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lusion. This has given rise to a doubt as to whether feelings create karma or is it karma that creates the feelings?
Ans. It has already been said that a person liberated
from karma has no current of feeling. Feeling comes into being through karma vibrations of a person engaged in action. This only means that the current of feeling of a living being is the factor behind the attraction of karma-atoms and this would remain so as long as a person does not become emancipated from karma. Thus, the interdependence of the current of feeling and action is apparent. The objective of pointing out the connection between feeling and delusion is that it is through association or non-association with delusion that feeling becomes indisciplined or disciplined. The current of feeling which is connected with the rise of delusion produces unclean feelings—like the negative emotions of anger, greed, pride, etc. But the current of feeling in which delusion subsides, gives rise to pure feelings-such as positive feelings of tranquillity, contentment, humility, etc. That is why it has been observed that fundamentally the bondage of karma is connected with feeling. But in the perversion or purification of feelings, ignorance or infatuation plays a great role. Because action born of illusory knowledge only serves to mask true knowledge. Though illusory action masks true knowledge, it cannot distort it. But the distortion of feelings is solely caused by illusory action.
Q. Is the current of feeling and aura you are talking
about, of one kind or there are different kinds and there are divisions and sub-divisions in them?
Ans. In Jain philosophy, for both the current of feeling
and the aura, the same word 'leshya' is used.
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