Introduction to Jaina Sadhna

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 75

68: An Introduction to Jaina Sãdhana
4. The fourth stage is avirata samyag-drsti, a stage of right attitude without hesitation. Though in this scheme of gunasthāna it is considered to be the fourth stage, but in reality it is the first stage in the upward journey of the soul towards its spiritual heights. It is the stage in which the soul gets the glimpse of truth for the first time. At this stage the self knows right as a right and wrong as a wrong but due to the lack of spiritual strength, in spite of the knowledge and the will he cannot abstain himself from the wrong-path of immorality. In other words, at this stage the soul lacks self-control. The soul can acquire next stage only when it overcomes this want. The persons, who have a steady faith in the doctrines of the Jainas, but feel their unability to follow the moral code, come under this stage. One can achieve this stage by having control over one's extreme or intense passions (Anantānubandhi kasāyas ) and through the subsidence (upasama ) or annihilation (kşaya ) of first four prakrtis of cāritra mohaniya karma as well as samyaktva mohaniya karma.
5. The fifth stage is known as deśavirata samyagdrsti. This is the stage of right attitude with partial observance and partial non-observance of moral code. A house-holder who possesses right vision and observes five aņuvratas, three gunavratas and four sikşāvratas comes in this category. In this stage one knows what is right and also tries to practise it but one connot have full control over one's passions. At this stage there is only partial expression of the energy of self-control. After attaining the fourth stage, if one develops one's spiritual strength and has control over the second set of four passions, i.e., apratyākhyāni-kaṣāya-catuska, one is able to attain this stage. In this stage one posseses only partial power to control one's passions; but is not capable of complete abstinence from immoral activity because of the presence of a third set of four