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## Samantabhadra-Bharati
## Chapter 9
If it is said that inanimate substances like thorns and milk, and even liberated souls in the state of *Akashaya* (non-attachment) like monks, who are the cause of suffering and happiness for others, are bound by karma, then how can they be considered unbound? (If it is argued that they do not have any intention or resolve to cause suffering or happiness to others, and therefore they are not bound by karma, then it cannot be definitively stated that the production of suffering and happiness in others is the sole cause of karmic bondage.)
**Explanation:** If the production of happiness and suffering in others is the sole cause of karma, then why are inanimate substances like milk and cream, and thorns, which cause happiness and suffering to others, not considered bound by karma? However, no one considers these to be bound by karma. A thorn pricking someone's foot and causing them pain does not make the thorn sinful, nor do karmic particles attach to it or bind it. Similarly, milk and cream bring joy to many, but this joy does not make them virtuous, nor do karmic particles enter them or associate with them in a way that would cause them to experience the consequences in the future. This clearly shows that the aforementioned theory is flawed.
If it is argued that "only sentient beings are capable of being bound by karma, not inanimate objects," then how can the objection regarding liberated souls be addressed? They too cause happiness and suffering to others in various ways. For example, when a monk initiates a seeker into monastic life, it causes sorrow to many of his relatives. When he teaches his disciples and the public, it brings happiness to them. Even while walking with utmost care on the path of liberation,