________________
278
JAINA YOGA
[CH.
new karmans of reduced duration and intensity. At this stage the soul does the processes of sthitighāta (destruction of duration), rasaghāta (destruction of intensity), gunaśreni (arrangement of series), gunasarnkrama (transformation of karmic matter), and apūrvasthitibandha (bondage of an unprecedented kind of duration)--already describedmore vigorously and increases its purity more rapidly. The stage is so called because the soul performs these processes with a vigour and rapidity unprecedented (apūrva) in its history. The soul's maximum stay at this stage is for one antarmuhurta. The soul performs the process of apūrvakarana, while climbing up either of the two ladders, at this stage. The soul climbing up the ladder of subsidence remains in the minimum one instant and in the maximum an antarmuhurta at this stage, while the soul climbing up the other ladder remains there, as a rule, for an antarmukūrta. The next, the ninth, stage of development is anivrtti-bādara-samparāya. The soul performs the process of aniurttikarana at this stage while climbing up either of the ladders. There is still the possibility of the attack of even the gross passions (bādara-samparāya) and hence the name of the stage. The tenth stage is called sūksma-samparāya because in it only the subtle (sūksma) greed of the fourth type can disturb the soul now and then. At this stage the soul is free from the influence of all the passions except very subtle greed. This subtle greed can be interpreted as the subconscious attachment to the body even in the souls which have achieved great spiritual advancement. The soul which has advanced by only suppressing the sub-types of the deluding karman, that is, the soul which has climbed up the ladder of subsidence goes up to the eleventh stage of suppressed passions (upaśānta-kaṣāya). The subtle greed that was active in the previous stage is also suppressed in this stage and the soul is free from the rise of all types of passions. The soul even at this stage has not freed itself from the enveloping influence (chadman) of the karınans other than the deluding karman and hence is 'enveloped (chadmastha). It has suppressed attachment and hence is known as free from attachment (vitarāga) at this stage. The full designation of this stage therefore is upaśāntakaṣāya-vitarăgachadmastha. The soul stays at this stage for one instant in the minimum and for an antarmuhurta in the maximum, after which it invariably falls down to some lower stage on the rise of the suppressed passions. The soul which, however, has advanced by gradually annihilating the sub-types of the deluding karman, that is, the soul which has climbed up the ladder of annihilation goes up from the tenth to the twelfth stage of annihilated passions (ksinakaṣāya). The other characteristics of the twelfth stage are identical with those of the eleventh stage. This stage is the summit of the ladder of annihilation as the former is the summit of the ladder of subsidence. The soul
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
