Karmkshay Aur Pravrutti

This document is an excerpt from the book "Karmkshay aur Pravrutti" (Karmic Cessation and Engagement) by Kishorlal Mashruwala, published by Z_Jinvani_Karmsiddhant_Visheshank_003842.pdf. The catalog link is provided for reference. The document is for private and personal use only for Jain Education International.

The excerpt discusses the common misconception that complete cessation of karma is necessary for liberation (moksha) and that one must withdraw from all action (karma) to achieve karmic cessation. The author addresses a letter from a friend who raises this point and asks for his views.

Key Points:

• Ambiguous Concepts: Mashruwala begins by stating that our understanding of terms like karma, karmic bondage, karmic cessation, engagement (pravrutti), disengagement (nivrutti), self-knowledge (atmajnan), and liberation is often unclear, leading to confusion in spiritual practice.
• Definition of Karma: He clarifies that karma is any action of the body, speech, or mind. As long as one has a physical body, complete cessation of action is impossible. Even a monk in deep meditation will perform some action when they arise. If we consider the soul (jiva) as existing beyond the body, it remains active even without a physical form. Therefore, the idea that karmic cessation is impossible without ceasing all karma implies that liberation is never achievable.
• True Meaning of Nivrutti (Disengagement): The author stresses that "nivrutti" or "nishkarmata" (actionlessness) should not be mistaken for gross physical inactivity. Instead, it is a subtle, spiritual, intellectual, mental, moral, and even sensory phenomenon.
• Subtlety of Actions: Mashruwala illustrates this with an example of four individuals giving food to four hungry people. Externally, their actions and the outcome (satisfaction of hunger) might seem the same. However, the internal motivations – one acting out of greed, another out of contempt, a third with a desire for merit, and the fourth from a natural, selfless disposition – create significant differences in terms of karmic bondage and cessation. Similarly, the reception of the food by the hungry individuals also has different internal implications.
• Pravrutti vs. Paravrutti: He introduces the terms "vritti" (engagement/disposition) and "paravrutti" (disengagement/turning away). He clarifies that "paravrutti" is not the same as "nivrutti," and many mistake the former for the latter. "Vritti" simply means behavior, while "pravrutti" implies engaging with specific spiritual feelings or intentions. "Paravrutti" means absence of behavior, while "nivrutti" is a distinct spiritual sensibility different from both "vritti" and "paravrutti" related engagement.
• Karma as Capital Misconception: The author critiques the common notion of karma as a kind of "capital" or "stock" that needs to be depleted. He likens it to money that can be spent. However, karma is not like a bundle of money. Its bondage is not a physical burden that diminishes with external engagement or disengagement.
• Karma's Impact on Knowledge and Conduct: Every action, whether known or unknown, produces various subtle and gross results, some immediately and others later. One of these results is an effect on the actor's knowledge and conduct, even if it's as subtle as a speck of dust. The accumulation of these effects over countless actions shapes an individual's character.
• Karmic Cessation and Accumulation: If this character development leads to increasing purity, knowledge, righteousness, and detachment, it is considered karmic cessation. Conversely, if it leads to increasing impurity, ignorance, unrighteousness, and attachment, it is considered karmic accumulation.
• True Cause of Bondage and Liberation: Therefore, the essence of bondage and liberation lies not in the engagement or disengagement of actions, but in the effect that karma has on the individual's knowledge and conduct.
• Liberation in Life: Achieving liberation during one's lifetime means reaching a state where one's knowledge and conduct are no longer affected in a way that allows impurity to re-enter.
• Discernment in Action: This requires discernment in duties. One should avoid wrong actions, perform rightful duties, and refrain from improper actions. Engaging in actions like charity, austerities, and devotion that aid in purification is also necessary.
• Method of Action: Furthermore, discernment is needed in the method of action, such as acting with knowledge, caution, adherence to principles like truth and non-violence, and with a desireless or detached attitude.
• Rejection of Passive Nivrutti: The author concludes by reiterating that the idea of karmic cessation arising from disengagement from actions is incorrect. In fact, he suggests that performing good deeds with attachment or desire might lead to more karmic bondage than refraining from duty-bound actions.

In essence, Mashruwala argues for a nuanced understanding of karma, emphasizing the internal disposition and the impact of actions on one's spiritual progress rather than external cessation or engagement. True spiritual advancement comes from purifying one's intentions and conduct, leading to a state where karma no longer binds.