Prashamratiprakaran

Author(s): Umaswati, Umaswami, Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 38

a suitable
for meditation. These four kinds of dharmadhyānas prepare ground for śukladhyāna-a higher type of meditation
Sukladhyāna is advanced stage of meditation. It implies pure self-contemplation in the highest sense. It is called Sukla, because it emerges when the filth of passions has been destroyed or has subsided. It is also of four kinds: Prthaktva-vitarka-vicāra, ekatva-vitarkavicāra, sūkşmakriya-pratipati
and vigatakriya--nivịtti. In the prathaktva-vitarka-vicära state of meditation all the three types of activities of mind, speech and body continue and the aspirant shifts his meditation from one kind of activity to another, from one substance to another and from one modification to another. In the ekatva-vitarkavicāra only one of the three yogas (activities) persists and there is no shifting from one object of thinking to another. In this state of meditation, oneness displaces manyness. In this state the monk meditates on one substance, or on atom, or modification of substance with the assistance of only one kind of yoga. These two types of Sukladhyāna are performed by spiritually well-advanced monks to obtain the state of Kevalajñāna.
The yogi or a monk, conquering attachment and aversion, unaffected by wordly gain and loss, obtaines yathākhyātacāritra practising these two kinds of Sukladhyana he roots out the deludingkarmas (mnohaniya) which are the root cause of karmic bondage and cycle of births and deaths (Pr. 257-8). Umāsvāti beautifully describes the process of destruction of mohanīya Katmas, in the following manner : In the first stage (monk) reduces the four kinds of passions which are known as anantänubandhi kaşaya (which were existing upto this time from biginningless time. When he reaches the first two kinds of Sukladhyana he can destroy) then in the second stage, he annihilates mithyātva mohanīyakarmi Which is the root cause of complete wrong belief and in the third misramohanīya or samyaktva-mithyatva which is mixture of some degree of wrong belief and some of truth. In the fourth he destroyes samyaktva mohaniya, which covers the right faith and truth due to udaya (rise) of pure mohaniyakarma. In the fifth and sixth stages be annihilates apratyākhyāniya (which hinders partial self-discipline) and pratyakhyāniya (which obstructs complete renunciation) passions (8 kinds of), respectively. Again in the seventh stage, he destroyes the neuter sex passions; and female sex passions in the eigntth. In the ninth stage joking, liking, disliking, sorrow, fear and disgust are annihilated, in the tenth, follows the destruction of the male sex-passions and of the sañjvalana passions -anger, pride and deceit and sanjvalana grced respec. tively. After this he reachas the bighest stage (12th) in the series