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श्रमण/ /जुलाई-सितम्बर/ १९९७ 4.
animals.
The contention of heretics is that living being at the same instant acquires karma, determining two life spans-the span of this life and that of the next. Against this Lord maintains that a living being acquires karma, determining one life-span only, may be of this or of the next.
Against the postulates of others that a living being performs two activities at the same time, which are activity due to movement and that due to passions, Lord Mahavira's preaches that a living person at one time performs only one activity.
A living being experiences, at anyone time. one life-span may, be of this birth or of the next.
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life
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span
Also against the postulate of heretics that the perception (Vedanā), of all the four types of beings, always corresponds with the actions performed, Nirgrantha doctrine maintains20 that beings may or may not correspond.
Jainas also refute the contention of the heretics that all beings only experience suffering. According to Mahavira,21 some of the beings suffer only misery and rarely happiness, while some of these experience only happiness and rarely any misery. There are also some who enjoy an admixture of happiness and misery.
A number of instances, contained in Bhagavati, depict the consequences in terms of karma-bondage, of the day to day affairs of the persons, hailing from all walks of life viz. monks, laymen, warriors, physicians, merchants etc. The routine affairs and activities like laughing, lieing, litting-fire have been made subject to karma-bondage.
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Bhagavati maintains that knowledge and belief of the present existence will continue in the next existence but conduct, asceticism and self-discipline will not. 22 Beings without self-discipline, not observing commandments, and not renouncing bad karman may become gods in the abode of Vaṇamantaras etc.23 On account of unwillingly suffered thirst, hunger etc. Jaina monks because of doubt, desire, uncertainty, defection and blemish, bind Kāṁkṣāmohaniya karman.24 The consequences, for a monk, of taking food intentionally prepared for him,results in binding all eight karman, except quantity of life.25
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