Jaina Acara Siddhanta aur Svarupa

Author(s): Devendramuni
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 61

Jaina Acāra : Siddhanta aura Swarüpa
27 To rise or fall from this stage depends upon the aspirant's verve. Its maximum duration is less than forty-eight minutes and the minimum just an instant. The duration of the seventh stage, too is the same. The rise and fall last till ‘Dešonakotipūrva'.
The seventh stage is of Apramattasamyata' i.e. the aspirant is now absorbed in meditation and has won over spiritual inertia. From both sixth and seventh stages there is always the possibility of rise and fall. It all depends on his resistance to passion.
The ascent upwards is not for the extant aspirants, since they do not possess the requisite body and mind for it. The maximum duration for all these is the same forty-eight minutes.
The seventh stage is of two kinds as under:(1) Svasthāna- apramatta i.e. this admits of rise and fall.
(2) Sātisaya-apramatta, i.e.there is readiness to resist all temptations. No conduct-deluding particles of karma can affect him. This is facilitated by 'Apūrvakarapa' and 'Anivrttikarana' which we are going to discuss now. The eighth stage is of 'Nivrttibādara' or 'Apūrvakarana. Here the soul altains special purification and is capable of reducing the duration and intensity of the previously bound karmas and binds new karmas of reduced duration and intensity. Its duration is forty-eight minutes. The word ‘Nivetti' here means difference. Each aspirant differs from other in his spiritual endeavour and the extent of its intensity. 'Apūrvakaraņa" means unprecedented, what never happened before. It denotes absolutely new experience. The soul increases in purity very rapidly and it forms part of the series. There are two classes :
(1) Upasama - It stays for a short while. When delusion overpowers the soul, it has an inevitable fall.
(2) Ksapaka - Here the soul annihilates all delusions or apparent attraction of the illusory world.
The ninth stage is of 'Anivrttibādara - There is still the possiblity of the attack even of the gross passions (bādara samparāya, which means gross passions). From this stage upwards there is a noticeable lessening of passions culminating in their annihilation.
The tenth stage is 'Sukšmasamparāya'. In it only subtle greed of the fourth type can disturb the soul now and then. At this stage the soul is free from the influence of all passions except very subtle greed which may be subconscious attachment to the body even in the souls which have achieved great spiritual advancement.
The eleventh stage is of 'Upašāntamoha'. In it the subtle greed is suppressed and the soul is free from the rise of all types of passions. It has, however, not yet freed itself from the enveloping influence of karmas olher