Part 16: The eight karmas

Fur thermore, the rising, destruction, destruction and subsidence, and subsidence of the karmas take place here, after they have been affected by substance, space, time, state of mind, and birth. Creatures’ karmas attain their respective fruits from conjunction with the totality of substance, etc., as named above. These karmas are eight,^[1] as follows:

Tha t is knowledge-obscuring-karma by which the knowledge of a person with an omniscient form^[2] is always covered like an eye by a curtain. Mati, śruta, avadhi, manaḥparyāya, and kevala—these five knowledges are covered, and these are the five kinds of knowledge-obscuring. The obscuring of the five sleep-perceptions and of the group of four^[3] is the result of perception-obscuring karma. Just as some one wishing to see his master is presented by the door-keeper and does not see him,^[4] so the means by which the soul does not see is perception-obscuring.

That is called feeling-karma which has the feeling of pleasure and pain inherent, resembling the tasting of the point of a sword-blade smeared with honey.

The wise define deluding-karma, which is equal to wine-drinking, as that by which the confused soul is deluded about right and wrong. This is called right-belief-deluding when it causes wrong-belief as a result; right-conduct-deluding when it prevents self-control.

Age-karma is fourfold: of man, animal, hell-inhabitant, and god, and is a holder of creatures in their respective births, like a prison.

Body-making-karma makes a variety in the condition of existence (gati), genus (jati), etc., like a painter. Its result is in the (different) bodies of creatures.

Family-determining-karma is high and low, causing high or low family like a potter making milk-vessels and wine-vessels.

The means by which the powers of liberality, etc. being restrained do not bear fruit is obstructive-karma, resembling a store-house.

If one meditates on the results of the original nature of the karmas as described, the dharmadhyāna, called ‘vipākavicaya,’ takes place.

That is ‘saṃsthānavicaya’ in which one meditates on the form of the universe without beginning and without end, with the characteristics of permanence, origination, and perishing.^[5] The universe, in the shape of a man standing in the vaiśākha-position^[6] with his hands on his hips; filled with substance having the characteristics of permanence, origination, perishing; at the bottom resembling a cane-stand, in the middle of a jhallarī, and at the top a muraja,^[7] is composed as follows:

It is filled with three worlds, and in it seven earths are surrounded by very strong thick water, thick wind, and thin wind. The three worlds are divided into lower, middle, and upper—the terms ‘lower, middle, and upper’ being used, however, in reference to Rucaka. Rucaka has four units of space in the shape of a cow’s teat at the center of Meru;^[8] and above the same as below, so making eight units. The Middle World extends nine hundred yojanas above and below Rucaka.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For karma, see I, App. II.

[2]:

Capable of attaining omniscience.

[3]:

The first 4 of darśanāvaraṇīya: cakṣu°, acakṣu⁰, avadhi⁰, and kevala⁰.

[4]:

This comparison is as apt today as in the author’s time.

[5]:

See I, p. 209.

[6]:

See I, n. 309.

[7]:

A jhallarī is a circular, flat cymbal or gong. The Middle World is circular. Muraja is the same as mṛdaṅga. Abhi. 2. 207.

[8]:

From standpoint of thickness. They are at ground-level, which is not the center with reference to height.