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Journey to Freedom
[ 89 and this effort is not of a life-span. It is an effort of birth and re-birth also, during which the self tries to climb the ladder of spirituality. Jaina thinkers have analysed the different stages through which the self passes in its climb on this ladder during different lives. There are in all fourteen stages through which the self passes before achieving the highest goal. These stages are mere indications to show how the self progresses. They enable us to know at what spiritual stage we are standing in this life. We shall shortly consider these fourteen stages which are known as Gupa-sthāna. 'Guna' means meritorious order and 'Sthana' means stage.
Stage 1 is known as Mithya-Dṛṣṭi. 'Mithya' means unreal, false, and 'Drsti' means vision. This is a stage of spiritual blindness. The whole outlook of life is false and unreal. The 'Darśana, i. e., the perspective of the soul at this stage suffers from great ignorance on account of the Karmic veil known as 'Darśanavarapīya'.
Stage 2 is known as Sasadana Samyag Drşti. While ascending the ladder of life, the soul sometimes reaches great heights, but on account of some weakness asserting, it slips down on the ladder, and the fall brings it to this stage. It has tasted the fruits of higher stages once, and so does not remain more at this stage and again begins to ascend.
Stage 3: Miśra It means mixture. It is the stage where the self experiences a mixed feeling of proper and unreal (Samyag and Mithya) attitude towards life. The self at this stage is oscillating between the two extremes. It remains agitated and is unable to settle down.
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Stage 4: Avirati Samyag Dṛṣṭi - "Virati' means cessation (rest). It suggests rest from the enjoyment of material things of life. The prefix 'A' suggests the negative and hence ‘Avirati' means want of the stoppage of the material enjoyment. However, at this stage the oscillating mind becomes steady and begins to entertain right thoughts. It gets correct or proper 'Darśana' and hence it is called 'Samyag Dṛṣṭi'. But on
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