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1. 6–8]
Methods to Understand the Principles
Upon hearing about the spiritual principle, one increases one's knowledge through various related questions. This intent is expressed in the two presented sutras. In brief, the fourteen questions mentioned in the directives and other sutras are considered regarding right perception.
1. Directive (Tattvaruchi) – This is the nature of right perception.
2. Ownership (Adhikaritya) – Only the soul that possesses right perception is the true owner, not non-sentient beings, as it is a quality or manifestation of the soul itself.
3. Instrumental Causes – The three intrinsic causes of right perception are the subsidence, destruction, and annihilation of the deluding karma. The external causes include knowledge of scriptures, remembrance of birth, viewing of images, company of the virtuous, etc.
4. Basis (Adhar) – The basis of right perception is indeed the soul, because it resides in the result of that perception. Right perception is a quality, thus although its possessor and basis are not different, when considering the proprietorship and basis of substances like living beings, there is a difference found in both. For example, from a practical perspective, one living being may be the owner while the basis would be a location or body.
5. State (Kalamaryada) – The lowest state of right perception is the instant moment, and the highest state is eternal. All three types of right perceptions arise at a certain time, and therefore, they are termed as initial (Sadi) or prior. However, despite arising, the subsiding and destruction forms of right perception do not remain, hence these two are also termed as later (Saanta). However, the annihilated form of right perception does not become extinct after arising, so it is eternal. In this regard, generally, right perception should be understood as initial-later (Sadi-Saanta) and initial-eternal (Sadi-Ananta).
6. Types (Vidhana) – There are three types of right perception: subsiding, destructive, and annihilated.
7. Existence (Satta) – Although the quality of right perception exists as a reality in all living beings, its manifestation occurs only in exalted souls, not in the ordinary ones.
8. Counting (Sankhya) – The counting of right perception depends on the number of individuals who attain it. To date, countless souls have achieved right perception and countless more will attain it in the future, thus from this perspective, right perception is infinite in number.
9. Field (Lokakash) – The field of right perception is not the entire lokakash, but rather an innumerable part of it. Whether considering one living being with right perception or innumerable beings, generally the field of right perception should be understood as an innumerable portion of the world, as all beings possessing right perception are included.