Outlines of Jainism

Author(s): J L Jaini, F W Thomas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Page 85

METAPHYSICS : VII. KINDS OF KARMA
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and undisturbable; pain and pleasure and their attendant agitation will be no more; calm and peace with bliss ineffable will be the lasting and rightful possession of the soul ” (34).
VIII. THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES (TATTVAS) (36–53)
Jiva and Ajīvu The principles of Jainism are seven: jīva, soul; ajīva, non-soul; āsrava, karma-movement; bandha, karmabondage; samvara, karma-check; nirjarā, karmafalling off; moksha, karma-liberation.
The great importance of the logically perfect division into soul (jira) and non-soul (ajīva) has been already seen: it is the basis of the six substances and of the five magnitudes. It is further the foundation of the seren principles, and later on, we shall see, also that of the nine categories (padārthas). The two great categories are soul and non-soul : these are in combination ; and the link between them is that of karma (Theology 1).
The soul and the non-soul have been considered. It now remains to deal with the forging and the falling away of the fetter of karma. There are two steps in the forging—the movement of karmic matter towards the soul (āsrava), and the actual inflow of, or bondage of the soul by, karmic matter (bandha). There are two steps also in the freeing of the soul froin matter—the stoppage of any fresh material ties (called samrara), and the shedding of the matter in which the soul is actually entangled. The end of the process is moksha or nirvūna, the goal of every true Jaina's life.