The Philosophy of Karma
Summary
The article "The Philosophy of Karma" by S. C. Diwaker examines the Jaina theory of karma, arguing that it provides a rational and scientific explanation for the universe's workings, distinct from theistic doctrines that rely on a creator God. The author asserts that the universe is self-existent, composed of eternal sentient substances (the soul) and non-sentient matter (atoms), which combine through inherent properties. This rational view rejects the idea of a supreme being who creates and controls a world filled with suffering, as such a being would be contradicted by natural calamities. However, the Jainas are not atheists; they believe in a perfect, passionless Paramatman who is free from worldly creation and is worshipped for spiritual advancement. The core argument is that the soul is bound by karma through vibrations caused by passions like anger and deceit, which attract and assimilate subtle karmic atoms. This bondage is an inviolable law of cause and effect, explaining the soul's varied conditions. The author supports this with references to modern scientific observations of radioactivity, the views of Swami Vivekananda on evolving a God out of man, and the elucidation of scholar C. R. Jain regarding the soul's reflective nature. Acarya Pujyapada’s Sarvartha Siddhi is cited to explain how passions transform matter into karmic matter. The text details the destruction of karma through the "fire" of right belief, knowledge, and conduct, a process that dissociates karmic molecules from the soul rather than annihilating them, a principle corroborated by Democritus and the Gita. It then systematically classifies the eight types of karma: Jnanavaraniya (obstructing knowledge), Darshanavaraniya (obstructing perception), Vedaniya (enabling pleasure or pain sensations), Mohaniya (causing delusion), Ayuh (determining lifespan), Nama (determining physical form), Gotra (determining social status), and Antaraya (creating obstacles). The article concludes by emphasizing the soul's dual nature—pure in essence but practically bound—and advocates for detachment and meditation to attain liberation and Godhood.
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Conclusion
This article demonstrates that Jaina philosophy presents a rational, scientific, and elaborate treatment of the Karma theory, fundamentally rejecting the notion of a supreme, world-creating deity. Instead, it posits an eternal, self-existent universe governed by the inviolable law of cause and effect. The central finding is that the soul, though intrinsically pure and perfect, becomes entangled in karmic matter through psychic vibrations like passion and deceit. These karmas, which are material atoms attracted to the soul, dictate the individual’s conditions of life, including knowledge, perception, pleasure, delusion, lifespan, physical form, social status, and obstacles. The ultimate implication of this framework is profound self-reliance; the soul is the architect of its own destiny. Spiritual liberation is achievable through the systematic destruction of these karmas via right belief, knowledge, and conduct, allowing the mundane Jiva to evolve and attain the supreme status of Godhood.