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Distress-concentration means mental anguish or painful sensations born of attachment to the pleasant and aversion for the unpleasant. Such sensations are felt only by those whose lives are marked by pain, regret, tension and helplessness. Separation from some dear one in the family, becomes unbearable for them. Similarly, assailed by restlesseness and extreme impatience because of some disease, they lose their balance altogether. Shukla leshya saves them from all this pain. It increases forbearance and ends impatience. Restlessness caused by like and dislike is also out of place here. The activation of the vibrations of shukla leshya is absolutely necessary for the development of a steady, stable and healthy mind.
Q.
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Is the state of shukla leshya uniformly even, or is there in it an ascending or descending order?
Ans. There is no continuity of shukla leshya. It is not
- uniformly even. Its excellence lasts for a short while. Generally, three degrees of excellence are recognized : excellent, more excellent and most excellent. The most excellent shukla leshya is possessed by a veetarag (one who has transcended all passion). Shukla leshya of the first degree is commonly found in a tranquil person and shukla leshya of the second order is found in a person who never loses his equilibrium under any circumstances. The shraman of the standing of one-year's initiation experiences a happiness that exceeds all kinds of known pleasures. This happens only in a state of shukla leshya. The colour of shukla leshya is white (bright white). In the case of white colour, chemical changes take place much more quickly. The glands responsible for imparting to us the sensation of pleasure can be stimulated only by the vibrations of this colour.
Fury-ridden concentration like distress-concentration is also an inauspicious thing. In the presence of
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