________________
others were being sustained and were gradually getting extinct. But no sooner did the aforesaid person get separated, than the life sustaining particles of Karma of others, all in a moment, simultaneously were shed and all of them died. What a wondrous concurrence! It teaches us clearly that the particles of Karma of one affect the others.
Similarly, matter acts as an extraneous instrumental cause to affect the molecules of Karma of a soul, as we have perceived from the occurrence of accident and the illustration of Rameshbhai's medicine.
Does not the intellect of a man increase by eating Brahmi leaves? How could this be happening? The explanation is that the elements of Brahmi affect the molecules of Karma that have the nature of obscuring knowledge of the soul and thus hasten the explosion of the time-bomb of these Karmas and help them to fall away earlier.
Friends, from all these matters the gist to be deduced is that the dormant state of Karmas is the period of strenuous effort for the soul, and an extraneous circumstantial cause. means very powerful elements that have the strength to explode the time-bombs earlier than their settled time.
If we understand these two things properly, we would grasp the abstruse philosophical knowledge of the Jain religion. We will properly apprehend the mechanism of Karma working behind occurrences in the world and in our lives. If we get the correct perspective of the working of Karma, our life will be transformed an intense liking for virtuous conduct, noble thinking, and righteous speech will sprout in our soul and our whole life will turn pious and even saintly.
Quantity Determination: We have uptill now considered the nature, duration and strength to give fruit of the molecules of Karma sticking to the soul. We now take up the consideration of quantity of the stock of Karma particles clinging to the soul.
50
