Religion and Culture of the Jains

Author(s): Jyoti Prasad Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 67

THE DOCTRINE
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down, but again rises till it is able to destory the enemy completely. In that case, there is no possibility of a further downfall, but sooner or later it rises to the higher stage. Thus the fourth stage is the veritable entrance to liberation. When in the fourth stage a soul feels disposed to and launches upon a course of regular self-discipline, even if partial, it rises to the fifth stage. The disciplined and religion-practising śrāvakas and śrāvikās, respectively the lymen and lay-women, belong to this stage. By renouncing the world and taking the vows of an ascetic, the individual sets out upon a course of full discipline, and thus enters the sixth stage. When the ascetic for a time withdraws himself from outward activities and practices, and succeeds in occupying himself in concentrated spiritual meditation, which he always tries and occasionally is able to do, he enters the seventh stage. Generally, he soon reverts to the sixth stage, but if he can stick in the seventh stage for sufficient time, he begins to rise spiritually upwards to the higher stages up to the twelfth, loosening in the process the bonds of karman and dissociating it from the soul at a very highly accelerated pace. The passional states of the soul are reduced to the minimum in intensity, quality, number and form till they are totally eradicated in the twelfth stage when all the four ghāti-karmans are also completely got rid of.
The soul then enters the thirteenth stage, becomes an omniscient Arhat-kevalin, a Jina. All the Tirtharkaras, after attaining enlightenment, the supreme vision or Kaivalya, belong to this stage, and then alone they commence preaching the Dharma for the good of all living beings. The fourteenth stage is of a very short duration, in which all vibrations and activities stop and the four aghāti-karmans also drop off. The soul is now fully and wholly liberated, leaves the saṁsāra for good, becomes siddha and floats up to the top of the universe (loka), to abide there for ever in perfectest purity and bliss.