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154
KARMA - THE MECHANISM
SUTRAS
We can overcome all these obstacles by patience and perseverance. They fall off automatically as soon as the karmas that caused them are dissolved. Since none of the attitudes and activities mentioned in this chapter bind new karma, the end of the listed difficulties is preordained. Patience at the occurrence of obstacles means to wait for their foreseeable dispersal if they can't be dissolved actively (e.g. by a change of attitude etc.).
Overcoming the obstacles by itself does not generate progress on the path to freedom form all karmic limitations. Though this may often be accomplished by commendable efforts, all progress on the path to ultimate freedom is only characterized by the experience of superior levels of consciousness and not by an ability to endure bodily and emotional troubles. It is only important to overcomie obstacles once they arise, so that our expansion-process can accelerate further.
Willingly creating these obstacles does not bring about any progress towards the ultimate freedom. It only indicates a flawed understanding of tapas - the conscious confrontation of karma (see sutra
3).
SUTRA 10 सूक्ष्मसाम्परायच्छद्मस्थवीतरागयोश्चतुर्दश ॥ १० ॥ Sukshmasamparayachchhadmasthavitaragayoshchaturdasha (10) In the tenth stage of development (suksma sampararaya) only 14 obstacles may occur. (10)
This is hunger, thirst, coldness, heat, annoyance by insects, the craving for stability (homelessness), the fading of our intention to grow, disappointment in the effectiveness of our knowledge, obstruction of the path by external factors, failure in the attempt to obtain help, illness, pain, lack of sincerity and ignorance. All obstacles produced by deluding karmas fall away at this stage.
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