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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
regions, higher regions, their nature and places where the lowest creatures, human beings and gods are born. Religious concentration has also different fourfold divisions.
(1) Concentration on body (Pindastha). (2) Concentration on legs (Pādastha). (3) Concentration on form or appearance (Rupastha). (4) Concentration on nature, transcending form (Rupātit). These four varieties one should understand from yogashastra.
In this stage with highest form of mental concentration self purification is achieved very speedily.
(8) THE STAGE OF INTERCHANGE OF GROSS PASSIONS. (NIVRUTI
BADAR GUNASTHANA) We have already mentioned that real spiritual progress commences from the fourth stage. False conviction is dismissed on the fourth stage and right conviction arrived. On the fifth stage, partial attachment is eliminated and partial non-attachment arrives. On the sixth stage, attachment is totally extinguished and total non-attachment arrives. On the seventh stage indolence is dismissed and the soul is awakened with its intrinsic glamour.
Then you might naturally ask what would happen on the eighth stage? We would like to inform you that on the eighth stage, unprecedented things (Apurva karan) are achieved. The process of the soul destroying formidable passions and prejudice on attaining right belief is also called Apurva Karan. But this Apurva Karan is quite different from that one. We often know two different places of mountains bearing similar names. In this Apurva Karan, or the unprecedented means, there are mainly five things :
(1) Sthitighāta (Destroying the magnitude of Karmas). (2) Rasaghāta (Destroying the force of Karmas). (3) Gunashreni (Accelerating the enjoyment of Karmas in
shorter period). (4) Gunasankrama (Admixture of Karana varieties). (5) Apurva sthiti bandha (Unprecedented period of existence of
karmic bond).
