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performs the task of the jailer?
The enlightened say that the jailer could be your own brother, your nephew, your partner, your servant or even your neighbour. It could be your mother-in-law or your daughter-in-law. All the souls around us are the officiating jailers of this court of karmasatta. Any one from amongst these jailers is ordered by the high command to administer punishment to you when required. The person so ordered might not wish to do so but he has to abide by the command. For example, the court orders someone to either abuse you or slap you or directs someone that this person has committed a crime for which you have to make him incur a loss of a large sum of money. The orders are obeyed, and your funds are misappropriated in such a way that you lose that amount.
The person misappropriating your funds is carrying out his duty as the Jailer. If we were to ask the abuser what harm had we caused him to abuse us in such a manner and that we would also abuse him back, what would be the outcome? Will our punishment be increased or decreased? "It will increase".
"Do we want our punishment to be enhanced or mitigated?"
"Mitigated".
If we want to reduce the punishment, what is the remedy? Think about the prisoner.
If he strikes a blow with a whip, his punishment increases. Perhaps he may not strike but even if he retaliates or escapes, his punishment will increase. He may even take the blows but if he tries to make mischief, his
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