Philosophy In Jain Agams: Karmopacaya (Accumulation of Karma)

The bondage of karma takes place by the activities of mind, speech and body or any one of these as the prominent one. Their role has been a topic of consideration amongst many philosophers. Activities of mind, in the context of karmic bondage is given special importance in the Buddhist philosophy.^[1] In the context of violence and non-violence while discussing this Buddhist principle of karma bondage get more clearity. According to the Buddhist philosophy i) soul (sattva) exists ii) soul (satva) is psychical iii) Thinking for violence exists iv) living being dies by the unity of all these four, violence takes place. Violence binds karmas.^[2] Presenting a Buddhist viewpoint, Sūtrakṛtāṅga says that a person who knows the living being, does not kill it physically and if he kills someone due to non-vigilance, then, he gets bound with a modicum of sin. He experiences the result of those karmas in that every instant. It means karmas get eliminated and separated by the soul very soon.^[3] Explaining this view, it has been written in the Sūtrakṛtāṅga Niryukti that the bondage of karmas does not takes place in the following four situations:

1. Parijñopacita: No living being is ever killed just by thinking mentally about killing. Thus, karmas produced by that act of violence are not accumulated
2. Avijñopacita: If any living being is killed unknowingly, then violence producing karmas are not accumulated due to that violence.
3. Iryāpatha : If some living being is killed while walking even then the relevent karmas are not accumulated because that being has not been killed intentionally.
4. Svapnāntika : If a living being is killed whilst dreaming, then also violence producing karmas are not accumulated due to the dreams of the violent deed.

Through these four reasons, karma gets bound to soul very slightly and gets immediately destroyed, like a tie of a very thin thread is broken instantly or as dry sand falls down instantly if thrown upon the dried wall. Such karmas do not yield results.^[4]

Karmas are accumulated in all conditions, except in vītarāga or detached state. According to Jain philosophy, even if the violence is committed only on mental level or unintentionally and if remissness is associated with the action, then karmic accumulation is inevitable. Enlightened (vītarāga) also binds karmas, due to iryāpathika kriyā. It is bound for two instants of time. It (karma) binds in one instant and in the second instance they get detached from the soul after fruition. Enlightened- beings bind only sātāvedanīya (pleasure- yielding) karmas. This kind of karma bondage almost equals to the non-bonding state.

The theory of karma has been a significant topic in the Jain philosophy.

We have discussed it thoroughly, in a lesson entitled 'Karma Mīmānsā'. A point to be noted in this context is happiness, misery and experience of karma are not created by destiny. Bondage of karma definitely takes place when the soul is under the condition of attachment and hatred, even if the soul has done it unconsciously or unintentionally, mentally or physically.