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Similarly, the auspicious activities of mercy, kindness, compassion, charity, service to the needy, benevolence, affection, etc., inhibit the inauspicious activities and tendencies. For example - Kindness curbs the deplorable activities of cruelty, service curbs those of selfishness, kindness curbs those of mercilessness, simplicity curbs those of deceit, mildness curbs those of proud arrogance, and generosity or magnanimity curbs the deplorable activities of greed and miserliness. Such curbing results in karmic stoppage and the soul becomes pure. Therefore, all these auspicious activities and virtues being the agencies of purifying the soul, they are the causes of incurring meritorious karmic influx and bondage as well as liberation. Said briefly, what we mean is that inhibiting or curbing sin is karmic stoppage, karmic stoppage is the cause of liberation. Therefore, meritorious karmic influx goes along with karmic stoppage and is not, in the least, a hindrance in the attainment of liberation. What is meant here is that to consider meritorious karmic influx and bondage and the auspicious activities that cause them as hindrances in the path of liberation is to inhibit liberation, to oppose the religion based on mercy, to oppose the spiritual virtues and to destroy humanity.
In this context the author does not at all mean to praise or to eulogise the meritorious karma. He only means to rectify the error that exists in the form of considering the meritorious karma and compassion in the form of the auspicious activities of mercy, kindness, charity, service to the needy, benevolence, affection, etc., as deplorable and abandonable, on the basis of the Jaina theory of karma and the canonical dictates. The meritorious karmas are non-destructive and are, therefore, absolutely unable to destroy any of the natural attributes of the living beings; at the same time they are also unable to manifest any of these virtues. Therefore, the meritorious karmas do not help or harm the natural attributes of the soul. This help or harm comes its way through the proper use or misuse of the means like body, senses, mind, speech, etc., that are gained as a result of meritorious karmas. To employ these means, gained as a result of meritorious karmas, in the service of the
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Positive Non-Violence
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