ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 264

INTERNATIO
SCHOOL
SELF STUDY IS THE
SUPREME AUSTERITY
Farenga
OF
परम
5 Tattvärthasūtra, Umāsvāti, IX/39
4. Sukla Dhyana
In Dharma Dhyana, the consciousness of the distinction between subject and object of knowledge persists; whereas in Sukla Dhyana all conceptual thinking ceases gradually. Śukla Dhyana is so called, because it emerges when the filth of passions has been destroyed or has subsided.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
तप
Sukla Dhyana is possible only for a person with a body of the best order (vajravrsabhanārāca-samsthāna) and for one who has the knowledge of the eleven angas and fourteen gunasthanas.
Stages of Sukla Dhyana
With gradual disappearance of conceptual thinking, the Sukla Dhyana has following four stages, the first two which occur up to the 12th gunasthāna and the last two only to an omniscient:
1. Pṛthakatva- vitarkavicāra - In this stage, all the three types of activities of body, speech, and mind (yogas) continue and the aspirant shifts from one kind of activity to another, from one substance to another, and from one modification to another. All these stages of thinking depend on the scriptural knowledge. In spite of the fact that the object of thinking changes here, it is called Dhyana, because many Dhyana together also form Dhyana.
2. Ektva vitarka-vicara - Here only one of the three yogas persists and there is no shifting from one object of thinking to another. In this stage, also thinking depends on scriptural knowledge. After this stage, the aspirant becomes omniscient, and all the obscuring karmas are destroyed.
3. Sükşmakriya-pratipatti- Now only the subtle activities of body persist and all types of vocal and mental and gross type of physical activities cease. Only the four non-obscuring Karmas, viz. age-determining, feeling-determining, name-determining, and family-determining Karmas remain. Now, if the age-determining Karman has the same length as other karmas exceed age-determining Karma, they are brought in line with the last mentioned Karman by means of samudgāta. While resorting to gross physical activities, he makes the gross vocal
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