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INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
will, ascetic powers, miraculous powers and the power of healing. Aryans without special powers are born in a favorable land and/or family, or have a high-ranking profession, behave in the right way and/or follow a true religion.
The Mlecchas do not fulfill these demands, but many can still live on this earth in paradise-like circumstances and can be vegetarians, but with degrading desires. Divine beings which live in the Middle World, such as the goddesses of the seven mountain lakes and the many divine beings who reside on islands in lakes at the foot of the mountains and hills – each of which has its own divinity. There are also “gods” or celestials of the lowest kind who live in the Middle World as well as the highest hell.
Celestial bodies (Jyotishka): suns, moons, planets, constellations and stars are included in the Middle World as well, and move in a circle around Mount Meru. Among other things they can exert a direct influence on the rhythms of the earth and its meteorological phenomena.
d.
Inhabitants of the lower worlds
For their extreme passions, anger and deceit the lowest (71h) of the lower worlds is occupied by the most wicked human souls (revengeful people who behaved like cruel animals) who were of the male gender. Women can go no lower that the 6th because they are unable to degrade themselves as much as men. Wicked rulers, too, usually occupy the 7th of the lower worlds. Animals are said to occupy different layers in the underworld as a result of their thoughts and suffering at their time of death. Carnivorous animals occupy the 6th infernal world, while birds abide in the 1st or highest hell. Animals mostly face a violent death in their earthly life. Sometimes they die fighting and often in agony. Thus dying in emotion
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