Q-1 What are the Karmas?

Ans. Karmas are the end results of our activities, which may or may not be associated with passions.

Q-2 What are the Ghati Karmas?

Ans. Ghati karmas affect the true nature of the soul.

Q-3 What are the Aghati Karmas?

Ans. Aghati karmas do not affect the true nature of the soul, but affect the body in which the soul abides.

Q-4 Name the Ghati Karmas?

Ans. Ghati karmas are:
1) Knowledge oscuring or Jnanavarniya
2) Perception obscuring or Darshnavarniya
3) Obstructive or Antaraya
4) Deluding Karmas or Mohniya

Q-5 Name the Aghati karmas?

Ans. Aghati karmas are:
1) Feeling producing (Vedniya) Karma
2) Body making (Nam) Karma
3) Status determining (Gotra) Karma
4) Age determining (Ayushya) Karma

Q-6 How many sub-types are of the Jnanavarniya karma?

Ans. There are five sub-types of Jnanavarniya Karma.

Q-7 How many sub-types are of the Darshanavarniya karma?

Ans. There are nine sub-types of Darshanavarniya Karma.

Q-8 How many sub-types are of the Vedniya karma?

Ans. There are two sub-types of Vedniya Karma.

Q-9 How many sub-types are of the Mohniya karma?

Ans. There are twenty-eight sub-types of Mohniya Karma.

Q-10 How many sub-types are of the Nama karma?

Ans. There are sixty-seven sub-types of Nama Karma.

Q-11 How many sub-types are of the Gotra karma?

Ans. There are two sub-types of Gotra Karma.

Q-12 How many sub-types are of the Antaraya karma?

Ans. There are five sub-types of Antaray Karma.

Q-13 How many sub-types are of the Ayusya karma?

Ans. There are four sub-types of Ayushya Karma.

Q-14 Can you name the types of Jnanavarniya karma?

Ans. Jnanavarniya Karma is divided into five sub-groups.
They are:
Mati-jnanavarniya
Shrut-jnanavarniya
Avaddhi-jnanavarniya
Manahparya-jnanavarniya
Keval-jnanavarniya Karmas

Q-15 Can you name the types of Darshnavarniya karma?

Ans. Darshanavarniya Karma is divided into nine sub-groups. They are:
Chakshu-darshanavarniya
Achakshu-darshanavarniya
Avadhi-darshanavarniya
Kevali-darshanavarniya
Nindra
Nindra-Nindra
Prachala
Prachala-Prachala
Styanagriddhi-Nindra

Q-16 Can you name the types of Vedniya karma?

Ans. Vedniya Karma is divided into two sub-groups.
They are:
Shatavedniya Karma
Ashatavedniya Karma

Q-17 Can you name the types of Mohniya karma?

Ans. Mohniya Karma is devided into twenty-eight sub-groups.
They are:
Mithyatva Mohniya
Mishramohniya
Samyaktva Mohniya
Krodha, Man, Maya, & Lobha (each further divided into four)
Anantanubandhi;
Apratyakhanavarniya;
Pratyakhanavarniy; and
Sanjvalan
Hasya
Rati
Arati
Bhaya
Shock
Jugupsa
Purushaved
Strived
Napunsankved

Q-18 Can you name the types of Nama karma?

Ans. Nam Karma is divided into sixty-seven sub-groups.
Most popular sub-types are:
Gati
Jatinam
Sharir
Angopanga
Sahanan
Sansthan
Tirthankar
Yashokirti
Anupurvi

Q-19 Can you name the types of Gotra karma?

Ans. Gotra Karma is divided into two sub-groups.
They are:
Uchcha Gotra
Nicha Gotra

Q-20 Can you name the types of Antaraya karma?

Ans. Antaray Karma is divided into five sub-groups.
They are:
Danantray
Labhantray
Bhogantray
Upabhogantray
Viryantray

Q-21 Can you name the types of Ayushya karma?

Ans. Ayushya karma is divided into four sub-groups.
They are:
Narak
Tiryancha
Manushya
Dev

Q-22 What are the effects of Jnanavarniya karma?

Ans. Ignorance
Inability to understand, Stupidity
Inertia
Incapable of being taught
Illiteracy
Stammering, etc.

Q-23 How do you accumulate the Jnanavarniya karma?

Ans. By Condemning knowledge and scholars and enlightened people. Laziness, contempt and displeasure to study.

Q-24 How can you get rid of the Jnanavarniya karma?

Ans. Worship the knowledge. Give reverence, respect to the teachers, pay respect to the books because it represents the knowledge. Do not throw, fold or sit on books. Go to the religious school regularly. Study silently with humility and attentions. As a student, keep off the bad habits and keep your speech clean; conduct good and share knowledge with others.

Q-25 What happens when you get rid of the Jnanavarniya karma?

Ans. You develop Kevalgnan and you become an anantgnani. Once the layers of Jnanavarniya karmas disappear the atma knows every thought of every mind, and every thing in the world, and understands every living creature in this world and other worlds. Nothing is hidden or unknown to that atma.

Q-25 What are the effects of Darshanavarniya karma?

Ans. Blindness, incapacity of senses, intoxication with power, money sleep or swooning, etc.

Q-26 How do you accumulate the Darshanavarniya karma?

Ans. Condemning the principles of religion and dharma; or depreciating them disrespecting the virtuous and decrying them. Always trying to find fault with such people. Condemning piety with the feeling of skepticism, and decrying them.

Q-27 How can you get rid of the Darshanavarniya karma?

Ans. Be respectful to sadhus and sadhvies and be loyal to Jain sangh and dharma. Having faith in the Jina and showing him devotion, obeying the commands of Jinas.

Q-28 What happens when you get rid of the Darshanavarniya karma?

Ans. You develop Kevaldarshan and you become anant darshani. Just as pure atma knows everything, the free atma sees everything. Once the Darshanavarniya karmas are gone the atma sees everything in this world and in the other world. It has no barriers.

Q-29 What are the effects of Vedniya karma?With Shatavedniya Karma gone

Ans. one will be happier and will have a good health. With Ashatavedniya Karma gone one will not suffer from diseases ill health, sickness, and sorrow, etc.

Q-30 How do you accumulate the Vedniya karma?

Ans. 1) Ashata vedniya karma: By causing worry, misery and suffering to others.
2) Shata vedniya karma: Being compassionate, giving peace and happiness; and offering comforts in the sorrows; maintaining a cordial and friendly contact with others.

Q-31 How can you get rid of the Vedniya karma?

Ans. Make others happy; be helpful to others; do not torture or harass or kill any body, rather give them protection and peace.

Q-32 What happens when you get rid of the Vedniya karma?

Ans. The atma gets akshay sukh. At the time of death when the vedniya karma is destroyed the atma goes to salvation. The pure atma has no disease, pain, and never feels sorrow. Pure atma is ever youthful and is ever happy, and ever healthy.

Q-33 What are the effects of Mohniya karma?

Ans. You develop attachment, hatred, envy, contempt, deep attachment misery infatuation, longing, ecstasy, etc.

Q-34 How do you accumulate the Mohniya karma?

Ans. Treating the gods and preceptors with contempt, having a deep attachment and hatred to someone or for something, lamenting and weeping over excitement, and being irritable, and miserable.

Q-35 How can you get rid of the Mohniya karma?

Ans. Observe the virtues. If somebody gets angry, you keep cool. If somebody is proud, greedy or a cheat, you be humble, generous or sincere. Do not laugh or cry, too much; do not harm, hurt, make fun of others. Do not be displeased, get irritated or tease others.

Q-36 What happens when you get rid of the Mohniya karma?

Ans. You become veetragi. After this, the atma is never angry, proud, greedy, cheater, pleased or displeased, laughing, crying or afraid of anything. It has infinite bliss and limitless happiness.

Q-37 What are the effects of Nama karma?

Ans. The effects of good or bad Nam Karma are:
Well-build body, beauty and symmetry in the body or ugliness;
Has good fortune or misfortune;
Has prosperity or adversity;
Has honor or dishonor.

Q-38 How do you accumulate the Nama karma?

Ans. Shubh Nama Karma: If one does not deceive others; and maintains a good conduct and leads a simple life, he builds auspicious shubh nam karma. Ashubh Nama Karma: If one acts to the contrary to these principles he builds ashubh nam karma.

Q-39 How can you get rid of the Nama karma?

Ans. Always be kind, loving, generous and patient. Speak gently. The worship of purity helps to get rid of ashubh nam karma.

Q-40 What happens when you get rid of the Nama karma?

Ans. One becomes arupi. The atma is freed from the body, and it has no form, weight, taste or smell. The atma is neither fat nor lean, neither tall nor short neither big nor small, neither hot nor cold.

Q-41 What are the effects of Gotra karma?

Ans. By the influence of high Gotra Karma, one is born in high society gets good reputation, power and respect in society. By the influence of low Gotra Karma one is born in a low society, gets blame, contempt and insult in the society.

Q-42 How do you accumulate the Gotra karma?

Ans. One accumulates High Hotra karma by admiring the meritoreous ones self-critisizing self shortcomings, not feeling arrogant, being humble attitute towards all. One accumulates Low Gotra Karma by condemning other people, self praising, fail to appreciate good about others.

Q-43 How can you get rid of the Gotra karma?

Ans. Do not do self praising. Do not be proud of physical beauty, power caste, intelligence, knowledge and wealth. Do not despise, insult mock or treat others with contempt.

Q-44 What happens when you get rid of the Gotra karma?

Ans. You become Agurulaghutva (no high no law). There is no difference like the big and the small. In moksha atmas are equal in power or virtues.

Q-45 What are the effects of Antaraya karma?

Ans. No desire to go on right path. Not being able to do auspicious actions, one becomes sluggish and lacks the strength.

Q-46 How do you accumulate the Antaraya karma?

Ans. By obstructing worship of the parmatma and spiritual activities. Not offering charity, and causing loss to others or preventing others to do right things.

Q-47 How can you get rid of the Antaraya karma?

Ans. Perform the charity. Give food and clothes or other needs of sadhus sadhvies, neighbours, friends or even animals.

Q-48 What happens when you get rid of the Antaraya karma?

Ans. Youbecome “anant shakti” meaning capable of doing anything.

Q-49 What are the effects of Ayushya karma?

Ans. This keeps the soul wandering in the vicious circle of births and deaths.

Q-50 How do you accumulate the Ayushya karma?

Ans. By committing sinful activities such as violence and taking someone’s life. By doing good deeds and staying away from sinful activities.

Q-51 How can you get rid of the Ayushya karma?

Ans. Do not be violent, or kill anybody.  

Q-52 What happens when you get rid of the Ayushya karma?

Ans. The atma gets akshay sthiti. After death, once the ayushya karma is destroyed the atma becomes immortal, and goes to salvation. The bodiless atma which has reached moksha is never reborned.

Q-53 Who are the Sadhus?

Ans. This is a male householder who has voluntarily renounced the world and has accepted five major vows.

Q-54 Who are the Sadhvis?

Ans. This is a female householder who has voluntarily renounced the world and has accepted five major vows.

Q-55 How many vratas do the sadhus/sadhvis follow?

Ans. Sadhus and sadhvies follow the five major vratas (vows).

Q-56 Can you name the vratas of sadhus/sadhvis?

Ans. Five major vratas (vows) of Sadhus and sadhvies are:
1) Pranatipatavirman Vrat
2) Mrishavadavirman Vrat
3) Adattadanvirman Vrat
4) Maithunavirman Vrat
5) Parigrahavirman Vrat

Q-57 Are the vratas of sadhus/sadhvis absolute or ordinary?

Ans. The vratas of sadhus and sadhvies are absolute.

Q-58 Describe some of the characteristics of sadhu life?

Ans. They have given up social ties. They accept five major vows. They go for alms and only take limited food. They drink boiled water only. They do pratikraman twice a day. They walk bear feet. All nuns wear white clothes. Some monks were white clothes while some wear no clothes.

Q-59 What is the meaning of Deshvirti?

Ans. Deshvirti means one who accepts the restrained life in a limited style. We, house-holders are deshvirti.

Q-60 What is the meaning of Sarvavirti?

Ans. Sarvavirti means one who accepts the restrained life for whole life. Our sadhus and sadhvis are sarvavirti.

Q-61 Can you name the three supreme gems of Jainism?

Ans. Three supreme gems of Jainism are:
1) Samyakjnan
2) Samyakdarshan
3) Samyakcharitra.

Q-62 What does Samyakdarshan mean?

Ans. Samyakdarshan means right faith in the teaching of Jina.

Q-64 What does Samyakjnan mean?

Ans. Samyakjnan means the right knowledge that the body and soul are two different things.

Q-65 What does Samyakcharitra mean?

Ans. Samyakcharitra means the right conduct in day-to-day life.

Q-66 Can we attain Moksha if we follow only one supreme gem?

Ans. No, to achieve the Moksha, we have to follow all three gems namely:
1) Samyakdarshan
2) Samyakjnan, and
3) Samyakcharitra.

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Information Courtesy : Mr. Pravin K. Shah
Chairperson JAINA Education Committee
 Federation of Jain Associations in North America 
509 Carriage Woods Circle Raleigh, NC 27607-3969 USA 
Email - Pkshah1@attglobal.net  

Mail to :- Ahimsa Foundation
www.jainsamaj.org
R201102