Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

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In this stage, the saint would have destroyed all his deluding passions. The thoughts are as clear as water kept in a pure vessel of crystal jewel. When a soul has reached this stage, the thought-activity purifies the body, transforms it into a highly refined one (parama-udarika) and progresses towards the destruction of other ghatiya karmas: viz. jnanavaraniya, darshanavaraniya and antaraya since the mohaniya karma is already destroyed. This is a stage where passions have been annihilated. The distinction between this stage and the former is that in the latter stage the soul is at the stage of subsidence while in the former stage, it has reached the ladder of destruction. It stays for one antar-muhurta and marches forward to destroy all the four ghati karmas.
13) Sayoga-Kevalin
From the previous stage, the soul advances to reach this stage of omniscient being who has yet to destroy the four aghati Karmas; that is why it is a stage of a Kevalin and sayoga (with activity). The activities of the body, mind and speech still continue to exist. Here the soul becomes Arhat or perfect soul in human body. The soul appears bright like the sun freed from the clouds and attains full knowledge of the universe. Ignorance has been destroyed and the soul attains the stage of Paramatman by acquisition of nine kinds of purified thought-activities arising as a result of destruction of ghati karmas. The nine kevala-labdhi are: 1) ksayika jnana is purified or perfect knowledge due to the destruction of knowledge-obscuring karma. 2) ksayika darshana is perfect cognition due to the destruction of darshanavaraniya karma. 3) ksayika dana is perfect charity due to destruction of danantaraya karma. 4) ksayika labha is perfect gain due to the destruction of labhantaraya karma. 5 ksayika bhoga is perfect enjoyment of consumable objects due to the destruction of bhogantaraya karma. 6) kshayika virya is perfect power due to the destruction of viryantaraya karma. 8) ksayika samyaktva is perfect right belief due to the destruction of darshana moha. 9) ksayika charitra is perfect right conduct due to the destruction of charitra-moha.
As already stated, this is a stage of spiritual perfection, but still association with body, mind and speech. The Arhanta Paramesti Tirthankara who is engaged in propounding the Dharma to all living beings is an example of Sayoga Kevali.
14) Ayoga Kevali
This is the stage of final liberation when the vibrations of the holy body cease, as the yoga of body, mind and speech are discarded. The Omniscient Lord of this stage is one who has fully stopped the influx of karmas after having destroyed those already attaching and who has put an end to vibratory activity. This state lasts only for a very short time and is immediately followed by final emancipation and liberation.
The liberated soul, Siddha, is wholly free from the eight kinds of karmas and has attained its true state of blissfulness which is ever-lasting. The soul free from body abides at the summit
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