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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
accept asceticism, when you have very well realised the futility of worldly happiness and pleasures".
Just as fire burns ablaze when ash is removed off the burning charcoal, clouds of delusion being removed, Truth is also apprehended. The minister was enlightened with these words and he renounced the worldly ties. He accepted monkish life and he achieved intuitional knowledge of previous existences. He remembered the fourteen holy scriptures which he had studied in his previous lives. The king got back his right understanding. The minister (now the monk) made great spiritual progress in meditation, learning, penances etc. He finally annihilated all Karmic bondages, acquired Omniscience and attained Divine Perfection.
Gentlemen, Sixth stage of the soul's attributes is so efficacious that all the wise men yearn for it.
The minimum pericd of existence of this stage is one 'Samaya' and the longest period is 'Antarmuhurta', but Indolent and nonindolent periods included take minimum period of Antar Muhurta and maximum period of one crore of years less by eight years.
6) THE STAGE OF VIGILANT SELF-RESTRAINT
(Apramatta-Samyata Guhasthana)
When the manifestation of fiery passion slow's down, the monk becomes assiduous--without indolence. This stage is considered "The vigilant stage of self-restraint” (Apramatta Samyati Gunasthana). The Soul at this stage is at once degraded to the sixth stage no sooner it entertains sluggishness. When it casts off its sluggishness it again arrives at the seventh stage. Thus to and fro journey from the sixth to the seventh stage normally continues for a long period.
This stage exists for a minimum period of one 'Samaya' and for a maximum period of Antar Muhurta'.
Here it should be specified that the soul with self-restraint arriving at the sixth and the seventh stage mostly resorts to religious practices whereby such a soul in particular purifies itself more than other souls.
Meditation or concentration is four fold: (1) Emotional (Arta), (2) Fierce (Raudra), (3) Religious (Dharma), (4) Pure (Shukla).
