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312
The Unknown Pilgrims
These stages have been thought out in a careful and consistent manner and an acquaintance with them can be of help to progress on the path. However it is clear that the majority of them concern the as yet in
ure jivas and are regarded from the viewpoint of vyavahāra. They correspond to different degrees of darkness of the jiva, due to mohaniya-karman, the karman that gives rise to error and illusion; on account of their association with karman these stages are not connatural to the jiva, for in reality and from the viewpoint of niscaya, all jivas in thcir essence are perfectly pure. 105
To sum up, we may say: āsrava, or the penetration of the jiva by karmic matter, is the dominant factor in the jiva-karman relationship and the state of bandha, as a result of this āsrava, comes about owing to psychological factors precipitated by the said äsrava. Certain psychic phenomena occur, cach corresponding to the sort of karman that has evoked it. It is the empirical jiva that experiences the effects of the ăsrava and bandha, whilst the real jiva is unaffected by this type of experience. The doctrinal texts lay great emphasis on those types of karnan which becloud each of the Three Jewels; they stress those types of karman which tarnish vision and knowledge, for căritra, conduct, can only be right if vision, faith and knowledge are so also. At the same time practical, concrete and positive steps are prescribed in order to aid the jiva towards self-purification and to assist in the destruction of karman. This is what we are now going to study.
105 Cf. SamSa 56; 68 (DravSam 13).
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