Fundamentals Of Jainism

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Veer Nirvan Bharti

Page 97

STAGES ON THE PATH
physical personality and by augmenting the sense of egoity; and pride and greed combined give birth to anger. Thus, greed is the root of the remaining three forms of kashayas (passions) and the most difficult mental trait to be destroyed. It cannot be eradicated before the twelfth stage for this reason. Omniscience is manifested in the thirteenth stage, while the fourteenth is like an ante-room to nirvāņa. For facility of reference we give the main features of the gurasthānas in the accompanying tabulated form.
Main features of the fourteen stages.
Serial
Names of gunasiha
nas.
number.
Characteristics.
Mithyátra. Sasadana.
Gross ignorance. Vanishing Faith, i.e., the condition of mind while actually falling down from the fourth to the first stage. Mixed faith and false belief. Right Faith, unaccompanied by austerities.
Misra. Aviralasamyaga.
dristi. Desavirata. Pramalle.
Apramatta.
Apurva karanu.
Commencement of Right Conduct. The formation of the ahâraka sharira, and observance of vows though tinged with pramada (carelessness or laziness). This is the first stage of hfe as a muni, Te., of homelessness. Elimination of pramada, and partial realisation of
the svabhavic ananda, i.e., Joy. Noted for the new channels of thought thrown open by the purification of mind and the quiescence of
the elements of disturbance. More advanced thought-activity, i.e., medita
tion. Only very slight greed left to be controlled. Quiescence of the remaining traces of greed.
Anivritti karana.
Sukshma samparaya. Upasanta
moha. Kshinamoha. Sayogakevali.
Desirelessness, i.e., the complete eradication of
greed, hence perfection in Right Conduct. Omniscience, hence the perfection of Right Knowledge, and the realisation of the state of jivan-mukti, that is liberation in the embodied state. In the ease of Tirthamkaras revelation also takes place in this stage. Thc cessation of the activity of the thrce yogas, i.e., the channels of ásrava. The next step takes one to Nirvana.
Avogakevali.