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Aptavani-4
the Self will liberate you in two or three lifetimes. But the ‘sticky’
karma created for the worldly life (sansar) will take significantly
longer to maturate. This is why the worldly life is still thriving.
If a straightforward man were to pick someone’s pocket
for the first time, he will get caught. This is because his karma
will mature immediately, and he is freed from this karma. And
the experienced pickpocket, on the other hand, will never get
caught. People would normally perceive the one getting caught
in the act, as the guilty one. Nature, however, is in his ‘favor’.
Nature will give the gentler person his ‘reward’ and take him to
a higher life-form; whereas the experienced one, already shows
signs of heading for a lower life-form, in the simple fact that he
cannot be caught.
What Is ‘Sticky’ Karma?
So many karmas simply fall away on their own. Many
karmas can be shed through repentance. The ‘sticky’ karmas
are those that, even after much repentance, still cannot be shed,
but have to be endured. The Jain refers to them as sticky
(nikachit; heavy and ‘sticky’ karma that one has no choice but
to suffer its effect) karma. If someone spits on you, and you
throw some water on it, it will immediately wash off. Some may
spit on you, but no matter how hard you try to wash it off with
soap and water, you still will not manage to remove it. Now
those are extremely sticky.
Questioner: Why is it that although I have made a strong
decision (nischay) to settle matters with equanimity (sambhave
nikal), I still come across dispute?
Dadashri: In how many places does that happen? A
hundred?
Questioner: It only happens in one place.
Dadashri: Then that is sticky (nikachit) karma. How