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Jaina scheme of progression. He has a body but he is free from all the Ghati karmas which conceal the true greatness of a human being but thereafter in the fourteenth state or Gunasthana even the Aghati karmas disappear when the Atma becomes perfect and rises upto the highest level in the Lokākāśa and takes up its position on the Siddhaśila above the infinite space of the mundane world (Lokākāśa) but without marching into the formless vaccum of the Alokākāśa. This is the stage of perfection or Siddhi when the Atma as a body of pure consciousness breathes energy and bliss and is entirely free from karma.
In Buddhist thought the existence of karma and its effect on human life is clearly recognized. In this system also Avidya or ignorance lies in the background of karma and the origin of perfect illumination presupposes the destruction of ignorance. The Buddhist philosophers believe that the entire mundane life is the effect of karma subject to the influence of ignorance. He has divided the entire creation in separate divisions from this point of view, Leaving aside the lower divisions of kāmadhātu or the world of desire we may take our stand on the level of man who is an actor in the drama of life and reaps the consequences in regard to those actions. It is said that in the world of desire a man through his virtuous actions can rise upto the top of this world and attain to the status of a Deva, A deva with desires cannot as a deva rise upto higher regions of light which are the consequences of karma performed in human life. The true aim of human life is peace and freedom from sorrow. This cannot be attained except through karma and meditation which are possible in human existence only. The joys of the heavens in Kamadhātu are of no avail in a higher life striving after perfection. It is pointed out that even in ordinary human life, it is possible for a man to rise above the world of desire and attain to a life of meditation which rises higher and higher until it reaches the end of the cosmic system. Now this transition from the world of desire to the world of meditation is possible through successive meditative acts ending in concentration, illumination
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