Dr. N.L. Kachhara
As mentioned earlier, the important and primary function of the tejas body is the management and control of bodily functions. The tejas body provides a coupling between the karma body and the gross body. This is accomplished by supplying prana energy, which works as a catalyst in aggregating matter to form structures, starting from cells and tissues to organs and other body parts. The instructions for the design and formation of structures come from the karma body. The tejas body is like a bank of prana, and the life of this bank is determined by ayusya karma. The bank has a continuous input of tejasvargana from the cosmos, drawn in by ayusyaprana, and supplies pranas to the various sense organs and for the functioning of the body, mind and speech, and respiration system (these are known as vital powers). The tejas body stops working with the exhaustion of the ayusya karma. Prana is supposed to be a mix of manifested consciousness and subtle matter and is different from any physical form of electricity.
The tejas body is also capable of forming structures outside of the
body. Jain philosophy describes a process called samudghata in which the expansion of soul-units outside of the body takes place. This projection of soul-units in diverse directions also takes place when the soul is engrossed in the experience of distress and the like, either automatically or brought about through effort (of the soul). With the expansion of soul-units, the karma body and tejas body also extend to the same extent. For example, in kevalisamudghata, before the final stage of liberation (in the 14th Gunsthana), the soul expands into the entire loka. In this process, the karma body also extends into the whole loka and any excess of vedaniya karmas, that is, more than is required to balance the remaining ayusya karma, are dissociated from the karma body. The tejas body also experiences a similar extension in the process.
Prana energy can also catalyze the formation of structures or influence natural structures outside of the body by the power of the soul. For example, the soul can form another body of a desired form besides his main body. This power is commonly found in devas who can assume any form they like and materialize any object of their choice. In such a process, the soul has to expand in space so that the karma body and tejas body also experience extension. For the formation of another body, the ayusya karma must tap into the code required for the desired form from the pool of naama karma. The tejas body can then materialize either the desired form with the help of naama karma, or the intended object by aggregating material particles present in the environment. The life of this second body is expected to be short and does not count towards the life of the main body. This kind of feat is also possible for human beings if they can develop the soul power to expand willfully outside the body. There are many examples where yogis can produce a desired smell or an object of choice. This is not a miracle but the exercise of the powers of the soul through the prana body. However, the performance of such a feat is prohibited in spiritual life, as it results in the wastage of soul powers, which should be reserved for the cause of emancipation rather than being used for worldly exhibition thatadversely affects the spiritual cause. Yet another power of prana energy is that it can be used as electric fire. Goshalak used it on Mahavira.
There is another possibility in which a holographic image of the main body is produced. In this case, the production of multiple images is possible. It appears that the prana energy can be turned into the laser that is required to produce holographic images. Gautama Buddha and Krishna are said to have exhibited this kind of power to their followers.
The effectiveness of the tejas body is influenced by the karma body. The two kinds of bodies exist as some kind of static electric field that interacts with each other. When the karma field is strong, the powers of the tejas field are limited and no structures can be produced outside the body so the first condition for a human being to perform such a feat is to reduce his/her karma. This generally is applicable to saints and yogis who have attained a higher spiritual stage that allows them to expand their soul outside of their body, and who have reduced their karmas to a level where the tejas body is able to use prana energy to form structures.
Besides the formation of structures, the powers of the tejas body can also influence natural structures existing in the environment. For example, in the region around Tirthankara the climate remains favourable for all living beings and there are no floods, droughts, or earthquakes. This happens due to the expansion of the soul-units of Tirthankara and the powers of the tejas body that create some kind of balance in the environment and prevent excesses from taking place. All beings in this region experience love and friendship with each other, since their tejas bodies are influenced to generate such conditions in their own self. It is also possible for yogis to influence the local climate to produce or prevent rains by exercising control over clouds. Yogis do it in the interest of the good of the local community and have no self-interest in such activities. The powers of the soul and the capabilities of the prana body are immense, but all spiritual souls use these powers only for the benefit of mankind. However, there are examples in Indian literature when they used these powers for self-interest and destructive activities. They never fulfilled their spiritual aims.
There is yet another way in which the extension of soul-units can take place. If the prana body is extended by some means, the karma body is also extended (since the two are coupled), and the soul experiences extension to the same extent. A divine soul that has attained a higher spiritual state and is able to extend his soul may transmit some of his prana to an eligible and able follower, through some psychic center (usually the brow chakra) of the recipient, who then experiences extension of his prana body. Prana body being of an electric nature, this process of the transfer of prana may involve the transfer of an electric charge or the inducement of a similar electric field in the recipient's body. The karma body of the recipient undergoes a similar extension. In this process, the prana becomes an auxiliary cause for the transformation and fruition of relevant karma, such as shubhanaama karma and gotra karma, and the soul of the recipient experiences a corresponding transformation. The soul-units of the recipient are also extended, and the soul goes through some kind of experience that is made possible by the fruition of karma on the one hand and by soul units coming into contact with objects in the extended space on the other. Such experiences may provide the soul of the recipient a glimpse of space and reality in the region of extension that is not possible in the original state of the soul. Such experiences have been reported by many yogis like Paramhansa Yogananda, Pt. Sriram Sharma Acharya, Shyamacharan Lahiri etc., induced by their respective gurus (see Autobiography of a Yogi by Shri Paramhansa Yogananda and Hamari Vasiyata and Virasata by Shrirama Sharma Acharya). By this method, a guru is able to impart advanced spiritual experiences to his follower, who is then encouraged to proceed on the path of spiritual purification with increased vigour, confidence and determination.
