Part 3.4 - Nine Elements (6): Papa (Unfavourable condition)

[Full title: Doctrines of Jainism (4): The Nine Elements (nava-tattvas) (6): Papa (Unfavourable condition, Unwholesome deeds)]

When our activities are bad, cause suffering to others, we earn Papa karmas. When matures, it results into suffering and miseries. Unfortunately, most Papa karmas do not show their results immediately, people do not care about the consequences. Papa karma brings sufferings, diseases in this and future lives. All deeds that are not good are Papa.^[1]

Jain scripture “Bhagvati sutra^[2]”, the fourth Agama describes eighteen kinds of sinful activities (papasthanaka, pāpasthanaka) in which one should not get involved. Or do it with regrets, if must, and repent for doing such act, never enjoy doing it.

They are as under:

a) Pranatipata (hurting or killing life, starving, verbal violence): Every aspect of life we do the violence knowingly or unknowingly.

b) Mrsavada (telling lie, spreading rumors, writing false documents): It has become part of our life and getting more and more difficult to stick to the truth.

c) Adattadana (stealing, theft, to take without permission)

d) Maithuna (unchaste, sensual enjoyment, lust): mostly, we are slave of our senses through out our life.

e) Parigraha (possessiveness): Under the influence of our greed, we forget that one day, we have to leave all here and nothing comes with us after death.

f) Krodha (anger, intolerance): In no time, it destroys the fruits of all good deeds and spiritual practices.

g) Mana (arrogance, ego): It is very harmful on the path of spirituality.

h) Maya (cheating, deceit): It is very difficult to get out of clutch of it and to be simple and sober.

i) Lobha (greed, which leads to anger, jealousy and war): Greed leads to many other Papa-karma.

j) Raga (attachment): We normally get and remain attached to our body, belongings and relatives.

k) Dvesha (hatred, enmity): It’s lust for comfort, hatred for pain and miseries.

l) Kalaha (quarreling): Greed, lust and rag-dwesh leads to this Papa.

m) Abhyakhyana (accusation): Our common nature of putting allegation on others for our faults leads to this Papaa.

n) Paisunya (gossip): Nobody likes to get victimized of it.

o) Rati-arati (liking and disliking): pleasure and displeasure for sensual activities. Lack of equanimity, partiality and prejudice.

p) Parparivada (criticism): It leads to hurting others and painful for us too.

q) Maya mrshavada (malice, telling a malicious lie): It is a combination of b) and

h) Mithyatva salya (wrong habits, to keep faith in false beliefs): The biggest root cause of other Papa mentioned above is this mithyatva or Avidya. Acarya Hemchandra defines mithyatva as "belief in false divinities, false gurus and false scriptures^[3] ". This leads to suffering.

Above referred papasthanakas are also called as kasayas. “kasa” means worldly life and “aya” means gain. And with this gaining of worldly life, there is no chance of liberation. Thus, these kasayas are hurdles on the spiritual path. One can understand that anger and ego are part of dvesa and deceit and greed are part of raga.

Each of these kasayas are classified into four catagories^[4] as under:

1. Anantanubandhi: This level of kasaya is extremely severe. It obstructs right faith and conduct.

2. Apratyakhyaniya: Intensity here is severe. It obstructs partial renunciation and partial vows.

3. Pratyakhyaniya: The intensity is moderate here. It obstructs total renunciation. The aspirant is unable to take vritts, can’t follow or implement. It is compared with a line drawn on sand which gets eliminated with few efforts.

4. Sanjvalan: The intensity is slight and hardly lasts for 15days. It obstructs total faith and knowledge. It is compared with a line drawn on water, gets pacified without much efforts.

There are few additional papasthanakas (pseudo-passions) as given below:

1. Hasya (laughing or joking)
2. Rati and A-rati (passionate)
3. Soka (sadness)
4. Bhaya (fear)
5. Jugupsa (disgust)
6. Purusveda (cause of male sexual desire for women)
7. Striveda (cause of female sexual desire for men)
8. Napumsakaveda (cause of androgynal sexual desire -for both male and female)

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ato'nyatpāpam | Tattvartha-sutra 8.26

[2]:

Bhagvatisutra, p.299

[3]:

Robert Williams, Jaina Yoga: A Survey of the Mediaeval Sravakacaras, Motilal Banarsidass, 1998, p. 47

[4]:

http://www.jainworld.com/philosophy/passions.asp, (Retrieved on 28/09/2015) and “Look N Learn” magazine dt.10/06/2013, Parasdham, Mumbai