First Steps to Jainism Part 1

Author(s): Sancheti Asso Lal, Manakmal Bhandari
Publisher: Sancheti Trust Jodhpur

Page 95

The Five Worships 81
(b) Siddhas-These are liberated souls who have attained salvation
having completely destroyed all the Karmas. They have as such no encumbrance including that of a body. Besides, possessing perfect knowledge, vision, bliss and prowess these are neither heavy nor light, have penetrability and are beyond sense perception as they are nonmaterial. They are free from cycle of births and deaths. They have thus attained Godhood, but they maintain their individual identity, though they all being alike, are indistinguishable like different rays of pure light.
This is the ideal for which every living being strives, the Arihantas also become Siddhas after leaving their body (on expiation of minor Karmas). Actually arihanthood is a stage on the way to siddhahood. Thus strictly speaking Siddhas should get precedent over Arihantas in the order of worship but the first place is given to Arihantas. The reason is that it is the Arihantas who having learnt the whole truth, preach the same to the toiling creatures to enable them to proceed on the noble path, to the destination of Siddhahood.
(c) Acharyas-They are Jain monks or saints who are heads of the order or
the group of not only saints but also of the four fold organisation of Jains-monks, nuns, laymen and lay-women. They not only follow the rules of conduct for the monks strictly but also ensure that the monks under them do so-as also the entire lay community follows the rules framed for them .They teach the right conduct and punish the delinquents to bring them on the right path. They are the spiritual heads of Jains and are responsible for the preservation and propagation of the noble path.
(d) Upadhyays-They are monks who are responsible for the study of
scriptures and dissemination of their knowledge, amongst the monks and the laity. While the acharyas are the heads who administer and maintain discipline in the Sangha, the Upadhyayas look after the teaching of the scriptures. They are thus the spiritual teachers.
(e) Saints or Monks-Those who have renounced the world for spiritual
search are monks. Under right conduct we have seen the duties prescribed for monks. These are briefly the observance of five