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Jaina Mysticism
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agreed for profit, he does not recognise Hiṁsā as Dharma.37 Apart from this, he has deep affection for spiritual matters and strengthens the conviction of those who are faltering in their loyalty to the path of righteousness and disseminates spiritual religion through various means best suited to time and place.39 Fall from awakening or (a) Sāsādana Gunasthāoa and [b] Miśra Ganastbảoa :
If the spiritual conversion is due to the total annihilation of Darsana Mohaniya (faithdeluding! Karma, the self has thrown over all the chances of its fall to the lower stages. This is called Ksäyika Samyaktva. It is Sthira Irsti proper. But if the spiritual conversion is consequent upon the suppression of Darsana Mohaniya Karma, the self after one Antarmuharta either falls to the lower stages or remains in the same stage with the emergence of certain defects ordinarily incognisable. This is known as Upašama Samyaktva." Here four Anantānubandhi passions and the faith-deluding karma which is divided into three qualitatively different fragments of Mithyātva (impure), Samyaka-Prakrti (pure), and Samyaka Mithyātva (semi pure) are suppressed. When the impure piece comes up, the self again descends to the first Gunasthana where again darkness overwhelms45 him, if the semi-pure piece, the self falls to the third Gunasthāna, namely, Miśra Gunasthāna wherein total scepticism as regards matters spiritual prevails. If there is the rise of the Anantānubandhi passion, the soul sinks to the second stage known as 'Sasādana Gunasthāna"? This is the intermediatory stage of the self which has fallen from the peak of the mountain of Samyagdarśa na, but has not arrived at the stage of the Mithyat va Gunasthäna 8 Io this stage the peculiar taste of the fall from Samyagdarśana like the peculiar taste of sweet food after its vomiting is experienced. Lastly, when the pure piece rises up, it continues to be in the fourth stage, but has lost the purity of Upasama Samyaktva. This is called Kşayopaśamika Samyaktva.50 3. Purgation or (al Viratāvirata Gunasthāna and [b] Pramattavirata Gunasthāna :
After dispelling the deose and intense darkness caused by the faith-deluding (Darsana Mohaniya) Karma, the passionate and ardent longing of the awakened self is to purge the conductdeluding (Caritra Mohaniya) Karma which now stands between it and the transcencental self. Only those who are in possession of sturdy will are capable of doing so, says Amstacandra. In the fifth Gunasthana, the aspirant who is a house-holder is incapable of making himself free trom all Himsä root and branch.59 Ia consequence, be adopts the five partial vows (Aņuvratas) along with the seven Silavratas in order to sustain the central virtues of Ahimsă as far as possible.58 This state of the self's journey has been called Viratavirata or Deśavirata Gunasthana, since here the aspirant avoids intentional Hinsă of two to five-sensed Jivas, but he has to commit the intentional Hirsā of one-sensed Jivas namely the vegetable-bodied, fire-bodied etc. Besides the Himsi which is committed in being engaged in a certain profession, in performing domestic activities, and in adopting defensive measures cannot be avoided by him.55 This shows that the householder's life is a mixture of virtue and vice, 58 which obstruct the purgative way pursued by the mystic. Hence, the aspirant, being motivated by certain incentives to spiritual life (Anupreksā) gradually renounces the householder's type of living, becomes a saint in order to negate Himsā to the last degree.67 In consequence, the saint observes five Mahāvratas, five Samitis, three Guptis and practises internal and external austerities with special attention to meditation, devotion, and Svādhyāya. Besides, he gets food by begging, eats only a little, gets over sleep, endures troubles, practises universal friendship, adheres to spiritual upliftment, and turns away from acquisitions, associations and life injuring activities. Thus from the life of Muni, vice totally vanishes and there remains virtue which will also be transcended as soon as the flight into the realm of spirit is made. Since in this stage there is complete self-restraint (Samyama), this stage is styled Pramattavirata Gunasthänge i. e., here Pramāda exists with self-restraint. Nevertheless this stage may be regarded as the terminus of purgative way. It may be noted here that the self in the fifth Gunasthana and onwards is called Caritrī6.
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