Beginning of Bandha with Special Reference to Jain Philosophy

Summary

Kamala Joshi’s article “Beginning of Bandha with Special Reference to Jaina Philosophy” investigates the origin and nature of bandha—karmic bondage—in Jainism. Bandha refers to the union of karmic particles with the soul; this assimilation is compared to the mixing of milk and water and pollutes the soul, making it ineffective in manifesting its innate qualitieshttps://www.wisdomlib.org/jainism/essay/traces-of-mysticism-in-jainism-study/d/doc1502253.html#:~:text=The%20union%20of%20karma%20,to%20its%20original%20essential%20qualities. In Jaina thought the soul (jīva) is intrinsically pure and transcendent, but it becomes associated with material adjuncts like body, mind and speech through ignorance (ajñāna), non‑discrimination (aviveka), attachment (āsakti), aversion (dveṣa), love (rāga), hate (ghṛṇā) and passions (āveśa). These states attract karmic matter which binds to the soul and determines the character and fate of each individual. The article explains that karmic particles permeate the universe and the soul receives those located in the space it occupies; this attraction occurs without hierarchy and the acquired karmic matter unites with the soulhttps://www.wisdomlib.org/jainism/essay/traces-of-mysticism-in-jainism-study/d/doc1502253.html#:~:text=2%20Process%20and%20Fruition%20of,Bondage. Bandha is beginningless: there is no first moment when the pure soul becomes impure. Instead, Jain philosophy focuses on the removal of bandha rather than its historical origin. The author outlines four types of karmic bondage—prakṛti bandha (the nature and quality of karma), sthiti bandha (the duration of the karmic state), anubhāga bandha (the intensity of karmic fruition) and pradeśa bandha (the quantity of karmic particles)—which together explain how karma binds the soulhttps://www.wisdomlib.org/jainism/essay/traces-of-mysticism-in-jainism-study/d/doc1502253.html#:~:text=3%20Types%20of%20Bondage. These classifications show that karmic bondage affects not only the type of experience but also its duration, intensity and spatial extent. Joshi emphasises that liberation from bandha is possible through ethical and spiritual practices. Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct, along with ascetic disciplines such as yoga and devotion (bhakti), destroy karmic seeds; once karma is burnt, it cannot bind the soul again. Using analogies from agriculture and psychology, the author illustrates how destroying the chain of cause and effect breaks the cycle of birth and death. The article situates the discussion within the wider framework of the nine tattvas (categories) and shows that understanding bandha is essential for understanding the Jain path to liberation. It stresses that bandha is not an abstract metaphysical concept but a psychological and ethical reality rooted in everyday attachments and aversions. By analysing scriptural sources and philosophical commentaries, the article provides a clear account of how karmic bondage begins, operates and can be eliminated.