Rajgeeta English Translation and Comentry on Atmasiddhi Shastra

Author(s): Shrimad Rajchandra, Manu Doshi
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Mission

Page 94

Räjgeetä
Treading on the path of liberation involves a long journey. One has to advance on that path step by step. That advance can be compared to climbing on a ladder of elevation. Jainism conceives of such a ladder with 14 rungs. They are called Gunasthänaks, meaning the stages of elevation. The initial three stages consist of wrong or semi-wrong perception. During those stages an aspirant is below the level of a truth seeker. Right perception emerges in the 4th stage. The real spiritual advancement thus starts from that stage. Every activity, including the acute austerities, is therefore considered futile in absence of right perception. Since the aspirant is still not in a position to observe restraints at the 4th stage, it is termed as the stage of right perception unaccompanied by restraints.
While explaining the characteristics of truth seekers given in the last chapter, it was mentioned that the description therein presents the step by step advancement till the emergence of right thinking. By virtue of such thinking one is induced to think of six Fundamental aspects relating to soul. Unwavering faith in those six Fundamentals constitutes the right perception as mentioned in the Letter of Six Fundamentals (Appendix-II) addressed to Laghuräjswämi.
Some people would contend that those Fundamentals are not found in Jain tradition; they have never even heard of them. As such, they fail to make out from where they have been brought forth. It would therefore be pertinent to point out that they are from the ancient scriptures. Of the original 12 scriptures, the last one, Drashtiväd, has been lost since more than 2000 years. But from its description in Samaväyäng and other texts, it is learnt that it contained 14 Poorvas. The 7th Poorva was termed as Ätmapraväd. These six Fundamentals deal with the subject matter of that
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