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stage represents the state of an Arhata which corresponds to Jivanmukta in Vedanta. The Buddhists say that even in this case certain karmas remain, as without such karmas the bodily life of an Arhata would become impossible. It is only when body ceases to exist that one can say that the person has attained freedom from karma altogether and realize nirvana. We may state here in passing that this is a presentation from the standpoint of the older school which believes in nirvāņa as the end of all karma and suffering but the latter school of Buddhism is inclined to think that the life of an Arhata who has attained to nirvāņa in a sense is not comparable to the life of Bodhisattva who is on the way to Buddhahood and not to nirvāņa. The highest ideal is that of Buddha which marks the cessation of all lower karmas and activities of a new karmaic order represented by the Bodhisattvas who aspire after universal emancipation and not after personal nirvana. There are different stages, ten according to some in the life of a Bodhisattva. It is in the last stage that a Bodhisattva after a preliminary Abhiseka becomes converted into the Buddha himself. This will show that through the lower karmas, Kuśala and Akuśala are easily transcendent, higher karmas which are altruistic in nature still continue and in a sense there is no end to such karmans. Nirvana is certainly a noble ideal in Buddhism but the state of a Buddha is still nobler ideal which does not aspire after entry into nirvana but rather strives for the attainment of a state which is capable of giving nirvana. The problem of karma is very simple and yet is complicated from the viewpoint of higher philosophy as in Buddhism. To an impartial observer, it would seem that the status of a Buddha is analogous to the state of a Tirthamkara who as the world-teacher does not represent highest perfection because he is not altogether free from karma although this karma is nominal and is of the nature of Aghatikarma only. A Siddha however is above all karma and is perfect. He has no moral or even spiritual relation with the
mundane world not even is a teacher or inspirer but the state of the Buddha though exactly similar to that of a Siddha is
