Outlines of Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Jain Mission Society Bangalore

Page 87

NATURE OF SOUL
63
The opponent asks: If on the ground that we can see the body, etc., which are the effects, the karma is proved to be their cause, then, on the ground that the effect has a physical form, the karma also will have to be admitted as something having a physical form. The Jaina thinkers reply: Karma has indeed a physical form.
The following four illustrations are conclusive for the fact that karma has a physical form: I. Karma has a physical form because of the experience of pleasure, pain, etc. That has a physical form in association with which pleasure, etc., are experienced, just as the food one eats. There is no experience of pleasure, etc., in association with that which is without a physical shape, just as in connection with the ether. 2. That in association with which a burning sensation arises is found to be something having a physical form, just as in association with fire, there is the rise of a burning sensation. So, pain occurs when one is in association with karma. Therefore it has a form. 3. There is an addition of our strength by means of external objects. Only a physical strength can have an addition by means of the physical substance, just as a pot gets strength by means of oil, etc. Such is the case with our strength which is karmic (product of karma) and on account of its being karmic, it can have an addition by means of external objects. 4. Karma has a physical form because it undergoes change in a way different from soul. The pariņāmitva (change) of karma is inferred from the pariņāmitta of its kāryas (effects) like body, etc. If the effect is mutable, the mutability of its cause is automatically recognised, just as the mutability of milk is recognised from the pariņāma of its kārya (curd) in the form of butter-milk (takra).
Now, if we agree that karma is mirta, how could the murta karma be connected with the amūrta jīva (formless soul); either by means of the samavāya (inherent relationship) or by the san yoga (combination )? Is a mirta ghata (pot) is connected with the amurta īkāśa (ether) by means of the saw yoga and an object like finger is connected with kriya (action) like contraction