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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Jainism : The Eternal and Universal path for Enlightenment
14. Ayog Kevali Jin (Liberated souls)
The Kevalis in this Gunasth -n are without any activity of mind, speech and body and have attained omniscience. Therefore, this Gunasthn is called Ayog kevali Jin. In this stage the Kevalis destroy all the Prakrities of the Agh?ti Karmas, responsible for their rebirth, and attain Siddh hood.
Siddha Parmeshti
Those who have journeyed through the fourteen Gunasthans of the worldly existence, become bereft of all the eight psychic and the conventional karmas (Chapter 4) and enjoy the state of eternal bliss. They attain the eight great attributes (Samaykatva, Anant jn?n, Anant Dar-an, Anant Virya, Sukshamatva, Awagahanatva, Agurulaghutva, and Avayab.dhatva) due to the destruction of all the karmas. Being bereft of any psychic, conventional or matter karmas, their soul would not assume new form of life, i.e. it is free from the cycles of birth and death. They are enlightened and complete in themselves. At this stage, their souls move to the uppermost part of the universe, for it is no more in their nature to move about in any of the ten directions of the universe; these blessed souls are enlightened and called Siddhas.
Although a seeker has to go through all these stages, the time taken is different for different individuals, depending on their conviction, effort and practice. One can jump several stages at once or can even attain highest state instantaneously, as in Tantra practices. All it takes is to activate the superconscious mind.
What exactly is the state of enlightenment? There are eternal laws which govern all the activities in the universe. Bhagvin Mah'vir communicated them in his Samosaran by Tripadi: The three states: everything (matter as well as sentient beings) originates, abides (while changing) and is destroyed. This is the first eternal law. Transformation in these states are carried out under the theory of Karma. Therefore Karmav'd, discussed in Chapter 4 is the second eternal law. The third is Anek?ntavid, discussed in chapter 3 which indicates the true nature of things, that "one is many and many is one" and everything has infinite ways of manifestation. These laws are self sufficient, self evident, self manifesting, self proving and self radiating. Understanding them or realizing them is not enough but experiencing them operating on the universe is enlightenement. When this is seen, ignorance, fear and attachment is automatically abandoned. However we must realise that the most important aspect of enlightenment is that no body can achieve it. When enlightenment is achieved, no "body" remains, no "mind" remains. None of the attributes of mind remains. Therefore it is not correct