Jainism states that the universe is without a beginning or an end, and is everlasting and eternal. Six fundamental entities (known as Dravya) constitute the universe. Although all six entities are eternal, they continuously undergo countless changes (known as Paryäy). In these transformations nothing is lost or destroyed. Lord Mahavir explained these phenomena in his three Pronouncements known as Tripadi and proclaimed that Existence or Reality (also known as Sat) is a combination of appearance (Utpäda), disappearance (Vyaya), and persistence (Dhrauvya). The Jain philosophy believes that the universe and all its entities such as soul and matter are eternal, no one has created them and no one can destroy them. Jains do not acknowledge an intelligent first cause as the creator of the universe. Jains do not believe that there is a supernatural power who does favor to us if we please him. Jains rely a great deal on self-efforts and self-initiative, for both - their worldly requirements and their salvation. Jainism appeals to common sense. Jains accept only those things that can be explained and reasoned. Jains believe that each living being is a master of his/her own destiny. Jainism is a religion of purely human origin. It is propagated by self-realized individuals who have attained perfect knowledge, omniscience, and self-control by personal effort and have been liberated from the bonds of worldly existence, and the cycles of all future life and death. In ancient times Jainism was known by many names such as the Saman tradition, the religion of Nirgantha, or the religion of Jin. Jin is one, who has conquered the inner enemies of worldly passions such as desire, hatred, anger, ego, deceit and greed by personal effort. By definition, a Jin is a human being, like one of us and not a supernatural immortal nor an incarnation of an almighty God. Jins are popularly viewed as Gods in Jainism. There are an infinite number of Jins existed in the past. All human beings have the potential to become a Jin. The Jins are not Gods in the sense of being the creators of the universe, but rather as those who have accomplished the ultimate goal of liberation of sufferings through the true understanding of self and other realities. The concept of God as a creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe does not exist in Jainism. The concept of God's descent into a human form to destroy evil is also not applicable in Jainism. The Jins that have established the religious order and revived the Jain philosophy at various times in the history of mankind are known as Tirthankars. The ascetic sage, Rishabhadev was the first Tirthankar and Mahavir was the last Tirthankar of the spiritual lineage of the twenty-four Tirthankars in the current era. In summary, Jainism does not believe in a creator God, however this does not mean that Jainism is an atheistic religion. Jains believe in an infinite number of Jins (Gods) who are self-realized omniscient individuals who have attained liberation from birth, death, and suffering. Jains believe that from eternity, the soul is bounded by karma and is ignorant of its true nature. It is due to karma soul migrates from one life cycle to another and continues to attract new karma, and the ignorant soul continues to bind with new karma. This way it provides a logical explanation of our sufferings on Earth. It is traced to jiva and ajiva, the two everlasting, uncreated, independent and coexisting categories. Consciousness is jiva. That which has no consciousness is ajiva. There are five substances of ajiva: Dharma - the medium of motion Adharma - the medium of rest Akasha - space Pudgala - matter Kala - time Pudgala (matter) has form and consists of individual atoms (paramanu) and conglomerates of atoms (skandha) which can be seen, heard, smelt, tasted and/or touched. According to Jains, energy, or the phenomena of sound, darkness, shade, heat, light and the like, is produced by conglomerates of atoms. The jiva (soul) has no form but, during its worldly career, it is vested with a body and becomes subject to an inflow of karmic `dust' (asravas). These are the subtle material particles that are drawn to a soul because of its worldly activities. The asrawas bind the soul to the physical world until they have brought about the karmic result when they fall away `like ripe fruit' by which time other actions have drawn more asravas to the soul. With the exception of the Arihantas (the Ever-Perfect) and the Siddhas (the Liberated), who have dispelled the passions which provide the `glue' for the asravas, all souls are in karmic bondage to the universe. They go through a continuous cycle of death and rebirth in a personal evolution that can lead at last to moksha (eternal release). In this cycle there are countless souls at different stages of their personal evolution; earth- bodies, water-bodies, fire-bodies, air-bodies, vegetable-bodies, and mobile bodies ranging from bacteria, insects, worms, birds and larger animals to human beings, infernal beings and celestial beings. The Jain evolutionary theory is based on a grading of the physical bodies containing souls according to the degree of sensory perception. All souls are equal but are bound by varying amounts of asravas (karmic particles) which is reflected in the type of body they inhabit. The lowest form of physical body has only the sense of touch. Trees and vegetation have the sense of touch and are therefore able to experience pleasure and pain, and have souls. Mahavira taught that only the one who understood the grave demerit and detriment caused by destruction of plants and trees understood the meaning and merit of reverence for nature. Even metals and stones might have life in them and should not be dealt with recklessly. Above the single-sense jivas are micro-organisms and small animals with two, three or four senses. Higher in the order are the jivas with five senses. The highest grade of animals and human beings also possess rationality and intuition (manas). As a highly evolved form of life, human beings have a great moral responsibility in their mutual dealings and in their relationship with the rest of the universe. It is this conception of life and its eternal coherence, in which human beings have an inescapable ethical responsibility that made the Jain tradition a cradle for the creed of environmental protection and harmony.



Philosophy of Karma and the Nine Jain Tattvas



To understand the relation between karma and soul, Acharya Somadev (10th century A.D.) has given beautiful analogy


"It is just like a person sitting in a boat, boat takes the man in the direction in which he drives the boat.”

The Jain tattvas, or principles, are the single most important subject of Jain philosophy. It deals with the theory
of karma, which provides the basis for the path of liberation. Jain literature explains nine fundamental tattvas.
Without the proper knowledge of these tattvas, a person can not progress spiritually. The proper understanding
of this subject brings about right faith (samyak darshana), right knowledge (samyak jnana), and right conduct
to an individual.


Nine Tattvas (Principles)

 1. Jiva Soul or living being (consciousness)
 2. Ajiva Non-living substances
 3. AsravaInflux of karma
 4. Bandha Bondage of karma
 5. Punya Virtue
 6. Paap Sin
 7. Samvara              Stoppage or arrest of the influx of karma
 8. Nirjara Exhuastion of the accumulated karma
 9. Moksha Total liberation from karma
            * Punya and Papa are the diverse results of Asrava and Bandh. Some exponents of Jains do not treat them as                        separate tattvas. According to them, there are only seven principles instead of nine.


Soul (Jiva) or Living Being Substance:

Jiva or Soul is the only substance, which in pure state possesses infinite knowledge, vision, power, and bliss. The pure soul is a liberated soul. The worldly soul is covered by karma particles. The karma subdues the natural qualities of the soul. The qualities of the impure soul are as follows:
  • Limited Knowledge, Vision, Power, and Bliss
  • Possesses a body (plants, hellish, animal, human, or angel)
  • Wanders into the cycle of life and death
  • Suffers from birth, death, pain, and pleasure
The ultimate goal of human life is to remove all karma particles, which are attached to the soul. Then the soul will become pure and liberated.


Non-Living (Ajiva) Substances:
Except soul, everything else in the entire universe is non-living substance. The non-living substances are classified into five categories.
MatterPudgal
SpaceAakas
TimeKaal or Samay
Medium of MotionDharmastikay
Medium of RestAdharmastikay    

Out of five categories, only matter substance possesses body, color, and senses. Karma is one of the categories of matter. It is known as karmic matter (karma pudgala). Karma particles are of very fine matter not perceptible to the senses. The entire universe is filled with such karmic matter.

Every living being is covered by karmic matter from their eternal existence. It is the karmic matter that keeps the soul away from realization of its true nature. It is due to karma one feels pleasure and pain, reincarnates in the different form of life, acquires certain types of physical body, and the duration of life.


Asrava (Influx of karma):

Asrava is the cause, which leads to the influx of good and evil karma which lead to the bondage of the soul.

Asrava may be described as attraction in the soul toward sense objects. The following are causes of Asrava or influx of good and evil karma:
MithyatvaDelusion or ignorance
AviratiLack of self restraint
Pramada*         Unawareness of unmindfulness
KasayaPassions like anger, conceit, deceit, and lust
YogaActivities of the mind, speech, and body
        * Some Jain literatures mention only four causes of Asrava. They include Pramad in the category of Kasaya.


Bandha (Bondage of karma):

Bandha is the attachment of karmic matter (karma pudgala) to the soul. The soul has had this karmic matter bondage from eternity. This karmic body is known as the karmana body or causal body or karma.

Karmic matter is a particular type of matter which is attracted to the soul because of soul's delusion or ignorance, lack of self restraint, unmindfulness, passions, activities of body, mind, and speech.

The soul, which is covered by karmic matter, continues acquiring new karma from the universe and exhausting old karma into the universe through the above mentioned actions at every moment.

Because of this continual process of acquiring and exhausting karma particles, the soul has to pass through the cycles of births and deaths, and experiencing pleasure and pain. So under normal circumstances the soul cannot attain freedom from karma, and hence liberation.

When karma attaches to the soul, its bondage to the soul is explained in the following four forms:
Prakriti bandhaType of karma
Sthiti bandhaDuration of attachment of karma
Anubhava bandha  Intensity of attachment of karma
Pradesa bandhaQuantity of karma

Prakriti Bandha (type of karma):
When karmic matter attaches to the soul, it obscures soul's essential nature of perfect knowledge, perfect vision, bliss, perfect power, eternal existence, non corporeal, and equanimity. The different types of karma obscures different quality or attributes of soul. This is known as Prakriti bandha.

Ghati karma and Aghati karma: Prakriti bandha is classified into eight categories, according to the particular attribute of the soul that it obscures. These eight categories of karma are grouped into two major catagories, known as Ghati karma, which subdues the qualities of the soul, and Aghati karma, which relates to physical body of the living beings.

Ghati karma:
Jnana varaniya karmaCovers the soul's power of perfect knowledge.
Darasna varaniya karma                                     Covers the soul's power of perfect visions.
Mohniya karmaGenerates the delusion in the soul in regard to its own true nature. The soul identifies itself with other eternal substances and relationships.
Antaraya karmaObstructs the natural quality or energy of the soul such as charity and will power. This prevents the soul from attaining liberation. It also prevents a living being from doing something good and enjoyable.


Aghati karma:

Vedniya karmaObscures the blissful nature of the soul and thereby produces pleasure and pain.
Nama karmaObscures the non-corporeal existence of the soul and provides the body with its limitations, qualities, facilities, etc.
Gotra karmaObscures the soul's characteristics of equanimity and determines the caste, family, social standing, and personality.
Ayu karmaDetermines the span of life in one's birth, thus obscuring the soul's nature of eternal existence.

When a person destroys all of his ghati karmas, he attains keval jnana (absolute knowledge). At that time he is known as Arihant. However, he continues to live his human life until all his aghati karmas are destroyed. He attains liberation only after his death at that time all aghati karmas are destroyed.

Some Arihants establishes the religious order of Monks, Nuns, Sravaka, (male layperson), and Sravika (female layperson). These Arihants are called Tirthankaras and the religious order is known as four fold Jain order. Other Arihantas who do not establish religious order but remain as a part of the existing order are known as simple Kevali. After nirvana (death) both Tirthankaras and simple Kevali (all Arihantas) become Siddhas.

All Siddhas are unique individuals, they all possess perfect knowledge, vision, power, and bliss, and no physical body. Hence from the qualities and attributes point of view all Siddhas are same.

Sthiti Bandha (Duration of attachment):
When karmic matter attaches to the soul it remains attached for certain duration before it produces the result. The duration of the attachment is determined according to the intensity or dullness of the soul's passions or actions when the karma is being attached to the soul. After producing the result, karma will separate from the soul.

Anubhava Bandha or Rasa Bandha (Intensity of attachment):
What fruits the karmic matter will produce are determined at the time of attachment by varying degrees of soul's passions.

Pradesa Bandha (Quantity of karma):
The intensity or dullness of the soul's action determines the quantum of karmic matter that is drawn towards the soul for attachment.


Punya (Virtue):
 The influx of karmic matter due to good activities of the mind, body, and speech with the potential of producing pleasant sensations is called punya or virtue. Activities such as offering food, drink, shelter, purifying thought, physical and mental happiness result in producing punya karma.


Paap (Sin):
The influx of karmic matter due to evil activities of the mind, body, and speech with the potential of producing unpleasant sensations is called papa or sin. Activities such as violence, untruth, theft, unchastity, attachment to objects, anger, conceit, deceit, lust result in producing papa karma.


Samvara (Stoppage of Karma): 
The method that stops fresh karma from attaching into the soul is called samvara. This process is a reverse process of asrava. It can be accomplished by constant practice of: 
  • Right belief
  • Observance of vows
  • Awareness
  • Passionlessness
  • Peacefulness of vibratory activities
Jain literature explains 57 practical ways, a person can stop the influx of karma:
NameTypes           
Samitis - carefulness5
Guptis - preservation3
Yati Dharma - religious virtues10
Bhavna - reflections or thoughts12
Parishaha - subduing of suffering22
Charitra - conduct5
Total57


Five Samitis (Carefulness): Samitis purify the actions
Irya SamitiProper care in walking
Bhasha SamitiProper care in speaking
Eshna SamitiProper care in begging
Adana Nikshepa SamitiProper care in taking and keeping
Utsarga SamitiProper care in disposing waste


Three Guptis (Preservations): Guptis prohibit sinful activities
Mano GuptiProper control over Mind
Vachan Gupti          Proper control over Speech
Kaya GuptiProper control over Body

 Ten Yati Dharma (Religious Virtues):
 Kshama Forbearance, Forgiveness
 Mardava Modesty, Humility
 Aarjava Straightforwardness, Candor
 SauchaContentment 
 Satya Truthfulness
 SamyamSelf-Restraint, Control of Senses 
 Tapa Austerity, Penance
 Tyaga Renunciation
 Akinchanya Non-attachment
 Brahmacharya              Celibacy, Chastity 



Twelve Reflections (Thoughts, Bhavna, or Anupreksa):
 Anitya Bhavna Impermanence of the world
 Asarana Bhavna No one provides protection
 Samsara Bhavna No permanent relationships in the universe
 Ekatva Bhavna Solitude of the soul
 Anyatva Bhavna Separateness
 Asuci Bhavna Impurity of the body
 Asrava Bhavna Influx of karma
 Samvara Bhavna Stoppage of the influx of karma
 Nirjara Bhavna Shedding of karma
 Loka Bhavna Transitoriness of the universe
 Bodhi-durlabha Bhavna      Unattainability of the right faith, knowledge, and conduct
 Dharma BhavnaUnattainability of true preceptor, scriptures, and religion


Reflections on Universal Friendship (additional reflections):
MaitriAmity
PramodaAppreciation
KarunaCompassion        
MadhyasthaEquanimity


Nirjara (Exhaustion of the attached karma):
The attached karma exhaust themselves by producing their results when it is time for them to do so. At that time new karma attach to the soul.

Unless the attached karma are exhausted before they start producing the results, it becomes difficult for the soul to be free.

Therefore, it is necessary to exhaust all karmas before their maturity. This is done by rigorous austerities and penance. This process is called nirjara.

There are twelve types of nirjara defined in the Jain scriptures. They are divided into two groups; external nirjara which disciplines the human body against passions and desires and internal nirjara which purifies the soul. The internal nirjara is the true austerities because it exhausts the attached karma before their maturity from the soul.External Nirjara:
AnasanComplete abstinence of eating any food and drinking liquid for certain time
Alpahara or UnodaryReduction in the quantity of food one normally eats
Ichhanirodha or Vritti Sankshep                  Limiting the number of food items to eat and material things for use
RasatyagaComplete abstinence of eating or drinking juicy and tasty foods such as honey, alcohol, butter, milk, tea, sweets, juice, etc. (no attachments to the taste of the foods)
KayaklesaLive and travel on bare foot in a severe heat and cold weather condition; remove hair with the hand
SamlinataSitting in a lonely place in due postures with senses and mind withdrawn inwardly

Internal Nirjara:
PrayaschitaRepentance for the breach of vows for spiritual purification
VinayaPoliteness (appropriate behavior) towards teachers and elders
VaiyavrataRendering selfless service to the suffering and deserving
SvadhyayaStudying and listening of religious scriptures
DhyanaReligious meditation
Kayotsarg or Vyutsarga                          The ultimate internal austerity where the activities of body, speech, and mind are withdrawn. The body is fixed without movement, the speech is fixed by means of silence, and the mind is fixed by means of sublime meditation. This nirjara destroys all karmas.



Moksha (Liberation):
Moksha is the liberation of the soul after complete exhaustion or elimination of all karmas. A liberated soul regains totally its original attributes of perfect knowledge, vision, power, and bliss. It climbs to the top of Lokakas and remains their forever in its blissful and unconditional existence. It never returns again into the cycles of birth, life, and death. This state of the soul is the liberated or perfect state, and this is called "Nirvana."

 source: jaina