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The Path of Arbat : A Religious Democracy
account of 'Avirati', enjoyment of sensual objects goes on, even though the self knows what is the correct path.
Stage 5: Deśavirati Samyag Drşți - 'Deśa' means partial. When the soul progresses from the 4th stage it begins to conquer sensual desires. But this conquest is partial.
Stage 6 : Pramatta-Samyat -- At this stage there is still further progress in as much as 'Deśa Virati', i. e., partial cessation from sensuality, becomes complete cessation. There is, however, some spiritual inertia ( Pramatta ). Eternal vigilance is the price for liberty is as much true for spiritual freedom as for political one. Mahāvīra emphatically admonished his chief disciple : “Gautam, do not remain inert even for a moment." At this stage even though the self is living the life of a recluse his vigilance is not running from moment to moment and hence this spiritual inertia on his part remains an obstruction.
Stage 7: Apramatta-Sarnyat -- Now the inertia has gone. The self is now ready for a jump and prepares to enter further stages of ‘Kșapaka-śreni' which means the series (Śrepí ) of the stages wherein karmic influence is being shedded partially and then wholly.
Stage 8 : Apūrvakarana - Apūrva means the thing which was not before ( Pūrva means 'past ). At this stage the soui experiences a potency which was never experienced before. It acquires a psychical force which would now enable it to shed its karmic veil. This shedding of karmic veil assumes two courses. One course is known as 'Upasama' and other course is known as 'Kşaya'. Upasama means pacification and Kşaya means annihilation. When the Karmic bodies such as anger, attachment, avarice, hatred and violence are made to lie dormant, what happens is 'Upasama'. But when they are totally destroyed, it is called 'Kşaya'. If the self takes the course of pacification ( Upaśama ) there is always a lucking danger of the karmic bodies coming to the surface and asserting themselves. If this happens, the self which has
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