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## The Sutra Kritanga Sutra
### Introduction
Humanity has been in pursuit of ultimate truth for a long time. Material pleasures, comforts, worldly achievements, wealth, prosperity, and other attractive elements have always been pursued by humans, and they continue to be pursued even today. However, they have not been able to provide complete satisfaction, ultimate peace, supreme happiness, or uninterrupted bliss. Even after attaining all these things, humans have felt incomplete and unsatisfied.
This is because, while these things may seem appealing on the surface, they ultimately prove to be bland, contradictory, or prone to suffering. As contemplation progressed, humans sought a divine spiritual joy that is absolute and entirely self-sufficient. There, all disparities, adversities, and cycles of suffering are left behind, and liberation from them is achieved. This is what is called liberation or moksha. Thinkers and practitioners progressed further and further in the direction of attaining it. They adopted Dharma as a means to achieve it. Dharma has been interpreted in many ways. The nature of the soul is Dharma, the one who saves a being fallen into misery is Dharma, the one that leads to worldly prosperity and liberation is Dharma. This practical analysis is included in the Shruti and the harmony of character, good conduct, and Dharma.
In the world, Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha are considered the four Purusharthas. No matter who you look at, they are seen striving around these four. These four can be divided into two pairs: Artha and Kama, and Dharma and Moksha. Artha and Kama are entirely worldly or material, while Dharma and Moksha are spiritual or transcendental. When Artha and Kama are disciplined and controlled by Dharma and Moksha, they adopt a direction that leads them towards creation instead of destruction. This is the essence of the philosophical discussions, speculations, contemplations, and deliberations associated with Dharma. Where it progressed with this emotional ground, it spread peace, universal brotherhood, equality, and harmony in the world. Where this ideal was abandoned and mobility was based on narrow and selfish ideologies, there were bloody conflicts and disturbances in the name of Dharma, which can be called the dark pages of the history of righteousness.
India has been a predominantly religious country for a long time. Vedic, Jain, and Buddhist are the main religions here. They have their own scriptures, their own views, and their own codes of conduct. The Vedic tradition followers accept the Vedas as their ultimate authoritative scriptures. The word Veda is derived from the root "vid", which means knowledge. The Vedas contain many topics related to worldly and otherworldly knowledge, explained in hymns and mantras. Vedic followers do not consider the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva, this tetrad, to be man-made. They call them Apaurusheya, meaning they are not the creations of any particular person. The Supreme Father, the Supreme God, revealed the knowledge in the hearts of the Rishis, which manifested in the form of various hymns and mantras. Therefore, the Rishis are not called Mantra-srashta (creators of mantras), but Mantra-drashta (seers of mantras).
The oldest scriptures of the Buddhists are called Pitakas. They are known as Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, and Abhidhamma Pitaka. These are taught by the Tathagata Buddha. According to Buddhist followers, Buddha was an Arhat or an omniscient being.