Page "Jainism" Paragraph 52

Karma in Jainism conveys a totally different meaning than commonly understood in the Hindu philosophy and western civilization.

It is not the so-called inaccessible force that controls the fate of living beings in inexplicable ways.

It does not simply mean " deed ", " work ", nor mystical force ( adrsta ), but a complex of very fine matter, imperceptible to the senses, which interacts with the soul in intensity and quantity proportional to the thoughts, speech and physical actions carried out with attachments and aversions, causing further bondages.

Karma in Jainism is something material ( karmapaudgalam ), which produces certain conditions, like a medical pill has many effects.

The effects of karma in Jainism is therefore a system of natural laws rather than moral laws.

When one holds an apple in one's hand and then lets go of the apple, the apple will fall due to gravitational force.

In this example, there is no moral judgment involved, since this is a mechanical consequence of a physical action.

The concept of Karma in Jainism is basically a reaction due to the attachment or aversion with which an activity ( both positive and negative ) is executed in thought, verbal, and physical sense.

Extending on the example outlined, the same apple dropped within a zero gravity environment such as a spacecraft circling around earth, will float in its place.

Similarly, when one acts without attachment and aversion there will be no further karmic bonding to the soul.