Papni Saja Bhare Part 02 - Book Summary

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Book Title: Papni Saja Bhare Part 02 (The Punishment of Sin is Heavy, Part 02) Author(s): P.P. Acharya Dev Shrimad Vijay Subodhsurisvarji M.Sa. and P.P. Muniraj Shri Arunvijayji Maharaj Publisher: Dharmanath Po He Jainnagar Swe Mu Jain Sangh

Core Theme: The book delves into the Jain philosophical concepts of Ashrav (influx of karmas) and Bandh (bonding of karmas), explaining how they lead to suffering (sin and its consequences) and hinder spiritual progress, ultimately preventing liberation (Moksha).

Key Concepts and Their Explanation:

The Nature of Happiness and Suffering: The text begins by quoting Acharya Haribhadrasuri, who states that suffering arises from one's own sins (papas), and happiness is obtained from one's own merits (punyas or dharma). This is presented as an eternal truth agreed upon by all religious scriptures. Therefore, to avoid suffering, one should refrain from sin and cultivate dharma.
Karma and Its Binding: The soul binds various types of auspicious (subha) and inauspicious (ashubha) karmas through its activities. Auspicious karmas lead to happiness, and inauspicious karmas lead to suffering.
Ashrav (Influx of Karmas):
- Definition: Ashrav is the inflow of karmic matter into the soul. It is derived from the Sanskrit root 'shru,' meaning to flow or ooze. Just as dirt enters a house through an open door or window, karmic particles (karmavargana) enter the soul.
- Mechanism: This influx occurs through the three channels of thought (man), speech (vachan), and body (kaya), collectively known as Yoga.
- Types of Ashrav:
  - Shubha Ashrav (Auspicious Influx): Leads to the binding of punya (merit). This is associated with virtuous activities like compassion, charity, truthfulness, and control over desires.
  - Ashubha Ashrav (Inauspicious Influx): Leads to the binding of papa (sin). This is associated with harmful activities like violence, falsehood, theft, and lust.
- Detailed Breakdown of Ashrav: The text categorizes the causes of Ashrav into:
  - Indriya (Senses - 5): Attachment to the pleasures of the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing). Examples are given of animals (elephant, fish, bee, moth, deer) being drawn to sensory pleasures and meeting their demise. Humans are also warned against succumbing to sense-gratifications.
  - Kashay (Passions - 4 main, 16 sub-types): Anger, pride, deceit, and greed are considered the primary enemies that lead to the influx of karmas. They corrupt the mind and actions.
  - Avrat (Vows/Restraints - lack thereof): The absence of vows or restraints (Avirati) from practicing virtues like non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possession leads to Ashrav.
  - Yoga (Activities of Mind, Speech, Body): Any activity, whether done oneself, caused to be done, or approved of, through mind, speech, or body, that is impure, leads to Ashrav. This is further broken down into 9 types based on the combination of the three activities (mind, speech, body) and the three modes (doing, causing to do, approving).
  - Kriya (Actions - 25 types): A comprehensive list of 25 types of actions that contribute to Ashrav is provided. These range from physical actions (kayiki) and actions related to destruction (adhikaraniki) to mental states like aversion (pradesiki) and emotional distress (paritapaniki), violence (pranatipatiki), starting ventures (arambhik), hoarding (parigrahi), deceit (mayapratyayiki), not taking vows (apratyakhyaniki), wrong beliefs (mithyadarshanapratyayiki), attachment/aversion (drushtiki, smrushtiki), envy (samantapatiki), and self-destruction (svahastiki).
The Nature of Karmic Bonding (Bandh):
- Analogy: Similar to how cement and water mix to form a solid structure, or sugar dissolves in milk to create a unified substance, karmic matter (karmavargana) mixes with the soul's essence.
- Causes of Bandh: The text identifies five main causes for karma binding, with 22 sub-types:
  - Mithyatva (False Beliefs): Wrong knowledge and beliefs about reality, such as believing in false deities, gurus, or scriptures. This is presented as the root of all karma.
  - Avirati (Lack of Restraint): As explained under Ashrav, the absence of vows.
  - Pramad (Negligence/Carelessness): Classified into five types: infatuation (mad), sensory indulgence (vishay), passions (kashay), sleep (nidra), and idle talk/gossip (vikatha).
  - Kashay (Passions): The four primary passions are again highlighted as significant drivers of karma binding.
  - Raga (Attachment/Affection) & Dvesha (Aversion/Hatred): While Kashays are the root, attachment and aversion to worldly objects and experiences further solidify the karmic bonds.
The Four Aspects of Karma Binding:
- Prakruti Bandh (Type of Karma): The nature or quality of the karma bound. Illustrated with analogies of blindfolding the eyes (knowledge-obscuring karma), a doorkeeper blocking entry (perception-obscuring karma), honey on a sword's edge (feeling karma), intoxication (delusion karma), and a prisoner in jail (age karma).
- ** Pradesh Bandh (Quantity of Karma):** The mass or quantity of karmic particles that bind to the soul. Analogies of laddu (sweet balls) with different quantities of ingredients are used to illustrate how subtle the karmic particles are.
- Ras Bandh (Intensity of Karma): The potency or taste of the karma, determined by the intensity of the passions. A bitter neem juice analogy is used, showing how concentration (boiling down) increases bitterness. This determines the experienced intensity of happiness or suffering.
- Sthiti Bandh (Duration of Karma): The time period for which the karma remains bound to the soul. This is explained through minimum and maximum durations, highlighting how intense passions can lead to very long durations of karmic effects.
The Impact of Karma on the Soul:
- Veiling of Soul's Qualities: The eight types of karmas veil the soul's inherent eight infinite qualities (infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss, infinite energy, etc.). This covering is called Avaran.
- The Cycle of Birth and Death: Karma binds the soul to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, subjecting it to suffering.
- No External Agent: The text strongly emphasizes that no external God or being causes happiness or suffering. The soul itself is the doer of its karmas and experiences their consequences. The belief in an external dispenser of fate is debunked.
The Path to Liberation (Moksha):
- Samvar (Cessation of Ashrav): The text quotes Acharya Hemchandracharya: "Ashrav is to be completely abandoned, and Samvar is the means to achieve it." Samvar is the stoppage of the influx of karmas.
- Nirjara (Shedding of Karmas): While not explicitly detailed in these pages, the implication is that by stopping Ashrav and practicing austerities and virtuous conduct, existing karmas can be shed.
- Virtuous Conduct (Dharma): Dharma is presented as having two aspects: prescribed actions (Vidhi) and prohibited actions (Nishedh). Following these injunctions leads to spiritual progress.
- The Importance of Renunciation and Restraint: The path to liberation involves gradually renouncing sinful activities and adopting virtues and restraints.
- The Role of Character and Practice: True spiritual progress is not just about performing rituals but about purifying one's character and actions. The analogy of the boatman who knows how to swim versus the professor who doesn't, even with knowledge, highlights the importance of practical application (Achar).
- The Significance of Early Moral Training: The text stresses the importance of imparting moral and ethical values from childhood to prevent the formation of bad habits and the accumulation of negative karma.
- The Distinction between Worry and Contemplation: Worry (Chinta) is karmically binding, while contemplation (Chintan) on spiritual truths leads to karma reduction.
- The Power of Observation and Imitation: Humans learn through observation and imitation. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid observing or hearing about others' sins, as it can lead to adopting those behaviors.
- The Purity of Action and Thought: The ultimate goal is the purification of both actions (Achar) and thoughts (Vichar). While virtuous actions can lead to pure thoughts, pure thoughts are also essential for pure actions.

Structure and Presentation:

The book is presented as a series of Sunday lectures, likely part of a religious education camp.
It uses analogies and examples from nature and everyday life to explain complex philosophical concepts.
The language is Gujarati, and the explanations are detailed and systematic.
Illustrations (though not provided in the text format) are mentioned, suggesting a visually engaging approach.

Overall Message: The core message is a profound warning about the weight and consequences of sin. It guides the reader towards understanding the mechanisms of karma, the causes of suffering, and the essential path of virtue, restraint, and pure conduct to escape the cycle of rebirth and attain liberation. The book emphasizes personal responsibility for one's destiny, driven by one's own actions.