The Jaina Concept of Karma

Summary

This article examines the Jaina conception of karma as both a material and psychological force binding the soul to the cycle of birth and death. Unlike philosophies that treat karma only as a moral law, Jainism posits that karmic matter is a real, subtle substance consisting of particles that attach to the soul during activity. The author distinguishes bhāva karma (psychic activity) from dravya karma (material karma). Bhāva karma includes mental states like intention, feelings and passions; dravya karma is the physical karmic matter that obscures the soul’s qualities. These two operate in a reciprocal relationship: strong passions—anger, pride, deceit and greed—cause karmic matter to bind more tightly, while karmic matter in turn influences mental states, generating further actions. The article analyses categories of cause (upādāna) and effect (upādeya), noting that actions performed with attachment, aversion, delusion or carelessness lead to intense karmic bondage. Jaina texts classify karmas by duration, intensity and scope. The author compares this with the Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika view, which similarly recognises desire, aversion and ignorance as sources of bondage. He emphasises that mere physical non‑violence is insufficient; mental purity and right knowledge are equally important. Consciousness is free by nature but becomes conditioned by karma through ignorance and passion. Liberation involves stopping the influx of new karmic matter by practising ethical disciplines—non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy and non-possession—and burning off accumulated karmas through meditation, austerity, repentance and self-reflection. Constant self-awareness is essential for weakening karmic chains.