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JAINISM
In respect of the belief in retrogression of souls, the Jaina view bears a remarkable resemblance with the Hindu view. Various Upanişads make references to the possibility of retrogression :
“Those who do not know these two paths become insects, gnats, mosquitoes...."4
"Those who possess good conduct here would attain good birth... Those who are of bad conduct here would attain evil birth, the birth of a dog, that of a hog...."
“Some persons according to their karma and inclination of mind take another birth. Some others again are degenerated into the states of trees.'6
“He is born on this earth as a worm, a grasshopper, a fish, a bird, a lion, a boar, a snake, a tiger or another creature in one or other station according to his deeds."?
In this context it is important to bear in mind the four states of being of the jīva or the conscious principle, the soul : the state of hell, the animal state, the human state and the heavenly state. The term jīva connotes the conscious principle in the universe and this is found not merely in the human being. This gives us the cue to the Jaina theory of reincarnation, since it unambiguously points to the fact that the human stage is only one of the stages in which we find the conscious principle, and as such we do not have any right to imagine that once the human state is attained, attainment of the super-human and the perfection state-connoting the permanent escape from the cycle of birth and death is something automatic. The Bhagavatī-Sūtra makes specific references to the four states of the soul and points to the karmas which are responsible for entrance into them. The karma leading to the bondage of hellish life is the result of possessing immense wealth, indulging in violent deeds, killing the beings of five sense organs, eating flesh, etc. The karma leading to the life of animals, vegetables and the like is the consequence of deceiving others, practising fraud, speaking untruth, etc. The karma leading to human life is the result of simplicity of behaviour, humble character, kindness, compassion, and so on. The karma leading to
4 Brahadāranyaka Upanişad, VI. 2. 16 5 Chăndogya Upanişad, V. 10.7 6 Kathopanişad, II. 2. 7 7 Kausitäki-brāhmaṇa, I. 1. 6
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