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6. 11-26]
Not revealing or showing the qualities of the eight root karmas is a hindrance, and considering knowledge as ignorance and holding the intention to destroy it is a setback. 11.
Causes of asatavedaniya karma - 1. Sorrow - Pain arising from external or internal causes. 2. Grief - Worry and regret from the severing of a relationship with a well-wisher. 3. Distress - Intense suffering due to the tainting of the mind from insult. 4. Weeping - Crying with a choked voice and shedding tears. 5. Killing - Taking someone's life. 6. Lamentation - A sorrowful weeping that occurs through the memory of a departed person's qualities.
These sorrows, and similar causes like beatings and insults, become causes for the bondage of asatavedaniya karma when they arise from the actions of oneself or others, or both.
Question - If the aforementioned causes of sorrow are indeed the causes of asatavedaniya karma, then shouldn't vows, fasting, and similar other rules also be considered as causes of asatavedaniya because they are painful? If that were the case, wouldn't it be more appropriate to abandon those vows instead of practicing them?
Answer - The causes of sorrow arise as asrava (bondage) only when they are generated by anger and other afflictions, not merely due to being generally sorrowful. A true renunciant or ascetic does not become bound by asatavedaniya karma, even when strictly observing harsh vows and rules. There are two reasons for this. First, a true renunciant, while adhering to strict vows, raises his suffering not out of anger or other negative emotions, but is inspired by good conduct and good intention. He endures hardships, but since there is a lack of anger, distress, and other kashayas in painful situations, those situations do not bind him. The second reason is that such renunciants often experience genuine happiness even while following the harshest vows and rules, and therefore, it is unlikely for them to experience sorrow or grief in such instances. It is well known that just because one person experiences sorrow in a given situation, it does not necessitate that another person will also experience sorrow in the same situation. Thus, adherence to such vows and rules brings them joy due to their mental inclination. Just as a compassionate physician does not become affected by causing pain through surgery because he is moved by compassion, similarly, one who removes worldly suffering...