1.10. Soul and the Role of the Universe in Keeping the Account of Karma

There is no one who can tell what goes on in one’s own mind, and how purer are one’s thoughts except the universe. Today what we see is a crazy crowd of blind followers, who are literally running in some unknown direction, which is known according to them, to attain liberation. They think of them as superior, knower and purer. Which eventually makes them vice versa.

Truth is not about becoming complicated but simple.

‘The simplicity is flawless. Like the wheel, the zero, the handshake, each insurgency contains a seed of unadulterated idea. Jainism does not lose hold of that immaculateness in the frantic hurry to change the world;but instead supports the seed from inside, as one would bring up kids or develop a wild and eager garden.’^[1]

Whether it is a new business idea, a unique way of doing what one loves or one’s passion to serve the society through one’s special talent, all that necessary is a seed of pure thought.

‘They (souls) exist independently.’^[2]

In the current times this statement indicates how necessary is it to respect each being’s individuality. No one’s journey can intermingled with someone else’s. Each has each’s own path laid down by each to either move ahead or stay behind.

Jainism refutes the belief that each soul is a part of some supreme soul.

‘They are not part of some other soul or any incomparable soul. Each spirit has infinite consciousness. They can know limitless universes. All spirits are same with respect to awareness however all don't have similar development of consciousness.’^[3]

The common trait of all living beings is that each of them have consciousness, which is same, with same capabilities, though the heaviness of the layers of ignorance, unhappiness etc. over these qualities, may vary immensely.

‘At the point when the soul makes the most of its own pure consciousness, it is tuned in to its unadulterated nature. Soul enjoys great as well as bad and subsequently karmic matter goes into the soul spaces and gets appended there.’^[4]

One may really do not know if this is true but whenever one is angry, deceitful or manipulative, one may feel that one is attracting heaviness that expresses itself in form of increased breathing, heart-rate and blood pressure; whereas keeping one’s calm, dealing with situations patiently and staying happy result into better emotional and physical health and lighter mind.

‘The capacities of the unadulterated soul as infinite knowledge, perception and so on are lessened when passions are assimilated with it. Subsequently an unremarkable soul has restricted learning, recognition, essentialness and delight. The property of an unadulterated soul is said to be clouded by karma.’^[5]

To move towards infinity one can start right now with tiny steps of selfintrospection, gaining knowledge and observing the innumerable tiny, blissful happenings of life.

‘There is an unobtrusive profound self that partners with the gross physical body during the life; death is the division of two. Until liberated, the spirit is constantly wrapped by karma (as karma sharira). Along these lines, on death, what is isolated from the physical body is the soul-cum-karma sharira. The karma is in charge of the 'association' of the physical body.’^[6]

It is called as: Nama Karma (sharira), which further has more than hundred subdivisions according to different parts of the body.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid. pp. 103

[2]:

Ibid. 4.3. As cited in TJDKTSG pp. 22

[3]:

Thaanam 2. Jain Vishva Bharati. Ladnun. As cited in TJDKTSG pp. 22

[4]:

TJDKTSG. pp. 23

[5]:

TJDKTSG. pp. 28

[6]:

TJDKTSG. pp. 33