Science And Jain Philosophy

Author(s): Raksha J Shah, Abhijit Muni, Pooja Banthia
Publisher: International Conference on Science and Jain Philosophy

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International Conference on Science and Jain Philosophy 2016
Mohaniya Karma i.e. Attitude and conduct deluding energy Antaraya Karma i.e. Obstacle-creating energies Vedaniya Karma i.e. Pain and pleasure producing energy Ayusya Karma i.e. Life-span determining energy Nama Karma i.e. Body-shaping energy Gotra Karma i.e. Status-determining energy
The first four karmas cover, pollute and block qualities of the true self. The true self is endowed with four qualities: infinite knowledge, infinite intuition, infinite bliss and divine power. If the self is not covered by the karmic veil, it has direct access to know and perceive the truth of life and the world directly without any external means: sense, mind and instrument. Similarly, the self is blissful and divine. The qualities are affected in different proportion in different living beings. The difference of the karmic bondage leads to the difference of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development of an individual as well as that of other living beings.
Doctrine of Action During the fourth watch one realizes another enduring principle-that of Aśrava, the mental, verbal and physical action causing inflow of the karma particles. The difference of the nature and effect of karma particles is caused by the nature of the action performed by living beings. No living being is free from action. Where there is life there is action. Where there is no action, one can safely surmise that there is no life. It is important to note that action in itself is not bad. It becomes good or bad by positive or negative emotions, intentions and means used to perform the act. If both the goal and means of the act are righteous then the result of the act will always be good. If either of the two the goal and means of the act are non-righteous, the result of the act will always be bad. This subtlety is important to note - if the goal is right but the means are wrong or vice-versa, the result would be bad. It is only in the condition when both goal and means or intention and action are right; the act will yield good results.
The criterion of righteousness or non-righteousness of goal and its means depends on the purpose of life. In the spiritual domain, the purpose of life is spiritual excellence. So the goal is right if it leads to spiritual purification and the means are right if they are devoid of violence, untruthfulness, stealing etc. In the social domain, the purpose of life is materialistic development of individual and society. The means for the development are right if they are moral and legal. Immoral and illegal acts cannot yield good results.
Thus, we have found that the idea of soul, cosmos, karma and action are main pillars on which the magnificent edifice of spirituality in Jainism is built. Self-inquiry leads to the acceptance of others or diversity and the acceptance of others leads to the cause of the diversity as karma and the cause of diversity leads to the cause of karma as action. So the control of body, speech and mind is the first step towards spirituality.
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