Karma - The Mechanism: Tattvarthasutra 8.14

Published: 30.08.2014


Aditastisrinamantarayasya cha trinshatsagropamakotikotyah para sthiti (14)

The first three types of karma, i.e.
  • karma that obstructs access to the five channels of knowledge (jnana-varana)
  • karma that prevents insight and understanding (darshana-varana) and
  • karma that determines our feeling of life (vedaniya)
can remain bound to us for a maximum of ca. 3000 years (30 sagaropamas). (14)


The exact length of the time-unit sagaropama has been lost. Some scholars evaluate it to be 100 years, but unfortunately the ancient method to calculate it is so vague that this can only be taken as an assumption. For the lack of any other method this assumption is adopted here, - 30 sagar­opamas would then last 3000 years.

What can be said however is that the binding force of karmic molecules is limited in time. Its power might influence several of our incarnations, but ceases to bind our consciousness after a limited number of years has passed. Though it is not known how exactly the bond weakens, karmic molecules appear to be subject to a similar deterioration as can be observed in atoms.

Furthermore - the strength of the bond varies significantly between the eight main types of karma. Karmas that determine status and the form and features of our body carry the shortest duration, while delusion lasts longest.

Sources

Title: Karma - The Mechanism

Publisher: Crosswind Publishing

Edition: 2000

HN4U Edition: 2014

'The purpose of souls is to assist each other.'
TATTVARTHASUTRA - Chapter 5, Sutra 21

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Page glossary
Some texts contain  footnotes  and  glossary  entries. To distinguish between them, the links have different colors.
  1. Body
  2. Consciousness
  3. Darshana-varana
  4. Jnana-varana
  5. Karma
  6. Karmas
  7. Para
  8. Sagar
  9. Sthiti
  10. Vedaniya
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