Practical Path

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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THE PRACTICAL PATH.
depends on the status of the family in which it takes its birth; and the birth in a particular family is the consequence of its being drawn to a particular 'womb'the word is here used in its widest sense including the upapâda, ** the garbha,t and the sammurachhanafformsby the mechanical action of its inherent force, the result of its own actions in a past life.
The type of actions which lead to a low status include pride of birth, lineage, descent, beauty, or learning, the insulting of others for their low birth, and the like, also want of respect for the Deva (holy tirthamkara), Guru (spiritual teacher) and sâstra (Scripture), and delighting in proclaiming the low status and circumstances of another. The opposite kinds of actions, such as selfabnegation, humility, worship of the true Deva, Guru and śâstra, lead to birth in a high family and happy, prosperous surroundings.
We now conie to the eighth and the last group of karmas, the antáráya. Its causes may be briefly said to consist in those actions of the soul which tend to interfere with the full development of the functions and faculties, as well as with the freedom of action of another. The following are fairly typical of this kind of actions : preventing another from making a gift, robbing others of their success in their enterprise, spoiling and
* Upa pâda is the method of birth of devas and residents of hells, who are born without conception and attain to adolescence at once.
Garbha means conception in consequence of sexual congress.
I Sammurachhana is the form of birth in which the soul directly attracts particles of matter to itself to organise its body. It is found in those low forms of life in the animal and vegetable kingdoms which are not born after the manner of garbha.