Karma the Mechanism

Author(s): Hermann Kuhn
Publisher: Crosswind Publishing Germany

Page 77

KARMA - THE MECHANISM
SUTRAS
tirthankaras are human beings who reached the 13th stage of development - the state of omniscience - but refrain from achieving the ultimate freedom for a while to impart their know-how to others. All descriptions how to reach freedom from karmic limitations originate in the direct experiences of the tirthankaras.
An extraordinary stability of body and mind is necessary to retain the bodily form after reaching omniscience. Since the attractiveness of ultimate freedom is immense in this stage, all other beings proceed straight onto liberation.
The types of actions mentioned in the sutra acquire a special kind of karma that enables to teach from omniscience (i.e. to communicate knowledge to people who are still deeply immersed in highly limiting karmic mechanisms). Though tirthankaras have not achieved ultimate freedom, they will reach this state once their teaching karma is dissolved. After reaching ultimate freedom tirthankaras take no special position amongst the free beings (siddhas).
SUTRA 25 परात्मनिन्दाप्रशंसे सदसद्गुणोच्छादनोद्भावने च Arania eu ll 24 Il Paratmaninda prashamse sadasadgunochchadanodbhavane cha nichairgotrasya (25) - Speaking ill of others - praising ourselves - concealing good qualities and achievements of others - praising qualities we do not possess attracts karma that leads to a low, inferior status in life. (25)