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Arihanta is embodied, and therefore his worldly mundane state is related to external objects. The relation of the ultimate stand point is associated with the internal prowesses. From the ultimate standpoint therefore, the states of Siddha and Aribanta are the same.
Q. What is the nature of Acharya, Upadhyaya and Sadhu from the worldly and ultimate standpoints?
A. From the ultimate standpoint the nature and personality of all the three are just similar. In all the three the desire to propitiate liberation is the same, external and internal nirgranthahood is similar, the ultimate standpoint and the absolute nature are similar. However, there is some difference in the worldly nature of the three. From the practical point of view, the Acharya is the most qualified. This is because on his head lies the responsibility of administrating over the Gacchha and preserving the glory of the Jain orders. The Upadhyaya is expected to acquire some more virtues to attain to the status of Acharya. These may not be found in the Sadhu.
Q. Why are the Paramesthis saluted? What are the types of salutation?
A. They are saluted for their virtues. They are themselves virtuous and one hopes to acquire
these virtues by saluting them. One who nourishes a spirit of theft day and night can never become honest. In a similar way, one who loves learning and the learned does earn some learning or other. Salutation is expression of one's own humility before the great, and a conduct which acknowledge their greatness. This salutation is dual, dvaita and nondual, advaita, i.e., two fold. The fact is that when specialized type of higher steadiness is not attained and the individual feels and experiences that he is a devotee and someone else is the object of devotion, it is dvaita salutation. Once the options of attachment and jealousy are annihilated, the mind becomes so steady that the Atman looks upon its own self as an object of devotion, and concentrates only on its own form this is advaita salutation. Of these two, naturally advaita salutation is superior because dvaita salutation is only a means to the advaita salutation.
Q. Why do we salute Arihanta first and then the Siddha etc?
A. There are two orders of attaining to an object. One is Purvanupurvi the other Paschanupurvi. Referring to the smaller after the greater one is Purvanupurvi and to the greater after the smaller, is Paschanupurvi. Of the five Paramesthis, Siddha is the greatest and Sadhu the smallest. The Purvanupurvi order in salutation is resorted to here for this reason. From the point of view of annihilation of karma, Siddhas are superior to Arihantas. Yet both are equal from the point of view of fulfillment. From the point of view of worldly dealings or practical point of view Arihanta is superior to Siddha because the invisible form of Siddha is revealed to us by Arihanta. The Arihantas are therefore looked upon as superior and saluted first.
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