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KARMA - THE MECHANISM
SUTRAS
SUTRA 24 नामप्रत्ययाः सर्वतो योगविशेषात्समैकक्षेत्रावगाहस्थिताः HaichychCG-diftrayga: || 28 ll. Namapratyayah sarvato yogavishesatsukshmaikakshetravagahasthitah sarvatmapradeshesvanantanantapradeshah (24) At all times an infinite number of karmic molecules coexists with our body.
When we act, a number of these karmic molecules attaches to our interactive karmic field. The nature and intensity of our activity determines how many karmic molecules will attach. This process cannot be perceived directly by our senses. (24)
How big is a karmic molecule?
The Tattvarthasutra uses the unit pradesha as the point of reference to describe minute dimensions of space. pradesha is usually translated as 'spacepoint' and denotes 'the smallest possible extent of space'12. Spacepoints are comparatively large, the particles of other elements (e.g. matter) can be far smaller than one spacepoint.
Karmic molecules are far subtler than spacepoints. One spacepoint can contain an infinite number of them.
The sutra states that our body coexists with as many karmic molecules as 'infinite times infinite'13 spacepoints can hold.
12 pradesha is the amount of space filled by a particle of the element space
that cannot be divided into smaller parts. According to their definition
these elementary particles are far smaller than atoms. 13 The term 'infinite times infinite' used in the sutra is no vag
sion. It is a mathematical method to describe the magnitude of a number by defining the limits of this number. Yet the description of the mathematics at the basis of these expressions would far exceeds the scope of this book. A number of other works deal extensively with the size and mechanisms of karmic molecules and the highly developed mathematics of the ancient Indians.
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