________________ Preface the margins like a bowl kept upright. In the upper layer of rarefied air (tanuvatavalaya) of this Siddha ksetra reside the liberated pure souls, the Siddha, endowed with eight supreme qualities. The whole of the region below this abode of the pure souls is the region of transmigration, known as the samsara, which is to be crossed with the aid of the Supreme Teacher. Though there is no origination or destruction by external causes in the liberated soul, there is origination and destruction by internal causes. Internal causes are described thus by the authority of the Scripture: Each substance (dravya) has this attribute called the 'agurulaghuguna'. Due to this attribute, the substance undergoes six different steps of infinitesimal changes of rhythmic fall and rise - 'satgunahaniurddhi'. This wave-like process is a common and natural feature of all substances, found in the atom as well as in the mass. Origination and destruction are established by these changes. Acarya Samantabhadra's Ratnakarandaka-sravakacara: विद्यादर्शनशक्तिस्वास्थ्यप्रह्लादतृप्तिशुद्धियुजः / निरतिशया निरवधयो निःश्रेयसमावसन्ति सुखम् // 132 // The souls which attain liberation (moksa) dwell in uniform and eternal bliss characterized by infinite knowledge, infinite faith, infinite energy, complete equanimity, infinite bliss, absolute desirelessness, and utmost purity (being rid of all material and psychic karmas). Acarya Nemicandra's Trilokasara: चक्किकुरुफणिसुरेंदेसहमिंदे जं सुहं तिकालभवं / तत्तो अणंतगुणिदं सिद्धाणं खणसुहं होदि // 560 // The happiness appertaining to the king of kings (cakravarti), the resident of the regions-of-enjoyment (bhogabhumi), the lord of the lower-celestials (dharanendra), the lord of the heavenly-kalpa (devendra), and the lord of the heavens beyond the kalpa (ahamindra), is successively infinitely more. The supreme happiness or bliss that appertains to the Siddha paramesthi, however, can only be described as: "Just one instant of bliss that the . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . XLV
