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AN EPITOME OF JAINISM.
The first stage is called Mithyatva or the stage of false knowledge. It is the starting point of all spiritual evolution, the first step in the ascent of the soul, signifying only ignorance which is the normal condition of all jivas involved in the cycle of Sansåra. The soul in this stage is completely under the infiuence of karma as a consequence of which no true view of things is possible to the soul. When a man thoroughly dissatisfied with the actual state of things of the world, tries to get rid of this miserable condition of being, he tries to speculate upon the state of the world and his relation to it which enables him to hold down in check the three kinds of energetics of darshana mohoniya karma, namely, (1) mithyåtva which invariably deludes the soul to settled wrong beliefs (2) samyag mithyatva which is characterised by a mixture of truth and falsehood and (3) Samyakta, signifying only blurred faith i.e., stinged with superstition and (4) the results of anantånubandhis type. of kashấyas, namely, anger, pride, deceit and greed, producing what is known as Prathamoposame-Samyaktva-a kind of faith, which
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