Prof. Dr. Sohan Raj Tater
Comparative statement of karma and gene is narrated as below:
S.No. | Karma | Genes |
1. | The Doctrine of karma says "karma of any two living beings of universe never resembles", so each individual in the world is different from other from the angle of the science of the karma. | The genetics says "DNA of any two living beings of universe never resembles", so each individual in the world is different from other from the angle of genetics. |
2. | The offsprings of a particular set of parents differ from each other and from their parents in many respects to different degrees due to karma. | Although the resemblances between parents and offsprings are close due to heredity even than they are usually not exact. |
3. | It is easy to understand why the offsprings of intelligent parents are sometimes less intelligent (manda) than either parent because of past karma. | Biology explains this point in this way that since the co-ordinate action of many pairs of genes are involved in intelligence. The fortunitous combination of those, which produced the intelligent parents, be broken by genetic segregation. Conversely the chance combination of favourable gene may produce a brilliant child from average parents, but geniuses are never produced by feeble-minded parents. |
4. | It is suggestive from the study of rise of karma etc. from the point of view of dravya (substance), kṣetra (locus), kāla (time), bhava (life of birth) and bhāva (condition). | Both physical and mental traits are the results of the interplay of both genetic (from the aspect of dravya) and environmental factors (i.e. form the aspect of kṣetra, kāla, bhava and bhāva) |
5. | Genes are not only hereditary but are also significantly influenced by the karma of the individual member. | True that all members of a particular species and sub-species would posses the same genetic codes but the genes, themselves would vary from member to member. |
6. | Karma constitute the personality of a living being. | Genes constitute the personality of a living being. |
7. | Karmas are extremely subtler matter particle which are part of subtler body. | Genes are subtle atomic particles which are parts of gross body. |
8. | Karmas are atomic homogeneous endowed with color, smell, taste and touch. | Genes are atomic homogeneous endowed with color, smell, taste and touch. |
9. | It is a natural law, a universal truth that extremely subtle control the subtle. Thus karma control genes. | Genes control personality. |
10. | The karmas are the deciding factors for the various characteristics of a living organism (Jīva). | The genes are the deciding factors for the various characteristics of a living organism (Jīva). |
11. | Every creature (Jīva) of universe attract the same karmavargaṇā (karmic particles) due to its activities and ultimately become karma. | there is an interesting fact here, that all big or small creatures or plants contain the same genetic codes. |
12. | The Jaina doctrine of karma believes that all the jīvas are possessed with similar souls, similar capacities but their different karmas provide them different bodies. | According to modern anatomy, all creatures have the same genetic codes, fundamental building block of life. It is only due to the mutation of the genetic codes, different types of species of creatures - amibā to man take birth. |
13. | Karma is not all in all, but heredity, environment, situation, geographical and ecological conditions, effect nature and behaviour of man. | Genes are not all in all but karma, environment, situation, geography, ecological conditions (nurture) effect nature and behaviour of man. |
14. | The laws of heredity are the messenger laws of karmavāda. | Genes are the transporters of heredity characteristics. |
15. | Jñānavarṇiya karma | Non-stop chemicals and proteins produced by DNA distort our knowledge. |
16. | Darśanāvarnīya karma | Non-stop chemicals and proteins produced by DNA distort our perception. |
17. | Antarāya karma | Non-stop chemicals and proteins produced by DNA distort our energy level. |
18. | Vedaniyā karma | Genes produce various diseases by mutation process. |
19. | Mohanīya karma | Non-stop chemicals and proteins produced by DNA distort our healthy emotions. |
20. | Āyuṣya karma | Genes affect aging process. |
21. | Nāma karma | Genetic program decides characteristic of the body of every living being. |
22. | Gotra karma | Genes link family history. |
23. | Our Tirthankaras have said from very beginning "we are what we are because of our karma". | Genetic science says, "we are what we are because of our genes". |
24. | DNA is known as karmaśarīra or the casual body in vedāntic literature. | The DNA that the west has been investigating recently and is meant to contain the "God gene" among others. |
25. | The way the casual body or karma body manages vāsanā is similar to - | the way the DNA is thought to manage the genes. |
26. | Jīva comes in the womb of his mother with his own karmas. | Jiva comes in the womb of his mother and builds up body with the genes of both parents. |
27. | All the activities of creature - its destinies, its forms, etc. according to "the Jaina doctrine of karma" are decided by karmic particles (karma). | According to biology all the activities of creature - its destinies, its forms etc. are decided by genes. |
28. | Every creature gets the different type of body according to its bonded karmas. It is only due to the consequences of karmas, one is born blind eyes, sans intellect, some remains dwarf (short of structure) and other is quite tall, some is born with fair and other with dark complexion. | As per genetics these are all done by genes. Only due to the genes the structure of the body of creature takes place and some certain genes decide the gender of a living being like man, woman and enunch. The fate of every living being is decided by genes. |
29. | Karmas are the cause - Karmas direct, instruct and motivate - | and genes are their effect (fruits). genetic codes and genes to function and mutate accordingly. |
30. | Karma is the component of our subtle body. | Gene is one of the components unit of gross śarīra. |
31. | According to Ācārya Mahāprajña "The theory of saṁkramaṇa - | is the theory of mutation of gene. |
32. | Āyūṣya karma is also a karma but the outer mediums like poison etc. can minimize life span of a creature. | Similarly if some change is made in chromosomes and genes a person's physique can be changed. |
33. | Once Gandhara Gautama asked Lord Mahv´ra what is reason of all dissimilarities in the word? Mahav´ra replied "karma is the cause of all dissimilarities". | If the biologist of today is asked this question, he will reply that only the root cause of all dissimilarities is the "gene". |
34. | As per doctrine of karma on every karma particle written infinite instructions. | As per biology every gene contains sixty lakhs orders in it. |
35. | Ācārya Mahāprajña says "Genes also represent our bonded karma". | Ācārya Mahāprajña says, "Genes transport the traits of parents". |
36. | According to Jaina Philosophy - "at the point of a needle infinite jivīs can be accommodated there". | According to genetics - "human body contains 100 trillions cells. Each DNA of a chromosome contains 3 billion genetic codes." |
37. | Why is spirituality (soul + karma śarīra) such a powerful and universal force? Why do so many people believe in things they cannot see, smell, taste, hear or touch? Why do people from all walks of life, around the globe, regardless of their religious background or the particular God they worship, value spirituality as much as, or more than pleasure, power or wealth? | "The answer is hardwired into our genes". Spirituality is one of our basic human inheritances. It is in fact an instinct. |
38. | Today, sister Jone Frances and sister Rose Marie are nuns at the same convent in Akron, Ohio (U.S.A.). In addition to their mutual interest in God and spirituality. | This is because Jane and Rose has important similarity: their DNA. They are identical twins - the product of the same fertilized egg. |
39. | Spirituality comes from with in. The kernel must be there from the start. | It must be part of their genes. |
40. | We don't know God, we feel him. Who helps to determine how spiritual we are? | It is our genetic make up that help to determine how spiritual we are? |
41. | What is life? | Life is a composite built up of soul, karma and genes. |
42. |
it is partly karmic. | The pattern of human actions are set originally during embryonic development under the control of DNA which in itself is partly inherited - |
43. | The rising karma directs - | the genes to operate according to body requirement. The genes are directed by rising karmas to operate according to nature, duration, intensity and quantity of karmas in rise. |
44. | This can be compared with jñānāvarṇīya kṣāyopaśama. | Glutamate gene is both critical and specific for both the type of thinking involved in making a mental map. |
45. | This can be compared with darśanāvarṇīya karma. | Low level of serotonin alters perception. |
46. | This can be compared with sātāvedanīya karma. | The gene that makes the DR dopamine receptor called D4DR, a gene of happiness. |
47. | This can be compared with asātā vedanīya karma. | The leptin receptor gene send signals both with in the brain to decrease hunger and to the body to increase metabolism. |
48. | This is comparable with krodha mohanīya karma. | Serotonin receptor is called 5-HT1B. Low serotonin causes aggression. |
49. | This is comparable with hatred mohanīyakarma. | Probably the most important role of the Y chromosome in aggression is manufacturing testosterone, the harmones that makes half the population |
50. | This is compared with hatred mohanīya karma. | The geneticists have discovered "crime gene". |
51. | This can be compared with puruṣa veda nokaṣāya mohanīya karma. | The master gene is called TDF, which is named for the protein it codes for, the testis, determining factor. It is located not surprisingly, on the Y chromosome, the only chromosome that men have but women do not. |
52. | This is comparable with lobha mohanīya karma. | Richard Dawkins is another pioneering evolutionary biologist, best known for popularizing the concept of the "selfish gene". |
53. | This is comparable with veda mohanīya karma. | More precisely, our mapping showed the "gay gene" is more likely somewhere between the markers GABRA3 and DXYS 154 which span a distance of about five million base pairs. |
54. | This is comparable with āyuṣya karma. | The recent discovery of several key genes related to aging is done. Our genetic blue print comes with the fine print that reads: warranty valid only for limited time. The first life extending mutation was found in a gene dubbed "age-1". |
55. | These all are comparable with nāma karma. | Messenger-gene, operate gene, ribosomal RNA gene, transfer RNA gene, regulatory gene, suppressor gene, kinetic gene, synaptic gene, inert gene, language gene, mental retardation gene, body weight effecting gene (leptin), myostatin gene (muscle growth), handedness gene, dextral gene (right handed), sinistral gene (left handed). |
56. | This is comparable with mohanīya karma. | The dopamine D2 receptor gene, which had been co-related to alcoholism in some studies. |
Doctoral Thesis, JVBU