________________
208
THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE JAINAS.
This attainment takes 3 forms, lower or initial thoughtactivity (Adhah-Karana), new-thought-activity (ApúrvaKarana), and advanced-thought-activity (Anivritti Karana). It must be noticed that although the last two activities give their names respectively to the 8th and 9th stages, yet they are not confined to them. The two stages are so called, because the conduct deluding passions are subjected to subsidence or destruction in the 8th and 9th stages, peculiarly and especially, by the new and advanced thoughtactivity. This will be seen to be in the fitness of things, because a rise and entry into the 8th stage can be made only by a soul who has obtained perfect right-belief by the subsidence or destruction of the 7 sub-classes mentioned above, which include all the 3 sub-classes which vitiate right-belief. The initial thought-activity or Adhah-Karana for subsidence or destruction of the conduct-deluding passions begins and ends in the 7th stage.
But these 3 thought activities also characterise the destruction of right-belief-deluding Karma, and the transformation of the error-feeding-passions into lesser passions in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th stage.
These are also necessary for gaining subsidential rightbelief, at the end of the first stage, and the second subsidential right-belief in the 7th stage,
The order in which the seven sub-classes are destroyed is as follows:
After being successively subjected to the action of the initial, the new and the advanced-thought-activity, the four error-feeding-passions are transformed at the last instant of the advanced-thought-activity into the 12 lesser passions. The three-thought-activities commence action again, after an interval of one Antar-muhúrta.
The duration of each of these 3 as also of the total of the three is an Antar-muhúrta varying from an Ávalí and
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
7
www.jainelibrary.org
