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DOCTRINE OF KARMA A SCIENTIFIC VIEW ITS IMPORTANCE IN PRACTICAL LIFE AND ITS CONTRIBUTION IN THE ATTAINMENT OF
SPIRITUAL EMANCIPATION
D.S. BAYA 'ŚREYAS'
The Place Of Jaina Karma Theory In The Philosophical Field
Jainism has contributed many unique features to the Indian religious philosophical field. Just like theories of absolute Non-violence and Non-absolutism, propounded by the Lords Tirthankaras, Karmavāda, which is variously referred to as Karma-siddhānta, 'Karma-theory' and the 'Doctrine Of Karma', is yet another major contribution of Jaina philosophy to the field of Indian religious philosophies.
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However, to put the things in the right perspective, I must mention that although, generally, it is believed that Jainism is a philosophy based on the Karma Theory, this premise is not wholly correct. To say that Jainism is based on the theory of karma only is a misrepresentation of facts. According to Acārya Siddhasena Diväkara it is a philosophy based on five theories, namely Kālavāda (Theory of time), Svabhāvavāda (Theory of nature), Niyativada (Theory of destiny), Pūrvakṛtavāda (Theory of earlier action) and Puruṣārthavāda (Theory of endeavour). However, the reason for this misplaced belief is that the literature related to Karma Theory has, over periods of time, occupied so much space that the other four theories, taken together, have been unable to get even a hundredth of its coverage.
Karmavada In The Indian Context -
In the context of Indian religious philosophies the Doctrine of Karma or Karmavāda is a reality, a fact of life. All of them have, in one way or the other, advocated the fact that one reaps what one sows. However, there are two distinct
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