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

All of us have heard the saying "As you sow, so you reap". Several eastern religions have expressed the same idea in different ways. In any case, this simple saying contains the essence of humane wisdom. Basically it implies a strong "cause and effect" relationship. And it is the same cause and effect relationship on which the scientific and technological world is based. The question then is, if the cause and effect relationship is so powerful in the material world we live in, why should it not be just as powerful in the spiritual world? If we accept this logic the theory of karma will be easier to accept because it is nothing but a cause and effect spiritual phenomenon.^[1]

According to Jainism, Karmas are invisible, fine particles of matter. They are not seen by eyes and any most sensitive microscope prevailing all around us just like the air particles. Our soul attract these karmas through activities related to mind, body and speech. This means whenever we get angry, we attract karmas, whenever we kill some one, we attract karmas, whenever we deceive someone or become greedy, we attract karmas. These karmas form layers upon layers over our soul and keep us away from realizing our true potentialities.^[2] As the theory goes, true nature of soul is pure, crystal clear and full of true knowledge. However the karmas keep the soul away from the truth and make it go through the cycles of birth and death. A worldly soul remains under certain conditions at one moment it gets closer to the truth, the next moment it starts doubting.