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kārmaņa sarira with the self immanent in it, in order that a new gross body may be made for its re-incarnation.
The Jaina doctrine is that a kārmaņa sarira does not work upon any and every germ-plasm at random. It chooses rather is drawn towards that germ-plasm which is most suitable for developing of its general and individual features. The kārmaņa sarira that has the capacity of evolving a lion's body would thus be drawn towards the germ-plasm of a lion. And in the same manner, the kārmana sarira which on account of its acts done in its previous lives is to incarnate itself in a body having certain uncommon and peculiar features would be naturally drawn towards the germ plasm of the people of the family in which those features are conspicuous.
The Jaina theory attempts to offer an explanation where explanation is not practically forthcoming. With Weisman it admits that the germplasm is not modified by the modifications in the body.cells. With the other school again, it acknowledges the instrumentality of the germplasm in the geneses in the offspring of the so-called inherited characters.
(8) I must now revert to the most important substance - jiva or the souls. While dealing with souls, let me touch upon the five cardinal principles (tattvas) of Jainism :
(i) ā srava - the flow of karma into the soul ;
(ii) bandha -the bondage of soul by karma ;
(iii) samvara -stoppage of the inflow of karma ;
(iv) nirjarā -annihilation of the already introduced karma ;
and (v) mokșa -complete subsidence of all the karmas.
The Jainas believe in two more principles of punya and pāpa - virtue and sin. I do not regard them as separate categories. I consider them as ancillary to asraya - punya leading to the inflow of good karmas, and pāpa leading to the inflow of bad karmas.
JAINTHOLOGY/ 127
