________________
SUTRAS
THE KEY TO THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
75
etc. need not to be totally dissolved. We also experience superior levels of consciousness when they become - partially or fully - inactive for a while. During this time of inactivity these barriers to our inner expansion are temporarily suspended.
We stabilize these new insights by reinforcing them each time they occur, by totally dissolving prejudices, emotional attachment etc. and by activating more of our dormant abilities. Su
tra one describes the three factors that make this happen. 2 - External causes (bahya) - may also trigger higher functions of
our consciousness. External causes can be events like shocks, accidents, deep disappointments, intense love, great pain etc. Events of this kind shake us up deeply and often stimulate a fundamental reevaluation of our current goals. They generally give us a radically new view of our purpose in life.
This can also be triggered when we meet people who are more advanced on their path to liberation, by the sudden recall of former lives, or when we explore knowledge that de
scribes the path to higher states of consciousness. EXAMPLE: We observe that orientation towards growth arises almost always in times of relative quietness when our attention is not immersed in the hustle-bustle of daily life and we have time and opportunity to reflect on us and life in general - e.g. during periods of waiting and silence, in open nature etc.
We discover that these moments of awakening occur more often when we intentionally prevent the intake of new karmas (i.e. when we stop refueling negative emotions, give up carelessness, laziness, indifference, put energy behind our intention to grow, actively maintain equanimity even though this takes effort etc.).
We now transfer our insight into action and e.g. read books that describe higher states of consciousness, search out the presence of those more advanced on the path etc.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
