Story on sthiti band of karma
Certainly! In Jainism, "sthiti bandha" refers to the duration for which karma attaches to the soul before it comes into fruition and gives its result. Let me share a story that illustrates this concept:
Story: The Patient Monk and the Duration of Karma
Once, there was a Jain monk named Sudharma, renowned for his deep meditation and discipline. He strictly followed the vows of non-violence, truth, and non-attachment. One day, while meditating under a tree, a mischievous boy threw a stone at him. The stone hit Sudharma, but instead of reacting with anger or pain, the monk remained calm and forgave the boy.
Later, his fellow monks asked, "Sudharma, why did you not get angry? Did you not feel hurt?"
Sudharma replied, "I understand the law of karma. The pain I felt was due to past karma coming into fruition. The duration for which this karma was bound to my soul (sthiti bandha) was already decided long ago by my own actions. By maintaining equanimity now, I prevent new harmful karmas from attaching with long duration. If I had reacted with anger, I would have bound new karma with a longer duration, which would trouble me further in future lives."
He continued, "Just as iron, when exposed to fire for longer, becomes hotter, karma bound with strong passions or intense emotions stays longer with the soul. But if we respond with forgiveness, kindness, and detachment, the karmic bondage is lighter and of shorter duration."
Moral: The story teaches that our reactions and emotions determine the duration (sthiti) for which karmas stay attached to our soul. Practicing equanimity and non-attachment leads to binding karmas with shorter duration, thus hastening our spiritual progress.
This is the essence of "sthiti bandha" in Jain philosophy, illustrated through the story of the patient monk.