Book Title: Jainism Eternal and Universal Path for Enlightenment
Author(s): Narendra Bhandari
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad
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Fourteen steps to Enlightenment Spiritual stages of Soul
See your tm 1 with your tm 1
Spiritual stages of Soul, 14 Guesth'ns
Relation between Guesth-n, karma and jnin
The journey to Mok a begins from the present state of an individual and Siddhahood is the final state. This road is marked by 14 milestones, called Guesth ins. These 14 stages of elevation to higher levels of consciousness, which are analogous to quantum states of elementary particles in the physical universe, are like rungs of a ladder. Transition from some stages to stages below or above are allowed whereas some transitions are forbidden. The ascendency depends on following the path of purification, outlined later, in Chapter 6. The final goal is to attain kevalîhood (stage 13), after which one becomes a Siddha (stage 14). Each stage has a "name", signifying the quality of attainment which are discussed in great detail in various Karma granths.
Before we describe each milestone, it may be appropriate to introduce some important landmarks on this journey to enlightenment, that is the stages 2, 4, 7 and 14, which is the final destination. Briefly, the base line of the ladder or the first stage is Mithy 'tva, where a soul possesses wrong perception or a state of total delusion. A person who does not believe in the cardinal truths (existence and purification of soul), outlined in Chapter 2, is a deluded soul and is at stage 1 and there is no hope for him till he gets the correct perception. Faith in the cardinal truths leads to ascendancy on this ladder of states. Ascendency to higher states depend on removal of various delusions or Karma, discussed in Chapter 4. A mumuksha (seeker) strives for the qualities of compassion, tranquility, equanimity, forgiveness, truth, renouncement and detachment, which are ever present in the mind but have to be practiced or transalated in to action.
