Elusive Consciousness

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari, Surendrasingh Pokharana, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 90

Nivrati-Badar,
Sukshma Sampraya,
Upshant mohniya,
Kshina mohniya,
Sayogi kevali,
Ayogi kevali.
Guna means characteristics and sthan means a position or situation. It is very interesting to know that the Jain Acharyas have gone into great depth to describe these fourteen stages. They are being described through twenty nine parameters. (Pokharna 2012). The logic used in taking up so many parameters is highly impressive and there are several subcategories among these twenty nine categories also. An excellent description is given about the movement of a worldly soul from one birth to another and so on. With each stage of development, the knowledge content of soul goes up. All species may be physically different but are existing in the world from past which does not have any beginning. It is due to their attachment with material particles known as karma that they continuously take birth in the world again and again. The direction of evolution should be towards a goal of liberalizing the soul from all material attachment that is all karmas. A process of selection by oneself is involved in spiritual evolution as certain rules and principles have to be followed described separately for ordinary humans and for enlightened souls like acharyas and sadhu sadhvies etc. It appears that practices like chanting of navkar mantras, loggus, doing samayik, pratikraman, ekasna, upwas, aaymbil, varshi tap, mas khaman, updhan, siddhi tap, nanayanu yatras, and other several practices lead to very stable life, increased self confidence, recognization of inner strength of soul, and ultimately evolution of one's soul. This is a selection type of process such that it depends more on oneself and is not much affected by other species or human beings present in the environment. It is preached that one should reduce one's requirements in such a way that even if there is scarcity of resources, lower consumption will guarantee survival of all in a cooperative way. A state of highest orderliness is defined as a pure soul, towards which, everyone has to evolve. Hence this type of spiritual evolution is different from the Darwin's principle of evolution.
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