Agam Me Karm Bandhke Karan - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Agam me Karm Bandhke Karan" by Bansidhar Pandit, focusing on the causes of karmic bondage as explained in the Agamas:

Book Title: Agam me Karm Bandhke Karan (Causes of Karmic Bondage in the Agamas) Author: Bansidhar Pandit Publisher: Z_Bansidhar_Pandit_Abhinandan_Granth_012047.pdf

This text delves into the fundamental principles of karmic bondage within Jainism, drawing heavily from classical Jain scriptures like the Samaysara. The central theme is identifying and explaining the reasons why souls become bound by karma.

Core Causes of Karmic Bondage:

The text, citing Acharya Kundakunda, identifies four primary general causes of karmic bondage:

Mithyatva (Delusion/False Belief): This is the root cause, characterized by a lack of right faith, understanding, and conduct.
Avirati (Non-restraint/Lack of Vows): This refers to the absence of or inability to observe vows and controls, allowing passions to flow freely.
Kashaya (Passions/Mental Afflictions): These are the intense emotions of anger, pride, deceit, and greed, which fuel the karmic inflow.
Yoga (Activities of Body, Speech, and Mind): These are the physical, verbal, and mental actions that, when coupled with passions and delusion, lead to the influx and bondage of karma.

The Role of the Thirteen Gunsthanas (Stages of Spiritual Development):

The text elaborates on these general causes by linking them to the thirteen gunsthanas. These stages represent the soul's progression (or regression) through different states of spiritual awareness and purity. The presence and intensity of the four primary causes (Mithyatva, Avirati, Kashaya, Yoga) vary across these thirteen stages, thereby influencing the nature and extent of karmic bondage.

Mithyatva (Delusion) is predominant in the initial stages (Gunsthana 1).
Avirati (Non-restraint) is a key characteristic of the early stages up to the fourth gunsthana.
Kashaya (Passions) are present in varying degrees throughout the gunsthanas, being strongest in the initial stages and gradually attenuating as the soul progresses.
Yoga (Activities) is constantly present from the first to the thirteenth gunsthana, though its form and intensity change.

Yoga as the Fundamental Cause of Bondage:

The text emphasizes that Yoga is the most fundamental cause of karmic bondage. Yoga is defined as the movement or activity of the soul's vital energy (karma-vargana) through the channels of the body, speech, and mind. This energetic activity, when influenced by the other causes, attracts and binds karmic particles.

Types of Yoga: The intensity and scope of yoga vary depending on the type of being:
- One-sensed beings primarily use bodily vargas.
- Two-sensed to unconscious five-sensed beings use bodily and verbal vargas.
- Conscious five-sensed beings use bodily, verbal, and mental vargas.

Karmic Bondage: Prakruti Bandh and Pradesh Bandh:

Yoga is directly responsible for two key aspects of karmic bondage:

Prakruti Bandh (Nature of Karma): The influx of the eight types of karmic energies (Varganas) based on the soul's activities (Yoga).
Pradesh Bandh (Quantity of Karma): The extent or measure of karmic particles that bind to the soul, also determined by Yoga.

The Role of Kashaya in Bandh: Sthiti Bandh and Anubhaga Bandh:

While Yoga is the basis for Prakruti and Pradesh Bandh, the other two forms of karmic bondage are primarily influenced by Kashaya (Passions):

Sthiti Bandh (Duration of Karma): The determined duration for which a specific karmic bond remains with the soul.
Anubhaga Bandh (Intensity/Taste of Karma): The potency or power of the karmic bond to produce effects and experiences.

These are determined by the intensity and nature of the soul's passions (Kashayas - anger, pride, deceit, greed) and other related states like attachment (Raga) and aversion (Dvesha), which are themselves influenced by the Mohaniya Karma (delusion and passions-inducing karma).

The Interplay of Causes and Specific Karmas:

The text details how specific karmas influence bondage across different gunsthanas. It highlights that not all 148 prakritis (types of karmas) are bindable at every stage. The "favorability" (anukulta) and "unfavorability" (pratikulta) of Yoga, along with the state of Mohaniya Karma (its arousal, subsidence, or destruction), determine which karmas can be bound at each gunsthana.

Detailed breakdown: The text meticulously goes through each gunsthana, explaining which karmic prakritis can or cannot be bound due to the prevailing Yoga and Kashaya states. For example, certain types of bodies, senses, and destinies are only bindable in the earlier gunsthanas.
The special case of the 16 Prakritis: A significant discussion revolves around the 16 prakritis that are bound in the first gunsthana (Mithyatva). The text clarifies that even though a soul in the first gunsthana has the potential to bind these 16 karmas, it's not a certainty for every such soul. The actual binding depends on the soul continuing to engage in "behavioral false belief" and "behavioral false knowledge" leading to "false conduct." If a soul, even while under the influence of Mithyatva karma, adopts "behavioral right belief" and "behavioral right knowledge," leading to vows or partial vows, it will not bind these 16 prakritis. This is crucial for understanding the progression of souls, including those who are "Abhavya" (incapable of liberation).

Reconciling Different Scriptural Statements:

The author addresses potential discrepancies between the number of bindable karmas mentioned in this text (146) and those in other scriptures like Gommatasara Karmakanda (120). This is explained by the fact that Gommatasara, for instance, aggregates certain similar karmic types (like different tastes or colors) into general categories, while this text might enumerate them individually. The core principle of bondage remains the same.

Conclusion:

The text concludes by reiterating that karmic bondage is a complex interplay of Yoga (activities of body, speech, and mind) and Kashaya (passions), fueled by Mithyatva (delusion) and Avirati (non-restraint). The thirteen gunsthanas serve as a framework to understand the varying influence of these causes on the soul's bondage. It emphasizes that understanding these causes is crucial for charting a path towards liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The concept of "activity" (kriya-shakti) influenced by "passion-states" (bhava-shakti) is central to the process of karmic bondage.