________________
222
Jaina Philosophy and Religion
dealt with the fourteen stages of spiritual development. In short, the attainment of the spiritually beneficial attitude or the predilection for truth on the removal of spiritually harmful attitude or aversion to truth is the first and fundamental stage of spiritual development. After that the aspirant attains the stage of partial abstinence from violence, etc., then that of total abstinence from the same, then that of pure elevated living with great spiritual vigilance and at last that of a spiritually advanced yogic life-thus he gradually progresses on the path of spiritual development, secures higher and higher stages of spiritual development. At last this series of gradual progressive stages results in the manifestation of spiritual perfection, that is, Godhood or the state of the Supreme Soul. As all the intermediary progressive states of spiritual development result in the final attainment of spiritual perfection, they could be regarded as its uncommon (asādhāraņa) cause.
In the production of an effect, the assistance of the instrumental cause is invariably required. What are the instrumental causes of the manifestation of spiritual perfection? They are right deity, right spiritual teacher and right external activity (i.e., righteous conduct). So one has to necessarily depend on them for the attainment of spiritual perfection.
The person who is absolutely free from attachment and hence has attained Godhood or the state of the Supreme Soul is right deity. He is the highest ideal worthy of being followed by all of us. We should constantly keep it before our mind with the objective that we may also ultimately become like him. By thinking about and reflecting deeply on his non-attachment, we too can attain non-attachment. This is what we feel, and there arises in us firm conviction to that effect. By keeping the company of a person full of attachment, one soils one's soul with attachment. Similarly, by keeping the company of (that is, by deeply reflecting and meditating on) the person free of attachment, one gets purified of the defilement of attachment. When in reflection or meditation we get acquainted with the nature of right deity, we realise at once that our original pure nature is also the same as that of right deity. A cub brought up among sheep realises at once its true nature of lionhood, when it sees a lion and hears its thundering roar. Similarly, man realises his original pure nature when he meditates on the nature of deity.
The right spiritual teacher has acquired spiritually right knowledge through the study of scriptures as also through his own experience. Possessed as he is of the spiritual knowledge, he acquaints us with our highest
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
