Karma – asrava - influx (charging)

By Sreepalan VC

Quote:“My understanding is that JEEV charges new Karmas only in Manushya Gati. All other GATI is for discharge of KARM.”

Answer:Mumukshu is right in having informed you that influx of karma - both bhaava karma – feelings based and dhravya karma – substance based will be happening so long as the upayoga – thought activity of the soul is other than self – soul – pure thought activity suddhopayoga.
It may appear to us that in the 3 births – gathis – the souls are completely suffering, enjoying etc., but they do cause psychic conditions entailing influx ofkarma.

Soul’s capability, as you know, is only seeing – dharsanopayoga - and knowing – gynanopayoga, any doubt?

“Upayogo lakshanam” – Shri Thathvaartha sutra –Chp. 2 Slok – 8.
Consciousness – upayoga - is the differentia (distinctive characteristic) of the soul. it – upaadhana kaarana - functions ceaselessly with external and internal instrumental causes – nimitta kaarana. By this the soul is distinguished from body,though both are housed in one and the same place due to bondage.

“Sa dhvividho ashtachathurbedhaha:” – Do - Chp. 2 Slok – 9.
Consciousness – upayoga – is of two kinds viz., knowledge – gynanopayog and sight / perception –dharshanopayog and further the former carries 8 kindsand the later 4 kinds.

“kaaya vaak mano:karma yog:” - Do – Chp. 6 Slok – 1
Karma means activity – kriya. The action of the body, the organ of speech and themind is called yoga.

“Sa ashrava:” -Do – Chp. 6 Slok – 2.
It (threefold activity) is influx – asrava.
‘Samsaarino muktasca” - do – Chp.- 2 Slok 10
Again the souls are classified into two and are transmigrating - and emancipated souls based on bondage or no bondage –bandh.

“Mithyaadharsana avirati pramaada kasaaya yoga banda hetavah:” - Do - Chp. 7 Slok 1.
Wrong belief - mithyaathva, non-abstinence – avirata , negligence - pramaada, passions –kasaaya and activities – yog - are the causes for bondage

From the above mentioned agmic references, it might be now possible to arrive at a conclusion whether the soul in all the 3 births referred to viz., hellish,heavenly and animal including plant - gathis only sheds karma or causes influx and shedding?

More specifically, type of birth - gathi is not the criteria for the influx of karma but the soul’s psychic condition – bhaav – is the only criteria and the external causes – nimitta – may be any number. If that is so from deva gathi how soul goes to plant life etc. and even THIRTHANKAR Baghavaan MAHAVEER securedsamyakthva in animal birth but it took him 10 more births to secure Moksha.

Mityaathva – mithya dharshan – wrong belief is the very first among the causes as could be seen from the sutra that plugs soul in various births and the restother activities follow suit.
Besides, if discharging / shedding – nirjara - is the only activity that is taking place in three other births viz., hellish, heavenly and animal or plantlife, why then they should be born again, is a question that may remain a question unsolved, is it not?

More over, stopping of influx of karma – samvar - is a precondition for the real shedding of karma - nirjara – or otherwise the inflow will continue and bondagealso will continue. Hence the shedding of karma, which is taking place in the normal course – savipaak nirjara when its time comes or one’s effort – savipaaknirjara, should not form a cause for the influx of fresh karma. In short, dhrvya nirjara when it gives its effect, soul should decisively detach itself from its effect and be a knower only. It should not cause bhaav asrava and followed by dhravya asrav and the cycle to continue, is it sensed?

Human bodied soul has the capacity to develop discriminatory knowledge – bedha vigynaan –, which helps soul to observe equanimity – vitraagathva – thebasic requirement for building up purity in upayoga which only secures samyakthva to soul and passes on to Keval gynaan. Equally, it is possible and capable to degenerate and fall into even 7th narak as human bodied soul.

Attaining samyakthva is possible in all the 4 births – gathis - but attaining Keval gynaan and Nirvaan is possible only for human bodied soul. Complete sheddingand stopping of influx of karma is possible only inhuman bodied soul.

Conclusion:The influx of karma is ceaselessly going on in all the 4 gathis depending on the psychic condition and consequently transmigration is going on in all the 4gathis from the beginning less time and shall be so for endless time for all abhavyaas without any exception but chances are there for bhavyaas to getrid of the cycle and if they do not avail the chance theirs’ is not different from abhavyaas.