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STAGES OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
185 Dravya, the third method, is when you wish to respect or cognize or worship a thing or person who has not yet come into existence; you worship the previous state of that thing or person. By paying respect to the present person or thing you can pay respect to the future being or thing. For instance, the Indian prince Sreņika is believed to be the soul who is to be the first Arhat of the next cycle, could have been respected and worshipped by using Srenika in that way.
Bhāva, the fourth method of knowing a thing or being or paying respect to them, is by using the actual thing or being or respecting the actual person.
So these are four ways of worshipping the Arhat. When anyone has an ideal, then he respects it; and the idea of the ideal is much strengthened by worshipping; worshipping the ideal by any of the above four methods strengthens the belief and convictions regarding that ideal. Of course, anything which a man looks down upon or ridicules is not his ideal; if he has an ideal, he respects it.
2. The second daily thing that a person having the middle degree of self-control in the samyaktva state would do every day, would be to render homage to the teacher (guru).
3. Third, he would study philosophy every day. 4. He would practise some form of self-control every day.
5. He would practise some form of austerity (tapas) every day, both physical and internal. Controlling hunger would be a physical one, assuming a posture in concentration would also be a physical one. Concentration would be an internal one.Austerities are not the line of least resistance.
6. He would do some kind of charity; but not in the sense where the giver is superior to the receiver, both are equal. There must be no idea of superiority. It is because where there is any idea of superiority there is the presence of pride and pride is an intoxicating karma obscuring knowledge and right belief and right action.
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