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THE JOURNÉY OF THE SOU!
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(4) Next comes the stage of the right attitude. This is the fourth stage. Here, the right attitude is not yet accompanied by moral efforts for the attainment of the good. This is, therefore, called avirata samyagdrsti. One gets a glimpse of the truth, but one lacks the spiritual strengh to strive for the attainment of the truth. In this stage, the soul lacks self-control in spite of the fact that it gets the right attitude and knowledge of the truth. But this belief in the truth is not steady. It is impure and inconstant. It still causes destruction of karma. The right view at this stage may be due to the subsidence of the vision-deluding karma, or it may be due to the subsidence and destruction of the relevant karma.14 It is also possible that such a stage of right attitude is due to the annihilation of the four primary passions. Thus, the right attitude in this stage may be of three kinds, (i) right belief due to the suppression of the relevant karma, aupaśamika samyaktva. It lasts for an antarmuhūrta and then may fall down to the lower stage and lose the right attitude or it may go up to the higher stage. (ii) This higher stage of right attitude is a second form of samyaktva. It is due to the destruction and subsidence of the karmic veil formed by the relevant karma. It lasts for one antarmuhūrta, but, in the language of Jaina theology, it may last for sixtysix sāgaras in the case of beings residing in heaven. This stage is called kşayopasama samyaktva. Next in stage is the right attitude which is formed through the destruction of the karmas which are responsible for the perversion of right belief and the excitement of the four passions.15 This right attitude is clear. There is nothing to cloud it. It is right vision. But in the case of kşayopaśama samyaktva it is vitiated by perversity and is therefore impure and unsteady.
This stage gives us the right attitude, but there is no possibility of moral effort to attain it because it lacks spiritual strength. Moral self-control is not possible. It is called the vowless stage, avirata. In this stage, there is absence of control of the senses and lack of solicitude regarding injury to living beings. However, the person knows the truth and knows that the breaking of vows is wrong. He is filled with compassion and calm. He believes in the right principle and is afraid o the wheel of saṁsāra, but the moral control and the positive efforts required are not possible. He may not hurt any living being without provocation, but he has not taken any vows in the matter.
But right intuition, right knowledge and self-control are necessary for spiritual development, and the soul which lacks self-control may not rise higher in the state of spiritual development. A soul can rise to the next higher stage only when it can overcome this obstacle of lack of spiritual energy and moral effort.
14 Gommatasüra : Jivakända, 25. 15 Ibid. 26.
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