________________
170
COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM
conduct-preventing Karma (samjvalana) and the minor passions are suppressed there arises the quality of non-carelessness and the soul reaches the stage of perfect vow (apramatta samyata). He is absorbed in contenzplation but is not able to rise higher as the Karmas etc., are not wholly destroyed. This stage of stagnation at the same stage (seventh) may last for one antaramuhurta and may fall down to the 6th stage. In the second stage (śreņi) of ascent, the purity of the thought-activity of the soul increases at every instant and may rise to the level of purity which might have gone up.
This is a very vital stage of spiritual development. Here onwards there would be two ways of progress : one is where the Karmas and minor passions are merely pacified or suppressed (Upaśamaka śreņi); while the other is kşapakaśreņi where the Karmas are annihilated. Undoubtedly the soul has acquired strength due to cessation of all attachments and thorough control over the body. There is full self-control and there is not the slightest negligence in the observance of the vows etc., without any kind of transgression.
8) Apūrva-karana
This stage is called the apūrva-karana because the spiritual development of the soul leads to attainment of new thoughtactivities which had not been reached before. All the souls that have reached this stage of development are not uniform in the degree of purity of thought as they might reach the stage at different points of time. The new thought-activities would be mainly concerned with the destruction or subsidence of the rightconduct-deluding karmas. These souls are free from the bondages of karmic matter of sleep (nidrā) and drowsiness (pracala) and are therefore capable of bringing about the subsidence of rightconduct-deluding karmas. The age (āyu) karma is still operating. The soul delights in cheking or destroying the consequences of streaks of passions that might arise at times. This is the stage of pure contemplation; it is otherwise called śukla-dhyāna or white contemplation. This is a stage where the soul acquires the unique
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
