Notes - Week 4 - Karma

Week 4 Notes

Karma

1) All souls are equal.

2) A Soul has no form, shape or definition.

3) Its nature is just infinite knowledge, and devoid of attachments.

4) It is eternal.

But what is the reality we see?

Good/ Bad luck.

Upper/Lower caste.

Health/disease.

Wealth/poverty.

Intelligent/stupidity

Long life/short life.

The Law of Karma

What is the reason for all the differences if all souls are meant to be equal and perfect?  Is it God's will, luck or just the way things are?  

Is there any rule or law which decides all these things?

To this Jainism answers YES

There is a law which decides and explains all these things.  It is the LAW OF KARMA – the law of cause and effect.

What is Karma?

There are very fine Karmic particles present in the entire universe.  They are extremely subtle, invisible even under a powerful microscope.

Through a body, the soul is able to experience the material world. 

A soul experiences the material world through a body’s senses – Touch, Sight, Hearing, Smell and Taste.

The sensations felt give rise to feelings of Like and Dislike (Rag and Dwesh), and from there the 4 inner enemies or intentions are awakened, and also are attachments formed. 

The more the attachments, the more the soul wants to experience.

For as long as a soul keeps away from all experiences, hence attachments, it is fine, but as soon as it experiences the material world, then the law of Karma comes into play.

As soon as the soul forms Likes and Dislikes, the 4 inner enemies or intentions are awakened, then Karma particles attach to the soul.

On their own Karma particles floating around do not mean anything, do not do anything.  As soon as they attach themselves to a soul as a result of above, they taint it because a chain of reactions follows.

Simply put, what happens is, the soul’s this experience will now become the cause of an effect which the soul will experience at some other point in time.  This chain of reaction is set off by the Karma particles sticking to the soul.  Karma is now said to have been bound to the soul.  The Karma will come to fruition at some point and the soul will have to go through the process of enduring whatever the effect of that fruition will be.  New Karma can be bound again at the time of fruition or if the right effort is played by the soul, then no new Karma are bound at the time of fruition.

Eg – say you get angry with someone and shout rudely at the person.  As soon as that happens, the soul binds Karma.  And the law says that depending on the circumtances of what has just happened you will now experience the fruit of that Karma in due time.  That could be you getting shouted at in some future scenario.

However for as long as we cannot avoid Like and Dislike, and the 4 inner enemies the soul will forever experience the material world and keep binding and shedding Karma in an endless cycle.

The Law of Karma is timeless. 

Characteristics of Karma

1. Nature

There are 8 types of Karma, four of which are related to the innate quality of atma and four of which are related with our physical existence.

2. Duration

When the effect of the karma will come into fruition and how long the effect will last i.e. for how long the karma will stay with the soul.

3. Intensity

The ‘bhava’  (feeling or enthusiasm)  while doing the activity, will determine the stickiness of the Karma.

4. Quantity

The activity done will determine the different quantity of karma that will stick to the soul

Nature of Karma.  The 8 types of Karmas

4 types obstruct the qualities of the soul

1) Knowledge obscuring

2) Perception obscuring

3) Obstructive Karma

4) Belief and conduct deluding

4 types relate to physical existence.

5) Feeling producing

6) Physique determining

7) Lifespan determining

8) Status determining

1)      Knowledge obscuring Karma

§  Some of the effects are that one will have are: ignorance, an inability to understand, incapability of being taught, illiteracy, and stammering etc.

§  They will not be able to learn and retain knowledge.

How is knowledge obscuring Karma avoided?

—  Never insult, slander, condemn, conceal or be envious of Knowledge, scholars and implements of knowledge.

—  Never throw books around, tear pages, set them on fire.

—  Never hinder someone from obtaining knowledge

—  Never show laziness, contempt, or displeasure in studying

—  Do not impart unwholesome teaching

2)      Perception obscuring Karma

—  This Karma diminishes the powers of perception through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin to the extent that we may not be able to see well, hear well, smell well, taste well or feel well.

—  Some other effects also relate to powers of sleep over wakefulness. Sleep walking, fainting etc. are all due to this Karma.

How is perception obscuring Karma avoided?

—  By not criticizing Religious teachers, and the religion

—  By not misusing sense organs

—  By faithfully practicing the religion to one’s capacity, helping others to follow it

—  By not trying to find faults with other people’s perception.

3)      Obstructive Karma (Antaraya)

This Karma is responsible for all the obstacles that we face in our lives. Some examples:

·         One will not be able to donate to charity even though one has huge saving.

·         One cannot enjoy a food or drink e.g. Diabetics.

·         One cannot enjoy non consumables such as cars, houses, clothes etc.

·         One cannot be able to earn even though he makes every effort.

·         It hinders the will power eg. one cannot take vows easily.

How is Antaraya Karma accumulated?

—  By obstructing others from worship of the Jinas or other spiritual activity like austerities.

—  Depriving others of their due profit and raising obstacles in the path of their progress

—  Obstructing others from doing service or giving to charity and not doing charity yourself.

—  Obstructing others from attaining food, water, etc

—  Causing a loss to someone else.

4)      Belief and conduct deluding Karma (Mohaniya)

The KING of all Karmas.

—  Creates doubts about religion and spiritual teachers.

—  Destroys faith in the Jinas

—  Causes attachment and Hatred

—  Brings forth the inner enemies i.e. anger, ego, greed and deceit.

How is Belief and conduct deluding Karma accumulated

—  By treating religion with contempt (adverse attitude and behaviour towards the Jinas, scriptures and the religion).

—  Ill treatment of saints and good persons

—  Having deep attachment and hatred

—  Lamenting and weeping

—  Becoming over excited, irritable, furious, greedy, egoistic and deceptive.

5)      Feeling producing Karma (Vedaniya)

        There are two sub types:

—  those that cause happiness

—  those that cause sorrow

Effects are Good health/ sickness

Happiness / Sorrow

How are feeling producing Karma (Vedaniya) accumulated?

       The subtype that bring sorrow:

—  By causing pain, grief, agony, crying, injury, harassing, or lamenting in oneself or others or both.

—  By causing others to worry or making others miserable.

—  The subtype that bring happiness:

—  Compassion for all living beings –

—  By helping others

—  Giving protection and peace to others

—  Sharing and comforting

—  Practice of tolerance

—  Freedom from greed

6)      Physique determining Karma (Naam)

—  Determines the body that the soul will have and what it will look like.

—  Determines where the soul is born i.e. as a human, in heaven, hell or plant/animal kingdom

How are Physique determining Karma (Naam) accumulated

Again two subsets:

Negative accumulated by:

—  Making fun of people who are ugly, short, or showing off our build.

—  Being proud of beauty, power, caste, intelligence, knowledge and wealth.

—  Crooked and misleading actions such as cheating and deceiving others. Being hard hearted and cunning

Positive accumulated by:

—  Simple life and maintaining good conduct

—  Following rules and discipline in religious practice

—  Being charitable and merciful.

—  Being straightforward with little attachment or aggression

7)      Lifespan determining Karma (Ayushya)

—  This Karma determines the life span of this life.

8)      Status determining (Gotra) Karma

Determines your birth in a low and poor society or in a high and respected society.

Low status brought about by

—  Defaming others

—  Praising oneself

—  Hiding others merits and finding fault

       High status brought about by

§  The opposite of the above,

§  Humility and

§  Modesty

Intensity

The Karmas attach to the soul in four ways depending on the intention behind the action.

—  1) Loose- Easily shed by REGRET

—  2) Tight- These Karmas are shed by offering an APOLOGY.

—  3) Tighter – These Karmas can only be shed by strong efforts, like AUSTERITY.

—  4) Tightest – These Karmas can only be shed by BEARING the results.

The five factors which bring about any event or action are:

—  time,

—  nature of things,

—  Fate,

—  Karma and

—  self-effort (0ne’s own efforts and initiatives)

Karma is not the sole factor which affects our life.

Which is the most important of these five? Which is the most effectual?

Self-effort as you can change your destiny with that!

By understanding and awareness, we should realize that we can do something to our accumulated Karmas.  We can get rid of these Karmas ahead of time by special effort and pacify our passions and do good for the soul. 

When the soul gets free from the clutches of these eight Karmas, it's original quality blossoms. That is the status of the Supreme Soul.