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Chapter 6
STAGES OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
Liberation-mokṣa means perfection of spiritual development.. Such perfection cannot be attained to all of a sudden because so me period of time must elapse in its attainment. That is the reason wby an order of or specified stages of spiritual evolution are to be accepted for acquiring spiritual evolution. The question that arises as a result of philosophical inquiry is this. What are the stages of this spiritual evolution ?
Three Stages of Ātmā
As we think of the stages of spiritual evolution, we immediately ponder over the beginning and end. The beginning and end are their iwo extreme limits. The limit of the stages of spiritual evolution here means the order in which the Ātmā develops in its sublimation from the first to the second extreme. Here, the first stage is that of the absence of spiritual development or the preliminary state in the mundane world; the final is the stage of liberation or the perfection of the spiritual development of the soul. In this manner, the state of the Atmā divides into three from the viewpoint of time : (a) Absence of spiritual development, (b) The order of spiritual development and (c) Liberation.
(a) I be Āimā suives for steady bappiness and perfect knowledge in one side and does not have any liking for sorrow and absence of knowledge. Still it is thrown to and fro in the whirlpool of sorrow and ignorance. What is the reason? This is a complex question. Philosophers have, however, a striking reply here. It is this. “The natural inclination of the soul to win happiness and knowledge, proves that the soul is of the nature of perfect delight-Pūınānanda-and perfect knowledge. This is because it does not rest in peace till it acquires perfect delight and perfact knowledge. Still, because of the very powerful influences of
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