________________
18
Metempsychosis
THE doctrine of immortality of the soul and the consequent belief
I in reincarnation or rebirth is central to the karma theory in Jainism as it is in Hinduism. The six alternatives suggested in the Sthānānga-Sutra clearly indicate the immortality of the soul. For a soul enter into another body, i. e., take another birth, may be accounted for in six ways: (1) the bad deeds done during the present life require another life-and this may be the next life itself or a life after that ; (2) the bad deeds done in the last or a previous life may be fructifying during the present life; (3)the bad deeds done, similarly in a previous life might not have fructified till now, and may not bear fruit in the rest of the present life and so may require another life. That is, the fruits for an evil act indulged in a previous life may have to be borne in the next life or in a life after the next. In regard to good deeds similarly : (4) those of the present life may bear fruit in the next life or in some future life ; (5) those of the previous life or of one of the past lives may be having their good effects during the present life; and (6) the good deeds of either the last life or of one of the past lives might not have yielded their fruits in the present life till now or may not yield the fruits in the rest of the present life, thus requiring another life. Though the fructification may take place in the next life itself there is no guarantee that this will happen.
It may be mentioned here that the possibilities of (1) the good
1 IV.2.7
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
