Laghutattvasphota

Author(s): Amrutchandracharya, Padmanabh S Jaini, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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activities, both wholesome (subha) the unwholesome (aśubha). This is possible only by recourse to the suddha-niscaya-naya, the trancendental viewpoint wherein all activities are denied to the self. From this perspective the self is seen as the 'knower' (jñāts), which it would of course be in the state of mokşa. The aspirant has a glimpse of his transcendental viewpoint even in the fourth (samyag-dşrti) stage, but he is unable to retain it without the viratis. He comes to have the sustained pure consciousness (śuddhajñāyakabhāva) only when he becomes fully 'mindful' and thus attains the apramattavirata, the seventh gunasthāna.
Such pure 'self-experience', called suddha-upayoga, is repeatedly alluded to by Amrtacandra in all his works. Rare and brief as it is, it ushers in unprecedented purity of the soul, preparing one for further conquest of the forces of karma. In the case of a less advanced aspirant, this may take the form of suppression (upaśama) of the kaşāyas, affording only temporary relief. It is temporary as the aspirant must return to the deflled state having reached the eleventh stage called Upaśānta-kaşāya. But in the case of the nascent Jina, his insights are so consummate that he instantly climbs the ladder (śreņi) of spiritual progress which leads unfailingly, in that very life time, to the total annihilation (kşaya) of all karmas. This is achieved in the eighth, ninth and the tenth guṇasthānas, called apūrva-karana, anivsttikarana31 and sūkşma-sämparāya, respectively, during which the aspirant, by means of the 'dharma' and the 'śukla' dhyānas, 39 gradually destroys both gross and subtle forms of the mohaniyakarma. He skips the eleventh stage as he has not suppressed the kaşāyas and attains the twelfth stage called kşiņakasāya. The mohaniya-karma is the chief obstacle to realising perfect purity; its elimination is followed immediately by the destruction of three more karmas called ghātiyā, those which obscure knowledge (jñāna), intuition (darśana) and energy (virya) respectively. Thus the aspirant becomes an omniscient (sarvajña) Jina; this state is indicated by the thirteenth gunasthāna called sayoga-kevalin.
One who has thus reached his goal is called a Kevalin; endowed with Kevala-jñāna, omniscient cognition; he is an Arhat, worthy of worship, an Apta, the reliable guide and Teacher. It is to him that all stotras are addressed. And yet he is, still a human being, as the descriptive term "sayoga" indicates. Yoga is a Jaina technical term for 'vibrations of body, speech and mind. It is present in all human beings but prior to the twelfth gunasthāna is associated with the kaṣāyas (passions). The Jaina cannot accept anyone's claim to be an Apta until his kaşāyas are totally destroyed, a prerequisite of truthfulness. Upon this destruction and the subsequent manifestation of omniscience, the "yoga', now that of the Jina turns into a perfect means of communicating the Law. Thus we have the omniscient teacher, the most venerable example of human existance; Amộtacandra dwells at length upon