________________
SUTRAS
HOW TO DISSOLVE KARMA
155
SUTRA 11 gahigat fea | 99 11 Ekadasha jine (11) In the thirteenth stage of development (sayogakevali) 11 obstacles may occur. (11)
In the thirteenth stage of development only karmas that determine our feeling of life may occur. This is: hunger, thirst, coldness, heat, annoyance by insects, the craving for stability (homelessness), the fading of our intention to grow, obstruction of the path by external factors, illness, pain and lack of sincerity.
SUTRA 12 बादरसाम्पराये सर्वे ॥ १२ ॥ Badarasamparaye sarve (12)
As long as we experience the more intense forms of anger, pride, deceit and greed, all obstacles may occur. (12)
The obstacles mentioned above are no special barriers that were erected for mystic purposes. They do not occur to test our sincerity or to purify us. Obstacles are nothing other than the manifestation of karmas, i.e. our own emotional - positive or negative - attachment to limiting themes of life. They are activated on our path to freedom from all karmic limitations in the same manner as in a life not directed towards this goal. It is therefore entirely beside the point to attribute them with a special esoteric meaning.
The next four sutras describe what causes these obstacles.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
