way it differs in Jainism.
Prof. Pratapkumar J. Toliya: Well, I cannot make a thorough comparison to other philosophies. According to Jainism, it goes minutely watching and classifying every Karma. Every Karma is classified, I just mentioned Mental, Verbal and Physical. The many subtle types of Karmas are delineated, distributed and classified.
Dr. John Monelesco: I want to know, if you have bad karma according to Jainism – bad talk, bad actions, bad speech, how are you going to be punished and when?
Prof. Pratapkumar J. Toliya: Well, every action has reaction, some Karmas take immediate course and some Karma take time - It is said in Sanskrit - If the Karmas are deep you get immediate fruit. If there are Punyas and better Karmas before you, after you finish the better Karmas, the sins will come.
Dr. John Monelesco: What is the Punishment? How is the bad karma punished?
Dr. T.J.Salagia: Bad Karma is punished by your misery, a famiw problem or your own mental problem, or you might have accumulated a lot of money through a bad karma. But you are not happy. You are getting the punishment. If you have good karmas you are happy. But money does not make happy. I have not seen a person very happy because he has million dollars. He has also problems because he has acumulated probably with bad karma, with bad motive path, with an ill motive. Dr. John Monelesco: Is the Karma transferable to your next existence?
Dr. T.J. Salagia: Yes, sir, in your next life when you take rebirth, you get according to your Karma. If you have good Karmas you might reap the Karma here and to a higher consciousness. Jainism teaches that human life is the highest form of life and from this life you can achieve a complete salvation of your soul and with good Karmas there is a possibility that your soul will never come back. You reach a higher consciousness and you can stay over there merged with yourself, where you have come from.
Dr. John Monelesco: Explain to us Sanathan Dharma?