Page 114 - Desire to Disaster

commitment and diligence knew no bounds. She was
constantly aware, remained focused on her goal of liberation
and practised gentleness and kindness in all her actions of
mind, speech and body. She ensured that she did not cause
the death of even the tiniest organisms. Her renunciation was
solid and unshakeable. Her penance was incredible. She gave
complete obedience to her guru and was absolutely devoted
to her. She was always ready to obey her guru and followed
her instructions to the letter. She had immersed herself
completely in the study of scriptures and as a result of all
this, many of her sinful past karmas were destroyed. Not only
that, we manifested avadhi jnana {clairvoyance.}
Through her avadhi jnana, she saw Rupsen’s plight. She
learnt how badly he was doing and how brutally he had
been treated, birth after birth.

Rupsen Reborn as the Elephant

She saw that Rupsen’s soul had been reborn as an elephant.
He lived in the jungles of the Vindhyachal mountain range.
He would often visit the nearby villages and trample upon
whoever came in his way, causing destruction and mayhem.
Sadhvi Sunanda felt sorry for his soul. She thought to herself,
“Oh! The poor creature! Since his birth as Rupsen, he has
gone through such terrible grief! He has taken birth and died
so many times! Each time, he has lived and died in sorrow.
And now, born as an elephant, he is indulging in such wanton
destruction! He is committing sins exponentially! Where will
this take him?”

Varied are the Consequences of Sin
It is indeed pitiable! As Rupsen, his seeking visual pleasure by
ogling Princess Sunanda has led to his rebirth as an elephant,
where he indulged in harming and harassing people.

The sinner is not aware of the consequences of sin. One sin

114 Desire to Disaster