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Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
matter) and nirjară (dissociation of the bound karmic matter) reach their completion in the thirteenth stage. The process of nirjarā reaches its completion when the soul leaves the mortal body at the death in the thirteenth stage.
Before the liberation of the nature of the total destruction of all the karmas, there should be gradual increase in the partial destruction of the karmas. Here destruction means dissociation. In all the worldly souls, the process of dissociation of the bound karmas goes on, but the process of dissociation which is of the nature of spiritual welfare begins only after the soul becomes inclined towards the path of liberation. And the soul's spiritual development reaches its climax when it attains the state of Jinahood. The pilgrim's spiritual progress beginning with the attainment of right inclination (faith) and ending in the attainment of Jinahood is grossly divided into ten stages for the sake of convenience. The greater the internal purity, the more is the karmic matter dissociated from the soul. So, the karmic matter dissociated from the soul in the succeeding stage is innumerable times greater than that dissociated in the immediately preceding one, because the internal purity in the succeeding stage is much more than that in the immediately preceding one. Thus, when the soul attains the state of Jinahood, the quantity of karmic matter dissociated from the soul is highest. The ten stages or states in point are as follows:
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1. The state of samyagdrsti, wherein the wrong inclination (faith) is removed and consequently right inclination is attained.
2. The state of upāsaka, wherein the partial abstinence from unvirtuous acts manifests itself.
3. The state of virata, wherein the total abstinence from unvirtuous acts manifests itself.
4. The state of anantaviyojaka, wherein such internal purity as is necessary for the destruction of the most intense passions is attained.
5. The state of darśanamohakṣapaka, wherein such internal purity as is necessary for the destruction of the faith-deluding karma is attained. 6. The state of upasamaka, wherein the process of subsidence of the conduct-deluding karma of various types continues.
7. The state of upaśānta, wherein that process of subsidence is completed.
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