Prof. Dr. Sohan Raj Tater
In Psychology, the difference, between the living organism (jīva) and life is very specific. The study of karma theory makes the difference quite clear. Heredity is related to life, in the same way karma is related to the jīva, in which all the karmas and reactions of so many pre-births are accumulated in the form of karma śarīra.[1] So the individual ability and extra ordinary talent not only base on present life it can be traced out beyond it in the accumulated karmas bonded with jīva i.e. karma śarīra.[1]
Biology believes that the important component of body is gene. It is the characteristic formula, it is very subtle. Every gene contains sixty lakhs of orders in it. Its subtleness is a merely hypothesis. Where does our consciousness reside? Whether it is present in chromosomes and genes? That is why so much difference is there from man to man. Every one's self-exertion is not same. Every one's consciousness is not the same. As per doctrine of karma the cause of this dissimilarity is due to "karma"[3]
Once Gandhara Gautama asked Lord Mahāvirā[4]: kammoṇaṁ bhante jīve no akkammāo vibhakti bhawaṁ pariṇamaī. There appears dissimilarity in whole world, some possess less knowledge and the other possess more. What is reason of this?
Mahāvīra replied, "karma is the cause of this dissimilarity".
If a biologist of today is asked this question, he will reply that the root cause of all dissimilarity is "gene". The characteristics of genes and chromosomes determine the human personality. His temperament and behaviour becomes the same as the genes are. This gene is responsible for all dissimilarities.[5] As per biology every gene contains sixty lakhs orders in it. As per Doctrine of karma on every karma particle written infinite instructions.[6]
Now science has been able to reach only upto the genes. Gene is the component of physical body, but karma is the component of subtle body. Inside this physical body lies astral body - the electric body which is subtle and karma śarīra which is subtler than that, it is the subtlest. It's every part has infinite inscriptions. All records of our self-exertion, of goodness, of bad works, of limitations and of specialties are inscribed in the karma body. Man begins to behave according to vibrations received from karma śarīra. The theory of karma is very subtle. It is the theory beyond the subtle intellect. Today's science of the genetics has helped us in understanding this theory of karma.
Genes are the transporters of heredity characteristics.[7] The difference, perceptible in every man, is due to the genes. For every special characteristic, a special type of gene exists. These laws of heredity are the messenger laws of karmavāda.[8]
The travel from the physical body upto the subtle body, is very important in itself. This body is physical, and it is made of subtle biological cells. There are about 100 trillion cells in human body. If these cells are understood according to the Jaina Philosophy, that at the point of a needle, infinite nigoda jīvas be accommodated there.[9] Nigoda is one of the species of vegetation. It is a subtle secret thing. But the present science also postulates many subtle concepts. There exist trillions of cells in our body, and they contain the chromosomes, and every chromosome is made of 1-2 thousand genes. There are 46 chromosomes in one cell in our body which are made of genes. Genes are very subtle.
If a comparative study is made, the heredity, genes and all the chemicals changes - all three are the Doctrine of karma. Gene is the component of our physical body, and the karma is the component of our subtler body (karma śarīra). Both are intertwined with the body. Ācārya Mahāprajña says, that genes not only transport the traits of parents, but they also represent our bonded karmas.[10]
Doctoral Thesis, JVBU