The Jaina Doctrine of Karma And The Science Of Genetics: ▪ Jaina Doctrine of Karma

Jaina Doctrine of Karma

The Jaina doctrine of karma seems to have developed against a number of other doctrines about creation. Some regarded time (kāla) as the determinant factor of creation. Every event occurs in time and hence is determined by time, other believed in nature (svabhāva) as the determining factor of creation. Things are determined by their own inherent nature. There is nothing, inside or outside, over and above nature that determines the course of events. This leads to the doctrine of determinism (niyati-vāda). There were others who believed in the fortuitous and accidental nature of occurrences of events. There were other doctrines as well.^[46] The believers in karma or unseen potency (adṛṣṭa), the after-effect of a good or bad action, regarded these theories as inspired by materialistic tendencies and therefore rejected them as untenable. The Jaina Philosophers accorded proper place to these doctrines as testified by our experience, while installing karma in the supreme position. karma is the ultimate determinant of the course of events. Even time, nature and niyati are determined by karma and that is no such thing as fortuitism. These factors, in so far as they are given to experience, are only the expressions of the working of the supreme law of karma.^[47] Karma is the fundamental factor responsible for the relation between spirit and non-spirit, that is, the world order. Karma is a process where by an action (karma) produces its reaction (phala).

In the words of the Yuvācarya Mahaprajña (presently ācārya), spiritualism cannot be explained without the theory of karma. Therefore it is a great theory. It is essential for the man who wishes to feel the inner essence of spiritualism to dive deep into the unfathomable depths of the theory.^[48] Generally, activities are called karma. Activities are of three types:

• Physical
• Mental
• Vocal.

In classical termology they are called 'yoga'. But in the Jaina tradition this activity oriented meaning of karma is only a partial explanation of the term 'karma'. In this theory the intention or end of activity is also given due thought. Ācārya Devendrasūri defines karma as 'the intention for activity of the creature'.^[49] Prominent Jaina scholar Pandita Sukhalālajī says that whatever is done by a creature owing to ignorance, passion etc., reasons, it called karma.^[50] Thus, he includes both the activities as well as the intention behind that activity into the fold of karma. There are two aspects of Jaina thought:

• attachment - hatred, passions etc. feelings
• karmic matter - karma pudgala.

By karmic matter is meant those molecules which are attracted and glued to the spirit owing to a particular actions of the spirit, associated with the spirit to form the karmic body (karma śarīra) and on the maturity of a particular time, producing some specific experiences in the form of their results, dissociate from the spirit. These are called matter karmas. In brief the concept of karma in Jaina Philosophy is concerned with the molecules that affect and blunt the power of the spirit. As the creature engages in any type of mental, speech or bodily acts, karma-oriented matter atoms rush towards him from all sides.

Through the attachment and hatred oriented activities of the soul, infinite subtle fine particles existing in the space rush magnetically to it and get associated to the soul and they are called karmas.^[51] According to Jaina lakṣaṇāvali "like boxes full of collyrium powder, full of gross and subtle particles, ordained particles liable to be converted into karmas in the world, associating and binding the creature according to their acts, the particles those obscure knowledge and perception (veil of knowledge and perception and forming pleasure-pain, auspicious, inauspicious, age, name, high-low status and energy obscuring etc.) are called karmas.^[52]

Jīvas (spirit/soul) are conscious formless beings. The subtle filth glued to it is called karma. karmas are material atoms, inert. The atoms of karma are called karmadala (atom groups). The atoms of karmas get glued to the soul owing to its adhesiveness caused by attachment and hatred and activities of association. The karma atoms are glued to the soul from the time immemorial. If some of them get dissociated from the soul, the new ones get glued. Thus this activity goes on constantly.^[53] The soul acquires the property to attract karma Vargaṇā because of false belief, vowlessness, negligence, passions and activities and that is karma. Karma Vargaṇā is a kind of subtle dust which can be perceived only by an omniscient individual.

The matter atoms, getting attracted through attribute and non attribute feature and getting attached to the soul veil its real form, deform it, such matter atoms gathered by the soul are called karmas. Well known scholar of Jainism Paṁdita Sukhalālajī opines—Although there is some details in the theory of karma in the Vedic and Buddhist literature it is so little that there exists no significant and prominent literature. On the contrary, thoughts on karma theory in Jaina Philosophy is subtle, well organized and very wide ranging.^[54]

Professor Mālavaṇiyājī another prominent Jaina scholar also writes, "Present day scholars agree that in the pre-upaniṣadika vedika literature there is no deep thinking on karma or adṛśta. And that 'karma is the cause' such a theory is unanimous opinion of Upaniṣads also cannot be stated.^[55] In Jaina Philosophy karma is accepted as a mass of matter atoms, karma is directly related to the soul and the body. Karma is a concrete matter, which gets bound to the soul. The cause of the action of the soul is karma.^[56]

Prominent Jaina scholar Paṁdita Sukhalālajī says "the action that is performed by the soul under the influence of false belief etc. reasons is called karma. He has included both, the cause as well as the action of jīva under karma.^[57] In Jaina siddhant dīpikāĀcāryasṛī Tulasī defines karma as "the subtle particles which are attracted by the tendencies of soul and which are fit to be transformed as karma pudgala are called karma."^[58]