Basic Principles Of Jainism

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

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of the universe, called siddhasila located at the top of upper loka in figure 1, chapter 2; there the fully liberated souls live in purity and peace.
Now it may be of interest to general reader to recapitulate the logical manner in which the spiritual development or evolution takes place from the state of ignorance to that of perfection. In this vast universe, there are infinite numbers of souls some of which are invisible to our senses. Roughly speaking, the souls may be divided for our present purpose into two classes: bhavya in whom there is an awakening to its potential qualities and abhavya in whom there is no such awakening. Only bhavya jivas rise above the first gunasthana, the abhavya jivas always remain in the mithyatva stage.
It may be added that the spiritual height which a layman or house-holder can reach would be the fifth gunasthana which contemplates partial renunciation of the world, right faith, right knowledge and right conduct are the three jewels whose full realization helps the individual on his path of liberation. The earliest stage of the journey is necessarily those which mark the transition from the state of settled wrong convictions to the acquisition of true faith. The remaining gunasthanas are the land marks on the path of progress in respect of right conduct.
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