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Gunasthanas Stages of Spiritual Development
Pravin K. Shah
• JAINA Education Committee • Jain Study Center of North Carolina • 509 Carriage Woods Circle • Raleigh NC 27607-3969 • E-mail: education@jaina.org • Website: • 919-859-4994 and Fax
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Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas
• There are 14 stages of spiritual development - Soul travels from complete Ignorance (Mithyätva) state to the complete blissful and
liberated state • The order of Gunasthänas is logical and not chronological - They are arranged according to the principle of decreasing sinfulness and the
increasing purity -Soul removes its
f Ignorance (Mithyätva) on 4th stage f Vowlessness (Avirati) on 6th stage f Passions (Kashäya) on 12th stage f Ghäti karma on 13th stage f Yoga (activities of body, mind and speech) on 14th stage and attains liberation
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Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas
01 Mithyatva (False conviction or faith)
f Delusion or Gross ignorance state of Right faith or conviction f This state is possessed by all souls from the beginning of time f Soul does not have a true knowledge and faith in reality but believes in
non-reality f Three progressive stages Mithyätva Mohaniya
-Mithyätva Mohaniya (Wrong belief) -Mishra Mohaniya (Right/wrong belief)
Samyaktva Mohaniva (Clouded right belief) f Soul migrates to 4th stage after acquiring right conviction of its proper or right knowledge
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Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas
• 02 Säsvädana (Stage of having tasted true belief)
f One has a taste of true belief f This states exists only while actually falling down from the fourth to the
first stage f Duration less than 48 minutes 03 Mishra (Mixed Stage) f Mixed or partially rational belief. f Also the condition of mind while actually falling down from the fourth
to the first stage f After the first fall, condition of mind going up from first to the fourth
stage f Duration less than 48 minutes
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Stages of Spiritual Development (Gunasthanas)
04 Samyag_drashti or Samyaktva (Right Faith or Conviction) f Soul migrates directly to 4th stage from the 1st stage (first time) f Soul possesses Right Faith (Samyaktva) and Right Knowledge but lack of self control or
conduct and hence it is known as Avirata_samyagadrasthi (Vowless Right Faith) f Gateway to Liberation f Three ways to achieve Samyaktva
- Upasham (suppression) - Kshäyik (eradication)
- Kshayopasham (partial suppression and partial eradication) f Three types of Faith Deluding (Darshan Mohaniya) Karma and four Anantänu_bandhi
Kashäya (very intense passions) has been suppressed or eradicated. These seven Karma
are called Darshan-saptak. f Downfall occurs if Mithyätva was suppressed only
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Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas
05 Desavirata_samyagadristi (Partial Renunciation)
f Practicing partial vows of Right Conduct
f Conquered over Apratyakhan_kashay (intense passions)
f Highest spiritual stage for laypeople
06 Pramatta_virata (Full Renunciation with some Non-awareness)
f Total renunciations of Material belongings and Family life (follows ascetic life)
ƒ Observes five great vows though possesses some Non-awareness (Pramäda)
f Conquered over Pratyakhan_kashay (high passions)
07 Apramatta_virata (Full Renunciation with total awareness)
f Observes vows at every moment without negligence (pramada)
ƒ Passions are reduced to minimum in intensity, quality, number and form (Sanjvalan)
f Partial realization of natural joy or bliss (svabhavik ananda)
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Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas
08 Apurva_karana or Nivratti_badara_samparaya (Meditative state)
f Pureness of soul increasing
f Remains in meditative state
f Traces of Passions are still present
09 Anivritti_karana or Anivratti_badara samparaya (Advance meditative state)
ƒ More advanced thought-activity or meditation
10 Sukshma_samparaya (Almost passionless state)
f Only very slight pious greed left to be controlled
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Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas
11 Upasanta_moha (Quiescence passionless state) f Quiescence of the remaining traces of pious greed f Fallback occurs due to suppression of passions
12 Kshina_moha (Complete passionless state)
f Desirelessness (Vitaräga) State
f Complete eradication of even pious greed
f Duration is less than 48 min
f No fallback can occur (all passions are eradicated)
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________________ Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 13 Sayogy kevalin (Active Omniscience State) f Omniscience state (elimination of four Ghati karma) f Perfection of Right Vision, Knowledge, Conduct, and Power or Energy f It is known as Liberation in the embodied state s Activity of Body, Mind and Speech exist (Yoga) f Tirthankara establishes religious order 14 Ayogy_kevalin (Passive Omniscience State) f Cessation of all activities of the three yogas f Duration is very short (few seconds) f Next step is the attainment of Liberation or Nirvana