Book Title: Jainism and Democracy
Author(s): Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: I A S S Jain Conference New Delhi

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Page 165
________________ 152 JAINISM AND DEMOCRACY folded hands. He begins a new chapter of friendship with them. The distant ones are approached next day personally or through a letter. This time-honoured custom is prevalent even in these days of religious disbelief. Four Categories According to Jainism there are four stages of ethical development based on the gradual removal or subsidence of passions. They are :(a) A devotee without vows. (b) A devotee with vows of a household. (c) A devotee with vows of an ascetic. (d) The perfect soul. Corresponding to the above there are four degrees of passions. (a) Anantānubandhi. (b) Apratyākhyānavarana. (c) Pratyākhyānāvarana and (d) Sanjwalana. Anahtānubandhi is the strongest form of passion. A person with this degree is away from the path of selfdevelopment. He cannot be a true aspirant and thus excluded from the spiritual brotherhood of Jains. The strongness of passions is measured in their intensity to cloud the spiritual qualities as well as their duration. The attitude of a person with the first degree is always perverted. He is engrossed in anger, conceit, crookedness and greed. Under the effect of passions he forgets his Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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