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## Bodhi, a Rare Sentiment
**Verse 108-109 from the Fourth Light of Yoga Shastra**
**Verse 107:** From the state of being a one-sensed stationary being, the soul transcends to the state of a three-sensed being, or becomes a five-sensed animal. ||107||
**Verse 108:** Human birth, in an Aryan land, with a noble lineage, and the perfection of all five senses, along with a long lifespan, are attained due to the lightness of karma. ||108||
**Meaning:** After the karma becomes extremely light due to the accumulation of good deeds, the soul attains human birth, in an Aryan land, with a noble lineage, and the perfection of all five senses, along with a long lifespan. ||108||
**Explanation:** Due to the lightness of karma, the soul attains human birth, similar to how a nail finds its way into a crack in the ocean of self-created existence. After attaining human birth, the soul is born in an Aryan land like Magadha, excluding non-Aryan lands like Shaka and Yavana. Even after attaining an Aryan land, the soul is born in a noble lineage, excluding the lower castes like Antyaja. Even after attaining a noble lineage, the soul attains the perfection of all five senses and a long lifespan only when the negative karma has reduced, and the auspicious signs of merit have increased. Only then can all these be attained. A person with a short lifespan cannot perform the duties of this world or the next. Shri Vitrag Bhagwan, while addressing Gautam, has emphasized the importance of a long lifespan along with other qualities. ||108||
**Verse 109:** Even after attaining faith, listening to the teachings of the Guru, and hearing the scriptures, the attainment of the true knowledge, the jewel of Bodhi, is extremely rare. ||109||
**Meaning:** Due to the lightness of karma and the rise of merit, the soul attains faith, the desire for Dharma, the Guru, and the opportunity to listen to their teachings. However, even after all this, the attainment of true knowledge, the unwavering devotion to God, Guru, and Dharma, the jewel of Bodhi (the jewel of right faith), is extremely difficult. ||109||
**Explanation:** The transition from a stationary being to a three-sensed being is extremely rare, and from there, the attainment of the jewel of Bodhi is even rarer. The word "su" before "durlabham" emphasizes the extreme rarity of the jewel of Bodhi. Even those with wrong views, after countless births, reach the stage of listening to the scriptures, but they cannot attain the jewel of Bodhi. The seed of the tree of liberation is right faith. The inner meaning of the verses in this context is that attaining a kingdom or becoming a Chakravarti is not rare in this Jain Dharma, but the attainment of the jewel of Bodhi is extremely rare. All beings have experienced all the states of the world countless times before, but they have never attained the jewel of Bodhi, because their cycle of birth and death continues. After countless cycles of the transformation of matter, when half of the cycle of transformation of matter remains, the karma of all beings in the world reaches its peak, and then a being attains the jewel of Bodhi by breaking the knots. Many beings come close to breaking the knots by following their natural tendencies, but they return without attaining the jewel of Bodhi. Many beings attain the jewel of Bodhi but fall back and continue to wander in the cycle of birth and death. Listening to the scriptures of the wicked, associating with those with wrong views, indulging in bad habits, and negligence destroy the jewel of Bodhi. Although the attainment of conduct is considered rare, it is successful only when the jewel of Bodhi is attained. Without it, the attainment of the jewel of conduct is useless. Even an unliberated being can attain conduct and reach the Graiveyak Devaloka, but without the jewel of Bodhi, they cannot attain the bliss of liberation. A Chakravarti who does not attain the jewel of Bodhi is like a pauper, and a pauper who attains the jewel of Bodhi is greater than a Chakravarti. A being who attains right faith never becomes attached to the world. Being free from attachment, they worship liberation without any obstacles. The one who has attained this state of liberation before, the one who will attain it in the future, and the one who is attaining it now, all are the effects of the jewel of Bodhi, which is unparalleled in its influence and glory. Therefore, worship this jewel of Bodhi, praise it, listen to it, what is the use of anything else? Thus, the sentiment of Bodhi is complete. ||109||