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SUTRAS
THE KEY TO THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
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how these expansive insights intensify our growth and this infuses us with inspiration and invigorating energy.
As long as we are guided by our orientation towards growth, we exclude error, misunderstanding and doubt from our insights. While in this state, karmic blocks are unable to obstruct our comprehension. With unfailing certainty we now pursue only those impulses that give us access to ever more advanced levels.
Orientation towards growth is primarily caused by the removal of karma (prejudices, laziness etc.). Yet it can be triggered by the concentrated study of scriptures describing the expansion of consciousness.
Intuitive orientation towards growth might also be activated by the guidance of those who are further advanced on this path. At times their mere presence will produce this effect. The scriptures mentioned in the sutra are ancient works that deal with the expansion of consciousness.
The scriptures originally were taught by the tirthankaras. tirthankaras (path-builders) are human beings who reached the state of omniscience (13th stage of development) and pass on their knowledge to others. tirthankaras are not yet free from all karma, but their liberation is assured.
Only few people become tirthankara because an extraordinary stability of body and mind is necessary to retain the bodily form after reaching omniscience.47
47 The twenty-fourth and last tirthankara - Mahavira - was born 599 BC in
Vaishali (India). At the age of 30 he began to strive for freedom from karmic restrictions and reached omniscience after twelve-and-a-half years. He communicated his knowledge and experience for 30 years before he left his body at the age of 72.
Mahavira's teaching vitalized the path to freedom and had profound influence up to the very present. During his presence as tirthankara he taught approximately half a million people and it is said that many of them reached ultimate freedom even during his lifetime.
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