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DISCOURSE XXI
EIGHT KARMAS
Gentlemen!
Karma is possessed of eight basic characteristics and they are only known as eight Karmas. This was clearly pointed out by us in the preceding Discourse. Now we intend to make you conversant with the nature of these eight Karmas and their functions.
Some hold that Karma is lifeless matter and it cannot have its nature, but they have not properly conceived the meaning of "nature.” Nature means basic characteristic or attribute. Even a lifeless body is possessed of its attributes, just as sweetness is the attribute of sugar, bitterness of quinine and pungency of chilly. If you put two flint pieces to friction fire will be generated, if you drop wooden plank in water it will float. Everything acts according to its nature, its attribute.
Some people argue what is the use of classifying Karmas ? Our aim is the annihilation of Karmas and therefore we would better preach how to annihilate them. But mere repeating the name of the disease suffered by the patient is not enough. The disease cannot be cured thereby. We should have the proper diagnosis of the disease, correct knowledge of its origin, and its probable results in case of aggravation and the established remedy. Unless you are fully conversant with the nature of the disease you cannot uproot it. Similarly you cannot annihilate Karma, unless you are fully conversant with the nature of Karma. Moreover, it is necessary to understand various kinds of Karmas to know how results proceed through various kinds of Karmas.
HOW EIGHT FORMS OF KARMAS ARE NAMED IN A PARTICULAR ORDER ?
Just as Sunday is followed by Monday, Monday is followed by Tuesday or January is followed by February and February is followed by March etc; with some purpose, knowledge-obscuring Karma is followed by intuition-obscuring Karma, the same is followed by feeling-producing Karma and the latter is further
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