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karma depends on their durational bondage. The karmic existence is not possible in the absence of the durational bondage. The durational bondage takes place due to passions. Passions are never meritorious; they are always sinful. Therefore, Punya or meritorious – pious acts do not hinder liberation but on the contrary they aid its achievement. Right vision is gained by a high rise of punya only. Right vision is impossible to gain without achieving merit to gain it. Such a merit is gained by undertaking meritorious pious or auspicious activities. Without gaining the right vision it is not possible to gain right knowledge and right conduct also and liberation is impossible in the absence of these three. Thus, punya is a direct and traditional cause in gaining spiritual liberation.
The rule is that piousness cannot be destroyed by any means. There are two main courses of spiritual practice - karmic stoppage and separation. Both of these result in the ascendance and not descent of the intensity of merit. The excellent or outstanding fruition of the meritorious karma remains till the very last just before the attainment of liberation and final deliverance from the mundane existence. On attainment of the all-accomplished state (Siddhāvasthā) the merits are separated from the soul in the same way as a traveler leaves his vehicle on reaching his final destination. However, he reaches his destination only with the help of the vehicle. Thus, the auspicious activities only help and do not, in the least, hinder the attainment of liberation.
If these activities had been considered as hindrances in achieving liberation in any way, the vows for abandoning them would have been prescribed and given by the religious leaders just as the vows for giving up sinful activities are prescribed and are being given. However, such vows are neither prescribed anywhere in the scriptures nor are they being given by any spiritual master. The vows are taken for forsaking sinful activities and not the pious activities.
According to the Jaina canonical literature, the impious or inauspicious activities are sinful and irreligious and the pious and auspicious activities are meritorious and religious. The 37th verse of
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Positive Non-Violence
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