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CLAIRVOYANCE BY MERIT
It is said 'state'. What is state? The mode of a soul is the state of existence caused by the life and name karmas. Pralyaya means cause. That, which has the state of existence for its cause or origin, is possessed by devas and infernal beings. In that case there would be no destruction-cum-subsidence of the karmic veil in this type of clairvoyance. No, it is not so. In the case of these beings, the karmic veil disappears and subsides along with their state of being. So the state of being is mentioned as the main cause. Birds fly by instinct (inborn tendency) and not because of teaching. So also clairvoyance arises in these beings not because of any special merit such as observance of vows or restraint, but by reason of their state of existence. The state of existence being common to all, it would mean that all are endowed with the same degree of clairvoyance.
But differences in the degree of this knowledge possessed by these beings are admitted. Though the beings in heaven and hell are mentioned in general, only those endowed with right faith among them are implied. This is clear from the term aradhi used in the sutra. In the case of wrong believers it is called vibhanga (erroneous clairvoyance), as it is vitiated by their misbelief. The degrees of clairvoyance among them must be ascertained from the scriptures.
If clairvoyance based on birth arises in celestial and infernal beings, in whom does clairvoyance of destruction-cum-subsidence arise ?
क्षयोपशमनिमित्तः षड्विकल्पः शेषाणाम् 11 22.11 Kșayopasamanimittaḥ șadvikalpaḥ śeşāņām (22) 22. Clairvoyance from destruction-cum-subsidence (i. e. arising on the lifting of the veil) is of six kinds. It is acquired by the rest (namely human beings and animals).
When there is no rise of totally obscuring intensity-clairvoyance-covering karma, but there is rise of partially obscuring intensity-clairvoyance-covering karmas, that state is called destruction. Where these karmas do not attain to the stage of rise but are merely existent, that state is called subsidence
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