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Historical Development of Jaina Philosophy and Religion
Thus, we may conclude that the theory of the fourteen false attitudes like the taste of curd mixed with sugar, stages of spiritual development was not prevalent at which is neither sweet nor sour. This is the stage of the time of compilation of Tattvārthasūtra, otherwise, doubt. In this stage soul accepts neither the perverse Umāsvāti would have mentioned it.
attitude nor the right one. It remains in dilemma. These evidences show that the theory of
4. The fourth stage is aviratasamyagdrsti, a fourteen Gunasthānas came into existence after stage of right attitude without right conduct. Though Tattvārthasūtra, i.e., c. 4th A. D. For the first time, in this scheme of Gunasthāna it is considered to be this theory was introduced along with all its details, in the fourth stage, but in reality it is the first stage in the Puspadanta and Bhūtabali's Satkhandāgama (c. 5th upward journey of the soul towards its spiritual A. D.). After that it is discussed in Pūjyapāda's heights. It is the stage in which the soul gets the glimSarvārthasiddhi ( c. 6th A. D.) and Tattvārtha- pse of truth for the first time. At this stage the self bhāsya-tika of Siddhsenagani (c. 7th-8th ) in detail, knows right as a right and wrong as a wrong but due however, its pre-concept in the form of ten stages was to the lack of spiritual strength, inspite of the knowalready present in Ācārānganiryukti ( 22-23 ) and ledge and the will, he cannot abstain himself from the Tattvärthasūtra ( 9/47 ). From these ten stages of wrong path of immorality. spiritual development the theory of fourteen Guna
5. The fifth stage is known as deśavirata sthāna was conceptualised in c. 5th A. D.
samyagdrsti. This is the stage of right attitude with These fourteen stages are as follows:
partial observance and partial non-observance of 1. The first stage is called mithyādrști, i.e., moral code. A house-holder, who possesses right perversity of attitude. It is the lowest stage from vision and observes five aņuvratas, three gunavratas where the spiritual journey of soul starts. It is consi- and four siksāvratas, comes in this category. In this dered as a stage of spiritual development only be- stage one knows what is right and also tries to praccause in this very state the efforts for the attainment tise it, but one cannot have full control over one's of the right vision are made. The process of granthi- passions. At this stage there is only partial expression bheda occurs at the end of this stage. At this stage the of the energy of self-control. After attaining the soul, is in the grip of extreme passions ( anantā- fourth stage, if one develops spiritual strength and has nubhandhi kaṣāya ).
control over the second set of four passions, i.e. 2. The second stage is known as sāsvādana- apratyākhyāni-kaṣāya-catuṣka, one is able to attain samyagdrsti, i.e., to have a momentary taste of the this stage. right vision. This is an intermediate stage and it
6. In spiritual journey of the soul, the sixth occurs when soul falls from the right attitude towards
stage is called pramatta-samyata-gunasthāna. It is the false attitude. This stage is called sāsvādana
the stage in which the self observes right conduct samyagdrsti because in this stage soul has a taste of
fully. He observes five mahāvratas and other rules of right attitude or right version just as a person after
moral conduct of a monk, yet he has an attachment eating delicious dishes vomits and has a taste of those
towards his body and due to this attachement the dishes in that state of vomiting.
spiritual inertia is still there. This is the stage of self3. The third stage is technically known as control with spiritual inertia. At the end of this stage samyag-mithyadrsti. It is mixed stage of the right and the aspirant tries to subside or annihilate the third set
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