Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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Vaishali İnstitute Research Bulletin No.
This thrcc-fold activity i. e. yoga attracts the karmic matter. Therefore it is called influx, technically the asrava (Ts. 6/2). Just as water flows into the lake by means of streams, so also karmic matter flows into the soul through the channel or medium of activity. Hence activity which is the cause of influx of karma is called influx or āsrava.
This type of yoga, we have had been performing since a beginningless time and at present while reaping its result we are attracting new karmic matter which will result in future.
Here we must keep in mind one thing more, that we, and we alone are responsible for our own yoga i. e. karma or activity and will have to face the result of it. No one else can share in this yoga and its result. Even God, if there is any God, is not going to help in this matter. Therefore we are reminded by Umāsvāti that this yoga is of two kinds viz. Subha-yoga and Aśubha-yoga i. e. virtuous activity and wicked activity which results in merit and demerit-Subhah punyasyāśubhah pāpasya' (Ts. 6/3).
What is good and what is evil ? Umāsvāti says that killing, stealing etc. are wicked activity and the opposites of these are good. We can say, what is natural is good and what is unnatural is bad.
From the real point of view, it is no doubt true that all activities are undesirable as every kind of activity is the cause of influx and bondage. In that case there would be no good activities at all. The Acarya says that, that which purifies the soul, or by which the soul is purified is merit and that which protects or keeps the soul away from good is demerit.
Again this influx is of two kinds, viz. that of persons with passions, which extends transmigration, and that of persons free from passions, which prevents or shortens it'sakaşāyākasāyayoh" (Ts. 6/4). The passion is called kaşāya.
The individual self attracts particles of matter which are fit to turn into karma, as the self is actuated by passsion. This is called bondage “sakaşāyatvājjiyah karmaṇo yogyan pudgalanādatte sa bandhah" (Ts. 8/2).
Now we turn to next stage i. e. samvara. How to stop the influx which is the cause of taking in new karmic matter? Samvara is the obstruction of the inflow of karmic matter. It is so called because it stops the influx. This sanvara or stoppage of karmic matter is real yoga. It is nearer to the definition of yoga given in the Yoga-sūtra of Patanjali.