Karmvada

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text on Karmavada (Karma Theory) by Sukhlal Sanghavi:

The text, titled "Karmavada," from Z_Darshan_aur_Chintan_Part_1_2_002661.pdf by Sukhlal Sanghavi, elaborates on the Jain perspective of karma and its role in life, contrasting it with other philosophical schools.

Core Tenets of Jain Karmavada:

• Karma as a Cause: Jain philosophy posits that karma is a significant cause, alongside time, nature, and individual effort (purushartha), for the diverse states of existence observed in the world, such as happiness and sorrow, prosperity and adversity, high and low status.
• Rejection of an External Creator/Motivator: Crucially, Jainism rejects the idea of an omnipotent God as the creator of the universe or the dispenser of karmic fruits. Unlike some other Indian philosophies (like Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Yoga, and Vedanta), which link God to creation and the fruition of actions, Jainism asserts that beings are responsible for their own karmic actions and their consequences.
• Self-Sovereignty of the Soul: The soul (atma) is considered the doer of actions and the enjoyer of their fruits. It is also the entity that can achieve liberation (nirvana). The soul is self-sufficient and does not require divine intervention for its actions or liberation.

Critiques and Jain Responses:

The text addresses three main objections raised by those who believe in a creator or motivator God:

1. The Argument from Design (World as a Creation):

   • Objection: Just as man-made objects (like clocks, houses) have creators, the universe, being a complex creation, must also have a creator.
   • Jain Response: The universe is eternal and has no beginning or end. The changes and transformations seen within it are due to the inherent nature of matter and its interactions, powered by forces like heat and motion, not due to a divine act of creation. Examples include mountains forming from accumulated soil and stones, or water evaporating and raining.

2. The Argument for Divine Intervention in Karmic Results:

   • Objection: All beings perform good and bad actions, but no one desires the fruits of bad actions. Since karma itself is inert, it cannot deliver results without the inspiration of a conscious being (God). Therefore, God must be the one who makes beings experience the fruits of their karma.
   • Jain Response: While karma is inert, it gains the potential to produce results through its association with the conscious soul. The soul, being conscious, has the capacity to act. When a soul performs an action, its consciousness interacts with the karmic matter, creating subtle impressions (samskaras) that lead to the experience of karmic fruits at the appropriate time. The soul's desire or lack thereof does not negate the natural consequence of its actions. Just as sunlight ripening fruit is a natural process, karmic seeds ripen and yield results when the time is right, without external divine direction.

3. The Argument for a Unique, Eternally Liberated God:

   • Objection: If liberation means escaping karma, then all liberated souls become equal to God. This contradicts the belief in a unique, eternally liberated God who has some distinguishing characteristic.
   • Jain Response: Jainism agrees that all liberated souls attain a state of perfection similar to what is understood as divine. The difference between a bound soul and a liberated soul (or "God" in the Jain context) lies in the presence or absence of obscuring karmic veils. When a soul sheds these veils, its inherent infinite consciousness, knowledge, and bliss are fully revealed. Therefore, all liberated souls are, in essence, divine. The concept of a single, unique God is based on faith rather than a necessary ontological truth from a Jain perspective. The ultimate goal is for every soul to manifest its own inherent divinity.

Utility of Karmavada:

• Overcoming Adversity: When facing obstacles, people tend to become agitated, blame others, and lose their mental stability. The theory of karma provides a guiding principle: the true cause of an obstacle lies within oneself, in one's own past actions. This realization fosters self-reflection, reduces blame, calms the mind, and empowers individuals to face challenges with equanimity and perseverance.
• Developing Inner Strength and Peace: Belief in karma instills inner peace and strength, enabling individuals to remain steadfast like the Himalayas during storms. It teaches valuable lessons from past experiences to prepare for future well-being, fostering true humanity.
• Ethical Foundation: The principle that no action is lost aligns with scientific concepts of energy conservation. It encourages righteous conduct, as good actions lead to prosperity, and bad actions lead to suffering. It provides motivation for ethical living and resilience in the face of hardship. Dr. Max Müller is quoted positively on the impact of karma theory in reducing human suffering and encouraging self-improvement.

Origins and Purpose of Karmavada:

• Origin: Traditionally, Jainism and its concept of karma are considered co-eternal. Historically, the current formulation and emphasis on karma as a central doctrine are attributed to Lord Mahavir.
• Purpose: The introduction of Karmavada by Mahavir had three primary objectives:
  1. Correcting Vedic Misconceptions: To dispel the Vedic belief in an all-powerful creator God and the notion that liberation is solely dependent on divine grace.
  2. Countering Buddhist Momentariness (Kshanakavada): To refute the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence, which makes the concept of karmic fruition difficult to explain if the soul itself is constantly perishing. Jainism posits a soul that is neither eternally the same nor momentary, but rather a continuous stream of consciousness undergoing transformation.
  3. Establishing the Soul as an Independent Entity: To assert the soul as distinct from inert matter and to refute materialistic philosophies that deny a permanent, conscious self after the dissolution of the body.

Introduction to Karmashastra (The Science of Karma):

• Jain Emphasis: While Vedic and Buddhist literature contain ideas about karma, Jainism offers a far more detailed, systematic, and extensive treatment. Karmashastra is considered the "heart" of Jain literature.
• Evolution and Branches: Jain karma literature has evolved over time and can be broadly categorized:
  • Purvatmak Karmashastra: The original scriptures, now lost, containing eight volumes on karma.
  • Uddhrita (Quoted) Karmashastra: Texts extracted from the Purvas, still extant in Shvetambara (e.g., Karmaprakriti, Shataka) and Digambara (e.g., Mahakarmaprakritiprabhrta) traditions.
  • Prakaranik Karmashastra: Later compilations and commentaries that are widely studied today, developed from the 8th-9th centuries to the 16th-17th centuries CE.
• Language: The literature spans Prakrit (the original language of many texts), Sanskrit (for commentaries and later original works), and regional languages for translations.

Karma in Relation to Body, Language, and Senses:

Jain karmashastra delves into the intricacies of the body, language, and senses, describing their formation, evolution, and the causal links to karma. While the primary focus is on karma, these related discussions contribute to understanding the soul's journey.

Karmashastra as Spiritual Science:

• Understanding the Soul: Karmashastra is presented as a branch of spiritual science (adhyatmashastra). It explains the soul's empirical state (its bondage with karma) before delving into its ultimate, pure nature. This explains the apparent states of the soul as embodied beings, happy or unhappy.
• Path to Liberation: It clarifies how the soul, though intrinsically pure, appears sullied due to karmic influences. The process of shedding these influences and realizing one's true divine nature is the ultimate goal. The soul's union with the divine (Paramaatma) is seen as the manifestation of its inherent divinity, not merging with an external deity.
• Distinguishing Self from Non-Self: Karmashastra teaches discrimination between the self (soul) and the non-self (body, senses, external possessions), helping to overcome the illusion of identification with the material world (bahiratmasattva).
• Inner Vision: By removing the illusion of the self being the body, it opens the inner eye, leading to the realization of the soul's divine potential. This journey, from misidentification to discrimination and then to true contemplation of the divine within, is the essence of its spiritual teaching.
• Universal Principles: It aligns with concepts found in yoga shastra, emphasizing detachment and spiritual practice.

Key Concepts Related to Karma:

• Meaning of "Karma": "Karma" has diverse meanings across different philosophical schools. In Jainism, it specifically refers to:
  1. Bhava Karma: Mental states driven by passions (kashayas) like attachment and aversion.
  2. Dravya Karma: Subtle karmic particles that adhere to the soul due to bhava karma.
• Synonyms for Karma: Various terms like Maya, Avidya, Prakriti, Vasana, Samskara, etc., are used in other philosophies to denote similar concepts related to action and its consequences.
• Nature of Karma: Actions performed due to delusion (mithyatva), lack of restraint (avirati), passions (kashaya), and sensory activities (yoga) are considered karma. Kashaya is the root cause.
• Criterion for Merit/Demerit (Punya/Papa): The true basis for good or bad karma is not just the outward action but the intention or disposition (aashaya) behind it. Pure intentions lead to merit, while impure intentions lead to demerit.
• True Non-Attachment (Nirlepta): True freedom from karmic bondage comes from the absence of inner agitation (kashaya), not just the cessation of external actions. Detachment from mental disturbances is the key.
• Eternity of Karma: Karma is considered beginningless (anadi) in its flow, though individual karmic actions have a beginning. The Jain perspective argues against a beginning for the karmic stream to avoid paradoxes about the soul's purity and liberation.
• Causes of Karmic Bondage: The primary causes are Mithyatva (delusion), Avirati (non-restraint), Kashaya (passions), and Yoga (activities of mind, speech, and body). Kashaya is the most significant.
• Means of Liberation from Karma: Jainism prescribes the Three Jewels: Right Faith (Samyagdarshan), Right Knowledge (Samyagjnana), and Right Conduct (Samyagcharitra). These encompass all the paths for liberation recognized in other traditions, including karma and yoga.
• Soul's Independent Existence: The text provides seven proofs for the soul's independent existence: self-awareness, absence of contradictory evidence, inference from negation, logical reasoning, scriptural authority, the opinions of great souls, and the phenomenon of rebirth.

Jain Philosophy's Uniqueness Regarding Karma:

• Stages of Karma: Jainism details three stages of karma: Bandhyaman (binding), Satva (existence), and Udayaman (fructifying).
• Classification of Karma: It classifies karma into eight main types and 148 sub-types, providing a comprehensive explanation of the soul's experienced states.
• Detailed Analysis: Jain karmashastra addresses numerous intricate questions about karma, such as how karma binds the soul, how it generates power, its duration, how its effects can be modified, how one karma can transform into another, how future karma can be experienced earlier, how pure spiritual states can override karmic effects, the nature of the soul as both doer and enjoyer yet ultimately not bound by action, and the process of shedding karmic coverings.
• "Karma Vipaka" and "Pratham Karmagrantha": The text introduces "Karma Vipaka" (the fruition of karma) as a foundational text, also known as "Pratham Karmagrantha" (First Karmic Text), likely a summary of the earlier, more extensive "Karma Vipaka" by Garg Rishi. This text details the nature, causes, and effects of different karmas, using illustrative examples.

The work emphasizes the profound and detailed nature of the Jain understanding of karma, highlighting its central role in the spiritual path and its distinctive approach compared to other philosophical systems. It is presented as a fundamental aspect of Jain spiritual science.