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THE SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATIONS OF JAINISM
average human being indulging in criminal activities might end up in the next life as a snake because of the heavy karmic matter (see Fig. 4.4.). On the other hand, an average human being after expiation of his heavy karmic matter can go higher up the spiritual ladder, that is, he may be reborn with the karmic density, say of a spiritual teacher. The cycle continues: for example, the one who has become a snake could, after reducing karmic matter, again go higher as a human being in his second cycle, (see Figure 4.4). (It is possible for a snake to
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Spiritual teachers
10' th
2nd cycle
10
Criminal 1
1st cycle
5
Snake
Fig. 4.4
Life-axis with two consecutive life-cycles depending on the karmic matter from a criminalto a snake in the first cycle and then to a spiritual teacher in the second cycle.
