Karma and Rebirth

Author(s): T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 21

16
T. G. Kalghatgi
perform. (i) Karma which conditions birth after death, (ii) that which sustains other Karma but does not itself cause rebirth, (iii) Karma which obstructs and weakens other Karma and (iv) Karma which obstructs and overpowers other weak Karma. On the basis of the priority of fruition we get four types : (i) serious Karma like killing the mother, (ii) that which is just before death, (iii) Karma which is repeatedly done and (iv) Karma which is of a light kind. According to the time of fruition, we get (i) Karma which gives its effect in this life, (ii) that which gives efiect in the next life, (iii) Karma giving effect in some later life and (iv) that which is ineffective. On the basis of the plane of the life of fruition there are () inauspicious Karma producing misery, (ii) auspicious Karma producing better life of desire (kāmāvacara bhūmi), (iii) moral Karma which produces its effects in the plane of form (rūpāvacara) and (iv) that which produces Karma in the formless plane, But Buddhism maintains that involuntary actions whether of body, speech and mind, do not constitute Karma and therefore cannot bring about the results accruing to Karma. It only means that unwilled actions do not modify character. Vasubandhu says that an act is karmically effective to the full extent which has been willed and carried out and which is approved after completion. If, for instance, the carrying out of an action is omitted or the completed action is regretted, then the karmic effect is thereby lessened. In Buddhism the motive of the action is also important for determining the extent of creation of Karma of an individual.
We shall now briefly analyse the classification of Karma as mentioned by the Yoga School. The traces of action (Karmāśaya) fructify into enjoy. ment and sufferings and these are the merits and demerits. The passions of (i) lust, (ii) greed, (iii) delusion and (iv) anger produce the traces. On the basis of the nature of fruition of Karma, Yoga has classified Karma determining the nature of the next life as (i) various kinds of birth like human, subhuman and divine (ii) different spans of life and (iii) various enjoyments and suffering 55 These can be compared to the nāma, āyu and vedaniya Karma of the Jainas. These karma fructify either in this life or in the life to come hereafter. Yoga also gives a four-fold distinction of karma based on the consideration of the nature of the activity that produces it. 56 The cruel activities are under the grip of passions and they give rise to the dark Karma. There are also mixed activities which give rise to dark and white Karma. Similarly, white karma traces are generated by moral activities, and the colourless karmic traces are produced by activities which are neither motivated by selfish nor by wordly desires. Only the ascetics can express such activity. The colourless karmic activity leads to emancipation. The
55. 56.
Yoga Darsana. II. Ibid.