Studies In Umasvati And His Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): G C Tripathi, Ashokkumar Singh
Publisher: Bhogilal Laherchand Institute of Indology

Page 98

88 Studies in Umāsvāti but the purest grade of śukla-leśyā) have been permanently eliminated. In a sense, the duration (sthiti) of the mohanīya karma that is bound with the soul is of little relevance since this karma (and ultimately all other ghāti karmas) can be brought to fruition prematurely and thus destroyed without producing their effects through rigorous austerities and meditational processes. Likewise, except for āyu karma, the sthiti of all aghātiyā karmas is of little consequence since they are either removed from the soul or their sthiti is adjusted to correspond with that of the remaining āyu by the kevalin just to attaining moksa through the process of kevali-samudghāta, or the expansion of the space-points of the soul beyond the spatial limits of the body. Thus, what is most crucial here with respect to‘long term bondage' is how to prevent the binding of āyu karma for the next life (parabhava āyu) while activity of the body (kāya yoga) still continues.
For Johnson's speculations regarding a pre-Umāsvāti construction of karmic bondage to become a workable model, one must look at karma theory as a whole and provide an explanation other than kaşāyas and leśyās for the cause of binding of this unique karma and one must also justify the continued existence of bodily activity (kāya yoga) in the sayoga kevalin without compromising the state of purity and omniscience of such a soul.
References
1. Tatia 1994, pp. xi-xii. 2. Dundas 1985, p. 169. 3. Johnson 1995, p. 80. 4. Ibid, 1995, p. 15. 5. Sarvārthasiddhi (SS) 610 on Tattvārthasūtra (TS) 6.1-6.2 Tatia
(1994, p. 151) explains this process as follows: "The soul's beginningless karmic body channels the infinite power of the soul and in so doing causes itself and the soul to vibrate incessantly. The body-making karma creates further bodies (fiery, gross, conveyance,