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Preface
The Gunasthanas (stages of spiritual development) are innumerable. The Samyag-mithyadristi (right and wrong belief) Jivas (souls) are innumerable, and the Mithyadristi (wrong belief) Jivas are infinite times more than the Asanyata-samyagdristi (non-restrained right belief) Jivas. Thus, the paucity and abundance of the Gunasthanas is explained from two perspectives - with respect to entry and with respect to the duration of stay. The Gunasthanas that have no interval, i.e., the ones that are always present, their paucity and abundance is explained with respect to the duration of stay. The Gunasthanas that are always present are six - the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and thirteenth. For the Gunasthanas where an interval is possible, their paucity and abundance is explained with respect to both entry and duration of stay. For example, after the interval is complete, between one to fifty-four Jivas can enter the Upaśama (suppression) and Kṣapaka (destruction) series of Gunasthanas at one time, and after continuous entry for eight time units, their accumulation in each Gunasthana can range from 304 to 608. The same sequence should be understood for the fourteenth Gunasthana as well. The Sutrakara (author of the scriptures) has not mentioned the extent of entry and accumulation for the second and third Gunasthanas, which should be known from the Dhavala commentary.
Additionally, the paucity and abundance with respect to Samyaktva (right faith) is also explained for the fourth and subsequent Gunasthanas. For example, in the fourth Gunasthana, the Upaśama-samyagdristi (suppressed right belief) Jivas are the least. They are innumerable times less than the Kṣāyika-samyagdristi (destroyed right belief) Jivas, and the Vedaka-samyagdristi (realized right belief) Jivas are innumerable times more than them. The reason for this hierarchy is the increasing duration of stay. In the fifth Gunasthana, the Kṣāyika-samyagdristi Jivas are the least, because very few Kṣāyika-samyagdristi Jivas adopt Samyama-asaṃyama (restraint and non-restraint), and most of them directly adopt Samyama (restraint). In this Gunasthana, the Upaśama-samyagdristi Jivas are innumerable times more than the Kṣāyika-samyagdristi, and the Vedaka-samyagdristi Jivas are innumerable times more than them. In the sixth and seventh Gunasthanas, the Upaśama-samyagdristi Jivas are the least. They are numerically more than the Kṣāyika-samyagdristi Jivas, and the Vedaka-samyagdristi Jivas are numerically more than them. The reason for this paucity and abundance is the variation in the duration of stay. A similar paucity and abundance with respect to Samyaktva should be understood in the three Upaśamaka (suppression) Gunasthanas of Apūrvakaraṇa and others. It should be noted here that in these Gunasthanas, there are two types of Samyaktva - Upaśama-samyaktva and Kṣāyika-samyaktva, but not Vedaka-samyaktva, because the Vedaka-samyaktva Jivas cannot ascend the Upaśama series. Therefore, in the three Upaśamaka Gunasthanas of Apūrvakaraṇa and others, the Upaśama-samyaktva Jivas are the least, and the Kṣāyika-samyaktva Jivas are numerically more than them. In the subsequent Gunasthanas and the Kṣapaka (destruction) series of Gunasthanas, there is no paucity and abundance with respect to Samyaktva, because there is only one Kṣāyika-samyaktva present in all the Jivas. Similarly, in the first, second, and third Gunasthanas, there is no paucity and abundance, because Samyaktva is not present in them.