How Karma Theory Relates To Modern Science

By Mr. Duli Chandra Jain

Introduction : The karma theory of the Jain religion is a unique, rational, scientific and complex theory. In its true conceptual form, it is unique to Jainism. It supports the features of the Jain religion, which distinguish it from other religions of the world, viz., the concept of independence of each individual soul and the teaching that self-endeavor is the means to achieve such independence. Although the Jain theory of karma has not been established by modern scientific experiments, it is scientific in the sense that it conforms to the basic premises of science. The karma theory is complex and thus it is one of the least understood concepts of Jainism. In its simplest form, it is stated: As you sow, so you reap. It is interpreted that karma rewards or punishes us for our past deeds. It is construed to imply that all wealthy and powerful people of the world did good deeds in the past and that is why they are what they are. It has been distorted to indicate that karma is powerful, even more powerful than soul, our future is predestined and whatever has to happen to our souls will happen. On the one hand, people are given the impression that one can avoid the consequences of undesirable karma by religious rituals such as prayers, special worships and charitable contributions. On the other hand, sometimes it is said that we should undergo sufferings that might be the consequences of past karma so that we will not have to suffer in the future. A careful study of the theory of karma as described in the Jain scriptures, performed with a scientific viewpoint, leads to the conclusion that the above concepts and interpretations are only partially true.

A Comprehensive Statement Of Karma Theory
Material (Dravya) and abstract (Bhaav) karma : There are two classes of souls in the universe, the liberated souls (Mukta Jeev) that are pure souls (Siddhas) having infinite perception, knowledge and bliss (Anant Darshan, Jnaan And Sukh), and the worldly souls (Samsaari Jeev) that are impure and thereby involved in the mundane cycle of birth and death. The worldly souls have ultrafine particles of matter known as karma particles associated with them. The liberated souls have freed themselves from the bondage of karma particles. There are basically two types of karmas, the material (Dravya) karmas mentioned above, which are particles of matter, and abstract (Bhaav) karmas, which are the feelings of pleasure and pain, love and hatred, compassion and anger, etc. The relationship between the material karmas and abstract karmas is that of cause and effect.

The material karmas give rise to the feelings and emotions (abstract karmas) in the worldly souls, which, in turn, cause the influx (Aashrav) and bondage (Bandh) of fresh material karmas. Thus the relationship between the material and abstract karmas can be described as one between plant and seed. It should be remarked that soul is an entity different from matter. Thus the transformations in a worldly soul (abstract karmas) occur because of the intrinsic attributes of soul while the transformations (influx, bonding, etc.) of material karmas take place according to the intrinsic attributes of matter. In Panchaastikaayasaar, Acharya Kundkund has written : (2)

Bhaavo Kammanimitto, Kammam Pun Bhaavakaaranam Havadi |
Na Du Tesim Khalu Katta, Na Vina Bhoodaadu Kattaaram |60|

The emotional states of a living being are caused by karma particles and karma particles in their turn are caused by the emotional states.

However, the soul is not the essential cause and still without essential cause these changes can not occur.

Kuvvam Sagam Sahaavam Atta Katta Sagassa Bhaavassa |
Na Hi Poggalakammaanam Idi Jinavayanam Muneyaavam |61|

Soul which brings about changes in itself is the intrinsic cause of the mental states but the soul is not the intrinsic cause of the changes in the karma particles, which are material in nature. This is the teaching of JIN - the conqueror of passions.

Kammam PI Sagam Kuvvadi Sen Sahaaven Sammamappaanam |
Jeevo Vi Ya Taarisao Kammasahaaven Bhaaven |62|

The changes in karma particles occur due to the intrinsic nature of material particles. Similarly, the changes in a worldly soul occur due to the intrinsic characteristics of soul and through its own impure states of thought, which are conditioned by karma.

Eight kinds of material (Dravya) karmas :
Material karmas are of eight kinds :
Knowledge-obscuring (Jnaanaavarni),
perception-obscuring (Darshanaavarni),
feeling-producing (Vedaneeya),
deluding (Mohaneeya),
life-span-determining (Aayu),
physique-determining (Naam),
status-determining (Gotra) and
obstructing (Antaraaya).

Knowledge-obscuring, perception-obscuring, deluding and obstructing karmas obscure or obstruct the knowledge, perception, intrinsic conduct or bliss (Sukh) and power (Veerya) of the soul and therefore they are called soul-influencing or destructive (Ghaati) karmas. The remaining four karmas are known as non-destructive (Aghaati), because, for most part, they influence the body of a worldly being. The feeling-producing karma, however, may affect a soul like a destructive karma. It operates as a result of knowledge-obscuring and perception-obscuring karmas and with the help of deluding karma. In other words, if one does not have a rational outlook and knowledge (due to the knowledge-obscuring and perception-obscuring karmas), and has indulgence (Rati) and/or ennui (Arati) (due to deluding karma), then feelings of physical pleasure and pain may lead to undesirable thoughts and emotions. Thereby the feeling-producing karma may influence the soul. For this reason, the feeling-producing karma has been placed between perception-obscuring karma and deluding karma. This concept has been described in.

Ghaadimva Veyaneeyam Mohassa Balen Ghaadade Jeevam |19|

Idi Ghaadeenam Majjhe Mohassaadimhi Padidam Tu

The feeling-producing karma, by the potency of deluding karma, destroys the soul like a destructive karma. Therefore, it is placed among destructive karmas and before deluding karma.(4)

Natthha Ya Raayadosa Indiyanaanam Cha Kevalimhi Jado |
Ten Du Saadaasaadajasuhadukkham Natthi Indiyajam |273|

Because omniscient Kevalisare beyond attachment and aversion, and they do not have sensual knowledge, therefore, they do not feel pleasure or pain. Thus the feeling-producing karma does not affect them.

Subclasses of karmas :
Each kind of karma is further divided into a number of subclasses. For example, the feeling-producing karma is divided into pleasant-feeling-producing (Saata Vedaneeya) and unpleasant-feeling-producing (Asaata Vedaneeya). Similarly, the deluding karma has been divided into two subclasses: perception-deluding (Darshan Mohaneeya) and conduct-deluding (Chaaritra Mohaneeya). It should be noted that the deluding karma obscures the development of rationalism (Samyaktva). As the name implies, it prevents a person from having a rational perspective of reality (Tattvaarth). In Gommatasaar

Jeevakaand Acharya Nemichandra Siddhantachakravarti writes:(5)

Michchhodayen Michchhattamasaddahanam Tu Tachcha-Atthaanam |
Aeyantam Vivareeyam Vinayam Samsayidamannaanam |15|

Delusion or irrationalism (Mitthyaatva) is caused by the operation of perception-deluding karma. It consists of not having a rational perspective (Shraddhaan) towards reality, that is, the nature of things (Tattvaarth).

Irrationalism is of five kinds :
One-sided belief (Aekaant),
perverse belief (Vipareet),
veneration (blind adherence Vinay),
doubt (Samshay) and
indiscriminate belief (Ajnaan).

Influx (Aashrav)and bonding (Bandh) :

The influx (Aashrav) of karmic particles is caused by the activities (Yoga) of body, speech and mind as described by Acharya Umaswati in Tattvaarth Sutra :(6)

Kaayavaangamanahkarmayogah |6-1|
Sa Aashravah |6-2|

It should be noted that all activities, desirable (Shubh) and undesirable (Ashubh), give rise to the influx of karma particles. It is only the intrinsic characteristic activities, infinite perception, knowledge and bliss (Anant Darshan, Jnaan And Sukh) of the soul, which are known as Shuddhopayoga, that do not cause the influx of karma particles. The karma particles that come toward the soul as a result of influx become associated with the soul. This process is known as bonding (Bandh ).

Joga Payadipadesa Thhidi-Anubhaaga Kasaayado Honti |
Aparinaduchchhinnesu Ya Bandhatthhidikaaranam NatthI |257|

The nature and quantity of influx of karma particles depend on the thought-activity (Yoga), while the duration and fruition of karmic bonding is determined by passions (Kashaaya). In the spiritual states where deluding karmas exist in passive or destroyed state, there is no cause for bonding of any kind.

In the eleventh spiritual stage of spiritual development (subsided delusion Upashaantamoha), where the deluding karma exists in a passive state and is not operative (that is, it is not subject to modification), in the twelfth delusion-free (Ksheenamoha) stage and in the thirteenth stage of active omniscient (Sayog Kevali), where all passions have been destroyed, there is no cause for karmic bonding. In the fourteenth stage of inactive (Ayog Kevali) omniscient, there is no bonding either.

The fourteen stages of spiritual development are described below.

In Tattvaarth Sutra, Acharya Umaswati states :

Teevramanda-Jnaataajnaata-Bhaavaadhikarana Veeryavisheshabhyas-Tadvisheshah |6-7|

The nature and intensity (Teevra-Mand) of desire or thought-activity, intentional or unintentional character of activity (Jnaat-Ajnaat), dependence of the act involving living and non-living substances (Adhikaran) and one's own position and power (Veerya) determine the kind of karma and the amount of karmic influx.

There are thirty-nine different kinds of activities that lead to the influx and bonding of karma particles. These include the activities of the five senses (of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing), activities involving the four passions (of anger Krodh, pride Maan, intrigue Mayaand greed Lobh), activities involving violence (Himsa), untruth (Asatya), stealing (Asteya), unchastity (Abrahmacharya) and possessiveness (Parigrah), and, rational activities (Samyaktva), irrational activities (Mithyaatva), experimentation (Prayogakriya), mental pain to oneself or others (ParitaapikikriyA), infatuated desire to see a pleasant or unpleasant object (Darshanakriya), etc.(7)

Activities of the worldly souls have also been classified in the following manner: There are 3 phases of each activity, determination (Sankalp), preparation (Samaarambh) and commencement (Aarambh). Each one of these may involve the activity of mind, speech and body, giving 9 variations. A person can do the act himself/herself, can get it done by others or can just give the approval for the act. Thus we get 9x3 = 27 types of activities. These 27 types multiplied by 4 different passions (anger, pride, intrigue and greed) yield 108 different shades of activities.

Thought-activity and spiritual stages of (Gunasthaan) of soul :

A worldly soul can have the following five kinds of thought-activities (Bhaav) depending upon the states of karma :
1. Operative (Audayik), which arise from the operation (Udaya) of karmas.
2. Subsidence-based (Aupashamic), which arise from the subsidence (Upasham) of deluding karma.
3. Destruction-cum-subsidence-based (Kshaayopashamik), which arise from partial subsidence, partial destruction and partial operation of destructive karmas.
4. Destruction-based (Kshaayik), which arise from the destruction (Kshaya) of destructive karmas.
5. Intrinsic or natural (Paarinaamik), which are the characteristic thought-activities of a soul. These are not caused by karmas. Development of such thought-activity by a worldly soul leads to spiritual advancement.

There are fourteen stages of spiritual development (Gunasthaan), which are distinguished by the kinds of thought-activities of the soul. The spiritual stages have been described in Gommatasaar Jeevakaand as follows : (8)

Jehim Du Lakkhijjante Udayaadisu Sambhavehim Bhaavehim |
Jeeva Te Gunasanna Nidditthha Savvadarseehim |8|

The thought-activities caused by the operation etc. of karmas determine the spiritual stages of soul as has been stated by the omniscient.

Michchho Saasan Misso Aviradasammo Ya Desavirado Ya |
Virda Pamatta Idaro Apuvva Aniyatthhi Suhamo Ya |9|

Uvsant Kheenamoho Sajogakevalijino Ajogi Ya |
Chaudas Jeevasamaasa Kamen Siddha Ya Naadavva |10|

The spiritual stages are: deluded or irrational, indifferent, mixed, vowless rationalism, partial vow, imperfect vow, perfect vow, new thought-activity, advanced thought-activity, slight delusion, and subsided delusion, delusion-free, active omniscient conqueror and inactive omniscient. After the last stage, the soul becomes liberated.

Stages of Spiritual Development :

The fourteen spiritual stages are the steps adopted by a worldly soul to gradually change its thought-activities from those caused by karma to its (soul's) natural characteristic ones. The karmas of various kinds undergo subsidence, become inoperative and are destroyed gradually. The process is basically one of attaining rational perception, rational knowledge and rational conduct, which ultimately results in salvation (Nirvana). This process has been described in the above couplets.

(Also see couplet 257 of Gommatasaar Karmakaand cited above.)

The spiritual stages and the corresponding thought-activities are presented in the table given above.

Stoppage (Samvar) and shedding (Nirjara) of karma : Absence of all desirable and undesirable thought-activities, achieved through self-modification, leads to the stoppage of influx of karma particles. Self-modification, meditation and penance also lead to the shedding of karma particles by soul. This type of shedding, which is shedding without fruition, is known as Avipaak Nirjara. The karma particles are shed by the soul after their fruition as well. Such shedding is known as Savipaak Nirjara. It is evident from the discussion of the thought-activities (Yoga) that thought-activities like mental pain to oneself or others (Paritaapakikriya) should be avoided during penance, fasting and other religious observances. Otherwise, they will cause the influx of undesirable karma. Further, the religious observances should not involve any passions, pride, show or desire to gain desirable karma (Punya) or fear of undesirable karma (Paap).

Pseudo-karma (Nokarma) : In addition to karma particles, there are pseudo-karmas (Nokarma) that influence the life of a worldly being. Pseudo-karmas basically constitute the environment and circumstances of a worldly soul such as home, school, temple, books, teacher, medicine, climatic conditions, political system and economic atmosphere. Sometimes, these prove to be the determining factors (Nimitta) in shaping the life of a worldly soul. Some pseudo-karmas are part of the environment of a living being that happen to exist just by chance. Some are accumulated by a worldly being as stated in Gommatasaar Karmakaand :

Dehodayen Sahio Jeevo Aaharadi Kamma Nokammam |
Padisamayam Savvangam Tattayasapinda-Ovva Jalam |3|

Due to the association of the body, karmic particles and pseudo-karmas are accumulated by a worldly soul at all times, just as a hot ball of iron attracts water.

The pseudo-karmas have been described in detail in Gommatasaar Karmakaand. (9) The pseudo-karmas are not karmas but they appear to play the role of karmas. In other words, the course of events occurring due to the presence of pseudo-karmas may lead to the delusion of fruition of karma particles. Thus many events in the life of a living being occurring on account of pseudo-karmas may be incorrectly attributed to fruition of karmas.

Consider a few examples. In a train accident or a natural disaster, all the people involved may feel that it was caused by their karmas. This may not be true because the probability of a number of people possessing identical karmas is extremely small. A student failing an examination may blame his undesirable karma while it could just be the mood of the examiner that may be responsible for his failure. A businessman making a profit or suffering a loss may consider that the profit or loss is the consequence of karmas. However, the profit or loss might have occurred as a result of economic or political factors beyond his control or just by chance. In the case of a person arriving late for an interview and not getting the job, it could be the traffic or rainstorm and not his karma. A person may accumulate a large amount of wealth as a result of some intelligent business decisions or some favorable chances or some shrewd moves or even certain dishonest deeds. Karmas do not necessarily have to be responsible for this.

It should be pointed out that it is not possible for us to determine which event is the consequence of karmas and which event is caused by pseudo-karmas. Further, we should not forget that material things such as a good job, wealth and means of luxury are just pseudo-karmas and that happiness is a state of mind, which an individual can attain regardless of karmas and pseudo-karmas. This fact is stated in couplets 60-62 of Panchaastikaayasaar quoted above. Happiness and grief are the results of the thought-activities of the individual self, while karmas and pseudo-karmas are merely external (auxiliary Nimitta) causes. As described below, by modifying one's thought-activities, pleasant-feeling-producing (Saata Vedaneeya) karma can be converted into unpleasant-feeling-producing (Asaata Vedaneeya) karma and vice versa.

Transformations (Karan) of karmas:(10)

From the above discussion, it is evident that there is an intimate relationship between thought-activities (feelings, passions and emotions) of an individual and the influx, bonding, fruition, stoppage and shedding of karma particles. As described in Gommatasaar Karmakaand, feelings and emotions also lead to the following transformations of karma particles that are in the possession of a worldly soul:

Vandhukkattanakaranam Samkamamokattudeerana Sattam |
Udayuvasaamanidhatti Nikaachana Hodi Padipayadi|437|

There are ten modes (transformations) affecting each subclass of karmas as follows:
1. Bonding (Bandh)
2. Augmentation (Utakarshan) in duration and fruition
3. Diminution (Apakrashan) in duration and fruition
4. Transference (mutation Sankraman) of one subclass of karma into another subclass of the same kind of karma, such as pleasant-feeling-producing (Saata Vedaneeya) karma can be converted into unpleasant-feeling-producing (Asaata Vedaneeya) karma and vice versa. It should be noted that one kind (for example, knowledge-obscuring) of karma can not be converted into another kind (for example, obstructing) of karma.
5. Premature operation (Udeerana)
6. Existence (Satta), which is the quiescent state of karma
7. Operation (Udaya), which is the state of karma during fruition
8. Subsidence (Upasham), that is, deferment of operation of karma for a limited time. Karma particles in the state of subsidence can undergo transference, augmentation and/or diminution.
9. Prevention (Nidhatti), that is, prevention from operation of karmas for a limited time

Karmas in this state neither become operative prematurely, nor transformed into those of another class. However, they can suffer augmentation or diminution.

10. Invariance (Nikaachana), that is, prevention from operation of karmas for a limited time During this time, premature operation, transference, augmentation, diminution and fruition can not occur.

Transference is of five kinds as described in Gommatasaar Karmakaand. Uvvelanavijjhaado Adhaapavatto Guno Ya Savvo Ya | Samkamadi Jehim Kammam Parinaamavasen Jeevaanam |409|

The following five kinds of transferences (Sankraman) of karmas take place through the thought-activities of the worldly being:

1. Quality (Udvelan) transference - transference of one subclass of karma into another subclass without the following three kinds of thought-activities: downward (Adhah), new (Apoorva) and advanced (Anivritti)

2. Fruition (Vidhyaat) transference - reduction in duration and intensity occurring on account of slight purity of thoughts

3. Subclass (Adhahprivritti) transference - transference of one subclass of karma into another subclass of karma of the same kind during bonding

4. Quantity (Guna) transference - transference in which the number of karma particles change by several orders of magnitude

5. Total (Sarva) transference - transference of all material karma particles associated with soul

The details of transference have been described in the Jain scriptures.

The above concepts indicate that the soul can modify the karma particles in its possession by appropriate thought-activity. Thus it is the soul and not karma that is more powerful.

The details of transference have been described in the Jain scriptures.

The above concepts indicate that the soul can modify the karma particles in its possession by appropriate thought-activity. Thus it is the soul and not karma that is more powerful.

Modern Science And The Theory of Karma

Modern science: "Science is the product of man's attempt to understand himself and the world in which he lives; it embodies knowledge about the natural world and ourselves, and it is organized in a systematic fashion derived from experimentation and observation."(11) Science is the study of natural phenomena - matter, energy, life processes, etc. Thus science helps to unravel the nature of things (Vastu Swaroop). At present, there is no direct scientific evidence that can support all aspects of the theory of karma - it is not possible to perform any experiments on a soul. Nevertheless, many features of the theory of karma have their parallel in modern science and the principles on which the Jain karma theory is based are the same as the basic tenets of modern science.

According to modern science, all natural phenomena occur because of the intrinsic attributes of the substances involved. The couplets 60-62 of Panchaastikaayasaar quoted above conform to this principle of modern science. The theory of karma may be considered as the interactions between soul and material particles that occur due to the thought-activities of a living being and due to the attributes of soul and the particles of matter.

Let us consider a few natural phenomena. Water from rivers, lakes and oceans is evaporated by the rays of the sun. The water vapor rises, clouds are formed and it rains. Thus rain results from the interactions between water, solar energy, atmospheric particles, wind, etc. Such interactions occur due to the intrinsic properties of matter and energy. Charcoal burns because atoms of carbon have the capability of combining with atoms of oxygen, each atom of carbon combining with two atoms of oxygen to form carbon dioxide. When 6x1023 atoms of carbon combine with 2x6x1023 atoms of oxygen to form carbon dioxide, 94 kilocalories of heat are evolved and no one can change the amount of energy released in the process. However, if a limited supply of air is passed through hot coke (carbon and ash), carbon monoxide is formed in which one atom of carbon combines with one atom of oxygen. This is an example of a chemical reaction being affected by the environment. The phenomenon of catalysis, that is, speeding up a chemical reaction by the presence of some substances which themselves remain unchanged in the process, is another example of a chemical reaction being influenced by the environment. This may be compared with the concept of pseudo-karmas and karmas creating an environment for the thought-activities of a living being and the innate transformations of the soul. However, it is not possible to draw an exact parallel because the innate transformations of soul, and, the mechanism of interaction between soul and material particles are beyond experimentation.

Living and non-living entities in modern science : "Living things have certain characteristics, none of which by itself is sufficient to define them as being alive, but which, when taken together, enable us to distinguish them from non-living. The capacities for growth, maintenance and repair, reproduction, movement, responsiveness, change - these are the properties of the living." Further, "Life is characterized by the capacity to perform a series of highly organized interacting processes that occur within a definite framework."(12) Science has not been able to determine what imparts all these characteristics to the living beings. According to Jainism, it is the soul which does that. Modern science has discovered that there are certain large molecules known as nucleic acids that are informational molecules. These are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). DNA can reproduce itself and it contains within itself the information for directing the synthesis of proteins. DNA is like a blueprint that resides in the nucleus of the cell. RNA is the transcriber and translator of the genetic code, which is the symbolic message that directs the cell to produce specific substances. "A gene is a linear stretch of the DNA molecule that contains the information for producing a protein chain."(13) Genetic changes (mutations) are produced in a cell or an organism when one nucleotide (building block of the nucleic acid) is exchanged for another. These concepts are parallel to the Jain concept of physique-determining karma. However, there are some important differences between the two concepts. First, according to the Jain concept, karmic particles can not be detected by any means, and, second, heredity plays an important role in the case of genes but it does not play the same role in the case of karmic particles. Nevertheless, the parallelism between the informational molecules and the theory of karma is significant.

Influence of feelings and emotions on life processes : Our feelings and emotions have profound influence on our bodies. Dr. Martin Stein of Mount Sinai Medical Center of New York studied six men whose wives died of breast cancer. He found that each one of them "showed marked changes in their lymph cells, which help guard against disease.  Thus grief of their wives' illness and death had put them at a greater risk to developing some kind of illness themselves."  Scientists have discovered "that our brains, which are responsible for making us feel the complicated sensation we call pain, contain endorphins, natural analgesics that are, milligram for milligram, several times more potent than morphine."(14) These natural pain-relieving substances, endorphins, are particularly concentrated in the limbic system which is located in that part of the brain which is closely linked with strong emotions.

The chemical system of our body is controlled by the brain. The endocrine system, consisting of about a dozen glands in our body, reacts to mental stress. When a man is under tension, adrenalin from his adrenal glands gets into his blood stream and his heart starts to beat faster. Some hormones from the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, raise his blood pressure. These effects can give him a heart attack or stroke. Even the immune system of the body, which protects us from infection, is influenced by our feelings and emotions. People in stressful situations are more likely to develop problems such as sore throat, influenza, etc. Just as negative emotions like grief and anger produce adverse effects on our body, positive emotions help in preventing and curing illness.(15) Thus the secret of good health, longevity and happiness lies in a life of nonviolence, being at peace with oneself and one's environment. The above facts indicate the effect of our thoughts and emotions on the life processes that involve material particles (the various chemicals in our body). The Jain theory of karma also involves the effect of our thought-activity and passions on material karmic particles. It should, however, be remarked that karmic particles are different from the chemical substances in our body.

Effect of environment on our feelings and emotions : The fruition of karma is the process involving the effect of material particles on living beings. Again, it is beyond the realm of modern science to study such effects. However, there are many instances in which our environment, our pseudo-karma according to the Jain principles, influences our thought-activity. Psychologists believe that our frame of reference and self-image are established early in life. These serve as guides in our later life. (This is like our past karma affecting our present.) Researchers have found that windowless classrooms and artificial light are not conducive to learning. Sunlight has been found to affect our mood and consequently the biological processes in our body.(16) The sight of a beautiful piece of art, meeting with our relatives and friends, watching a horror movie, etc. give rise to different kinds of thoughts and feelings. However, a person can develop his inner strength and may not let the environment influence his thought-activity and feelings. Similarly, a person can develop the capability to control the effect of fruition of karma on his thought-activity and feelings.

Some parallels of transformations of karma : The Jain karma theory implies that the material karma particles associated with the soul of an individual contain information on the past thought-activity and passions of the individual. There could be some code for recording the nature (Prakriti), duration (Sthiti), fruition (Anubhaag), etc., and the transference could involve altering this coded information by means of appropriate thought-activity. This can be compared to the informational role of the nucleic acids, to the functioning of our memory and to the memory of a computer. Of these, so far, the working of the memory of a computer is best understood. Modern computers store bits of information in extremely tiny cells. Each cell can store one bit of information and each is a two-state device, one state representing a zero (0) and the other state, a one (1). The different characters and numbers are represented by different sequences of 0's and 1's. For example, the sequence 11000001 represents the letter A and the sequence 11100011, the letter T. The contents of the memory of a computer can be easily changed by altering the sequences of 0's and 1's stored in the various cells. Very little is known about the functioning of the memory of a living being. "The task of RNA is to act as a copy of the genes and pass on this impressed blueprint for the correct construction of bodily proteins. In theory, therefore, the ability of RNA to handle information seemed to make it a suitable agent for the handling of memory. Memory has three ingredients - registration, retention and recall. If RNA is the chemical that, by having its molecular pattern altered during registration, is the card index basis of memory, this fact does not explain how the card index is either maintained (retention) or used (recall).(17) However, actions such as learning the solution to a mathematical problem or the new address and telephone number of a friend and forgetting something constitute changes in the information stored in our memory. The new and developing field of genetic engineering involves manipulations of genes, that is, modifying the information stored in them. These are some examples of modification of stored information. The mechanism of the various features of karmic bonding, namely, nature (Prakriti), duration (Sthiti), fruition (Anubhaag), etc., and of the various types of transference of karmic particles is not understood. However, the phenomena of bonding and transference of karma, which involve storage and modification of information, seem to be similar to the working of the memory of computers, the modifications of the information retained by us in our memory and the techniques of genetic engineering.

Conclusions : It is evident from the above discussion that the Jain theory of karma conforms to the fundamental concepts of modern science. A detailed scientific study of karma theory and further researches in the field of biology are expected to reveal many more important similarities between the theory of karma and scientific knowledge.

Footnotes :
1. The article has been edited slightly.
2. Panchaastikaayasaar By Acharya Kundkund, translated By Prof. A. Chakravartinayanar and Dr. A. N. Upadhye, Published By Bharatiya Jnaanapith, New Delhi.
3. Gommatasaar Karmakaand By Acharya Nemichandra Siddhantachakravarti, translated By J. L. Jaini, Brahmachari Shital Prasad and Ajit Prasad Jain, Published By the Central Jain Publishing House, Ajitashram, Lucknow.
4. Although feelings of pleasure and pain pertain to our physical being and not to our soul, under the influence of delusion, we are apt to lose sight of the fact that soul is distinct from the body and that soul does experience pleasure and pain. In this manner, we deviate from the real nature of soul.
5. Gommatasaar Jeevakaand By Acharya Nemichandra Siddhantachakravarti, translated By J. L. Jaini and Brahmachari Shital Prasad, published By the Central Jain Publishing House, Ajitashram, Lucknow.
6. Tattvaarth Sutra By Acharya Umaswati, Commentary By Pandit Phool Chandra Siddhantacharya, Published By Varni Granthmala, Varanasi, 1949.
7. Teerthankar Mahaveer Aur Unki Acharya Parampara By Dr. Nemi Chandra Jain, Jyotishacharya, Published By Jain Vidvat Parishad, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
8. For details, please see 'Studies In Jainism: Reader 2', Published By the Jain Study Circle, New York, 1997, pages 60-64.
9. For details, please see, Jain Study Circular, July-October 1997, pages 3-9.
10. For details, please see 'Studies In Jainism : Reader 2', Published By the Jain Study Circle, New York, 1997, pages 121-126.
11. Biology - A Human Approach By I. W. Sherman and V. G. Sherman, published by Oxford University Press, New York, Second Edition, 1979.
12 Biology - A Human Approach cited above.
13. Biology - A Human Approach
14. 'How The Mind Affects Our Health' by Laurence Cherry, an article Published in the The New York Times Magazine, November 23, 1980.
15. How The Mind Affects Our Health cited above.
18. 'Fertility To Mood, Sunlight Found To Affect Human Biology' By Jane E. Brody, article published in The New York Times, June 23, 1981.
17. 'The Body' By Anthony Smith, published By Walker and Company, New York, 1968.

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