________________ xxxiv Jaina Meditation cipated soul. This is a full course of yogic practice. One may practise these spiritual activities either out of love (priti), or reverence. (bhakti), or as an obligatory duty prescribed by scriptures (agama or vacana), or without any consideration (asanga). When a spiritual activity is done out of love or reverence it leads to worldly and other worldly prosperity (abhyudaya). And when it is done as a duty or without any consideration whatsoever, it leads to final emancipation. Of the fivefold activities mentioned above, the last two, viz. concentration of the mind upon the image of a tirtharkara, or upon the abstract attributes of him are the most important. We shall therefore deal with them in some detail. When one has practised posture (sthana), correct utterance (urna), and the correct understanding of the meaning, one is qualified for concentration (dhyana). The beginner is to practise concentration on an image of a tirtharkara in his full glory and splendour. When one has perfected this practice and has achieved steadfast aess, one begins the practice of concentration on the abstract attributes of a tirtharkara. This concentration is known as analambana inasmuch as its object is not a concrete entity perceptible by a sense-organ.3 The soul at this stage concentrates upon the abstract attributes which are not the objects of empirical perception. By this time the soul has reached the seventh stage of spiritual development (gunasthana). The concentration is however only in its primary stage even in the seventh gunasthana. The soul now develops an irresistible urge for the realization of the transcendental self and reaches the eighth stage of spiritual development on the ladder of annihilation (ksapakasreni). The concentration becomes more stead. fast at this stage. The soul has now achieved full detachment from the world, and earnestly proceeds onwards to the realization of the truth. It now does not rest until it has reached the consummation. The soul is then in the ninth gunasthana and is pressing forward to the twelfth on the ladder of annihilation. It has now revealed its full capacity (samarthyayoga)* for spiritual development and is bound to reach the twelfth stage and attain the knowledge of the transcendental self. In this state the soul attains concentration on the abstract attributes. Of course, it has not realized those attributes. But it has an ardent spiri. 1 YV, 18; SP, X. 1. 2 SP, X. 9. 3 The word analambana does not mean devoid of any alambana (object), but only devoid of a concrete alambana'. The perfix a (n) here means 'abstract' or 'subtle' (suksma). Cf. suksmo 'tindriyavisayatvad analambano nama yogah-Yasovijaya's Tika on YV, 19; also cf. SP, XIV. 1. 4 It is a technical term for the meaning whereof vide infra, p. xl,
