4.7. Yoga and Passions

One’s life goes on surrounded by karma at all times. One can never be without them, karma that are caused by passions which are four in number:

1. krodha (anger),
2. mana (pride),
3. maya (delusion) and
4. lobha (greed).

Together they keep the soul’s journey bound in life-death and rebirth.

‘Sthiti bandha and anubhaga bandha are brought about by passions which are, actually, in charge of the polluted reality including transmigration and metempsychosis. It pursues that the bandha by yoga in the absence of passions is bondage without any mundane consequence whatsoever.’^[1]

If there are no passions, no yoga can happen hence no new karma can be bound.

In today’s world to start the journey towards self-introspection one may consider to lessen one’s passions with a hope that in the longer run it may lead to no passions. As,

‘Action without passion involves self-accomplishment, and requires strenuous penances and stringent restraint, and unending existence of contemplation.’^[2]

Again in a normal, routine life of a common man who is not leading a saintly life, even the efforts to control his anger, pride, deceit and delusion would be counted as self-achievement and his keen-ness to spread positivity, from within and without, as penance and if he focuses his energy into leading a peaceful life of discipline and mental balance, for himself and for others, he is meditative for sure.

This supports that,

‘Yoga may exist with passions or without passion in the life of an individual.’^[3]

This way we see that in Jainism yoga is that connects us to the higher purpose. That includes even the tiniest part of our lives, elaborate study of which may take us to the detailing of karma, how they get bound and how one can shed them.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

EDIJ. pp. 50

[2]:

EDIJ. pp. 50

[3]:

EDIJ. pp. 50