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stly tried to avoid this error in practice as the Jaians have done.9"
Turning to Jain ethics, the summum bonum of the Jain religion is the attainment of salvation or Moksha, which means freedom for ever from an endless circle of births and deaths in the various forms of gods, human beings, animals or infernal beings. This freedom is gained through one's own steady and strenuous striving. The path leading to this salvation consists of right vision or faith, right knowledge and right conduct, 10
The bondage of the soul from times immemorial is regarded as real, although the soul is inherently perfect and pure and can remove all obstacles and attain perfect illumination. For this purpose the soul must willingly subject itself to a series of practical discipilnes, rules of conduct and various internal and external penances. The stages of spiritual development, about 14 in number, are called technically gunasthanas.
The Jain Tirthankaras were aware of human
9 An Introduction to Indian Philosophy. P. 93 10 Tattvarthadhigama Sutra, I. I.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
