We have by now discussed how a worldly
soul can gain liberation. This is necessarily a process of evolution.
Prior to the commencement of that process, the thinking and behavior of a
person stays deluded on account of his ignorance about his true Self. He
happens to identify himself with the body and its pleasure. He therefore
uses all his energy to gain material happiness and physical comforts. That
way, he wanders birth after birth oblivious of his true Self. As and when
he gets curious about the spirit ual aspects, his condition undergoes a
major change. He can then be termed as an aspirant. For advancing to
liberation from that state he has to traverse a long distance...Question
may arise whether there are any milestones or other signs on the way to gu
ide the aspirant that he is on the right track. Jainism has divided the
path of the spiritual uplift in 14 stages. They are known as Gunasthanak
or stages of elevation. If the entire track can be compared to a ladder or
an elevator, these stages are 14 ru ngs of the ladder or 14 floors where
elevator stops, but with the difference that the space between the two
adjacent rungs or the adjacent floors is not uniform. The ascent here is
in the form of steadily shaking off the bondage of Karma.
Of the eight main types of Karma
described in chapter 4, deluding Karma happens to be the strongest. The
path of liberation can therefore be presented in terms of ever
accelerating destruction of the deluding Karma. As such, it would be
useful here to consider some significant aspects of that Karma. Deluded
perception and deluded behavior are the two main divisions of deluding
Karma. The former arises from ignorance and the latter from indulgence in
defilements which in Jain terminology are known as K ashaya. Anger,
arrogance, deception and covetousness are the four main types of Kashayas.
Depending upon their duration and intensity each of them is subdivided
into four subcategories. The most enduring Kashaya is termed as
Anantanubandhi meaning the one that results in the bondage of endless
duration. This is comparable to the letters engraved in stone. Somewhat
less durable and less intense Kashaya is known as Apratyakhyanavaraniya,
meaning the one that cannot be overcome even by adopting vow to con trol
it. This is comparable to letters on .wood. or paper. Still less durable
and less intense Kashaya is known as Pratykhyanavaraniya meaning the one
that can be overcome by taking vow for the purpose. This is comparable to
letters in sand. The least short-lived is known as Sanjwalan Kashaya which
is very subtle. This is comparable to letters drawn in water. This can be
overcome after attaining higher state. Thus there are 16 subdivisions of
Kashayas that are responsible for deluded behavior. In addition , there
are nine types of Nokashayas or semidefilements that also can be overcome
at a higher stage. With this background we can now turn to the description
of the 14 stages of elevation.
FIRST STAGE: This stage is known as
Mithyatva or the stage of wrong faith. As the name suggests, it does not
signify even the real beginning of the elevation. It is like the bottom
floor where the person comes looking for the elevator. Most of the aspiran
ts are supposed to be at this stage. The life at this stage is still more
instinctive and reactions to the arising situations are more impulsive
than discriminative. The aspirant still attaches more importance to the
body and its pleasure. He has however gained curiosity for spiritual
development. For that purpose he gets access to religious teachers. But he
does not have insight to recognize true preceptors. As such, he gets under
the influence of wrong teachers and also undertakes unbecoming rituals etc
. at their behests. For the sake of his professed religion, he does not
mind even resorting to evil activities. He has dislike and disregard for
the true faith.
SECOND STAGE: This stage is known as
Saswadan. This too is not the stage of elevation. It is the stage where an
aspirant comes down, if he somehow falls from the higher stages. Since he
has experienced the taste of right perception in the 4th stage,
he ca nnot forget it altogether. Sooner or later he is therefore bound to
regain that perception and proceed again on the path of elevation.
THIRD STAGE: This stage is known as
Mishra. It is the combination of right and wrong or Samyaktva and
Mithyatva. Here, the aspirant does not have discernment to differentiate
right from the wrong and truth from the falsity. He still gropes in the
darkness of doubt and wavers between right and wrong. He may have overcome
dislike for true faith but does not stay tuned to it. He may happen to
practise right rituals etc. but is not discriminate enough to recognize
their truth. As such, he is likely to accept even falsity as truth.
FOURTH STAGE: This stage is known as
Avirat Samyak or the right perception not associated with restraint. This
is the real stage of elevation where few worldly souls have ever arrived.
As the name suggests, the aspirant attains this stage when he gets fre ed
from perception deluding Karma and has gained the right perception. He
exactly knows what is right and what is wrong. He stands convinced that
soul is his enduring self, while body and all incidental situations are
ephemeral and have been gained as con sequence of his operative Karmas. He
knows the true nature of soul and might have even glimpsed it some time.
He also has right understanding of Karma and its bondage and is keen to
shake it off. He has, accordingly, controlled all the four Anantanubandhi
types of Kashaya, but has not still gained enough vigor to control other
types of Kashayas. As such, he cannot resort to restrained life, even
though he desires to adopt it. He gets involved in different activities as
destined by his operative Karmas, bu t does not develop attachment for the
same. He feels sad for the recurring embodiment and his sole aspiration is
to go ahead on the path of liberation. In case, he happens to forsake this
right perception on any account, he falls from this stage and goes back to
the second stage.
FIFTH STAGE: As the aspirant advances
on the path of liberation, he arrives at the fifth stage. From this stage,
he starts loosening bondage of deluded behavior. He has now developed more
vigor and gained capability to overcome Apratyakhyanavaraniya Kasha ya. He
therefore resorts to partial restraints. This stage is called Deshvirati
Samyag or the stage of right perception and partial restraints. At this
stage, he adopts 12 main Vratas of laymen which have been described in
chapter 12. His behavior now rem ains more or less restrained and he
continues to strive for the fully restrained life.
