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Jainism and Sallekhana
psychical condition of the soul due to gradual modifications and modulations leading to purgation of the matter is what is called Guņasthāna. The first stage is that of the soul affected by Karmic matter which brings about Mithyātva or false faith when it is unable to see what is the right faith to follow in order to obtain salvation. It is common experience that there is the stage of mental wavering which causes ups and downs in the firmness of right conviction and that makes the soul hover in a state of uncertain condi. tion of progress and regress. When once the soul gets firmly rooted in right faith, it begins shedding off its infatuating Karmas by the conquest, partial or complete, of the passions and desires for worldly acquisitions and possessions. When the soul's progress is to the fifth stage, there commences the preparedness to adopt rules of conduct. This process goes ahead if the enlightened soul continues in the progressive destruction of all conduct-infatuating Karmas leading to pure contemplation.
This spiritual process is inextricably connected with the process of shedding off the Karmas. The four passions of anger, pride, deception and greed working through mind, speech and body cause the invisible Karmic matter flow towards the soul ( asrava). The past Karmas along with the new ones bind (bandha) the soul, and this bondage may differ according to the nature (praksti) of the Karmic matter, its lasting character (sthiti), its strength (anubhāga) and the complexity of the Karmic atoms (pradeśa). However it is possible to stop fresh influx by freeing the mind from attachment, hatred, pride, infatuation and greed; by developing an attitude of mind which brings about restraint, self-discipline and non-attachment so as to create equanimity and balance in thought and conduct. In such state, there would be no Yoga (= cause of ásrava ) or occasion for fresh Karmic inflow. This is possible by observance of rules of conduct, development of compassion towards all living creatures and meditation over the real nature of the world and of the final goal of life.
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