Gandharavada

SR No.: 006739
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha
Publication Year: 1966
Total Pages: 400
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

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type of greed and attains a state where all the twenty-eight sub-types of the deluding karman are completely suppressed. The soul's minimum stay at this stage of absolute suppression of the deluding karman is for one instant and the maximum for an antarmuhurta. After this stay the soul invariably falls down to the lower stages on the rise of the suppressed passions. The stronger the rise of the passions, the lower is the fall. A soul can climb up this ladder of subsidence only twice in the same life. But the soul which bas climbed up the ladder twice cannot climb up the ladder of annihilation in that life and so cannot attain emancipation in the same life. The soul which has climbed up the ladder of subsidence only once has the chance of climbing up the ladder of annihilation and thus attaining final emancipation in that very life.
The ladder of annihilation (kşupakaśreni) also is climbed up in almost the same way. Only thc souls encased in a strong body can climb up this ladder. By the three processes the soul annihilates at the outset the four life-long (anantānubandhin) passions. Then the three sub-types of the vision-deluding karman are annihilated. If the individual dies at this stage it has to experience three or four more births before it attains emancipation. Otherwise, the soul proceeds further for the gradual annihilation, by means of the threefold processes, of the second and tbird type of passions, the nine quasi-passions, and the fourth type of apger, pride and deceit. Then last of all the soul annihilates the fourth type of greed and attains a state where all the subtypes of the deluding karman have been annihilatcd. This is the summit of the ladder of annihilation. The soul is now free from passions and immediately attains omniscience and reaches a stage which is known as the state of embodied freedom (jīvanmukti).
[See Karmaprakști with Cūrni and the commentaries of Malayagiri and Upādhyāya Yašovijaya (1937)—Upasamanäkaraņa; also Studies in Jaina Philosophy, pp. 269-276 by Dr. Nathmal Tatia. We are very much indebted to Dr. Tatia’s exposition.]
Rasāvibhāga - The lowest degree of fruition of karma is known as rasā vibhaga. It serves as a unit to measure the other