Jain World
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The Fourteen Gunasthans -
Stages of
Spiritual Development)
SIDDHANT
CHAKRAVARTY
NEMICHANDRA ACHARYA
Out of the
five Bhavas of all the living creatures, some have two, some three, some
four and some have all the five Bhavas. There are (i) Aupshamik, (ii)
Kshayik, (iii) Kshayopshamik, (iv) Audyik and (v) Parnamik. These are the
Bhavas of the self. Out of these the first four, from the real point of
view, though soul operated, conventionally are according to Upsham, Kshaya,
Kshayopshama and Udai and, therefore, their names Aupshamik, Kshayopshamik
and Audyik are meaningful; the name Parinam is given to the eternal, same,
without the support of any karma, and easily natural Bhav and such a Bhav is
called the Parnamik Bhav. These bhavas, caused by delusion and activities of
the mind, speech and body, produce fourteen stages which are called the
Gunasthans; which are as follows :-
-
Mitthyatva
-
Sasadan
-
Misra
-
Avirat Samyaktva
-
Deshvirat
-
Pramatta Sanyat
-
Apramatta Sanyat
-
Apuravakaran
-
Anivritti Karan
-
Sukshama Sampraya
-
Upshant
Kashay
-
Kshina Kashay
-
Sayogkevaii Jin
-
Ayogkevali Jin
1.
Mitthyatva
The word
Mitthyatva means untrue, perverse, false or contradictory. The collective
Bhav of those beings, whose faith of the purposeful substances like the soul
are untrue, is called the Mitthyatva Gunasthan. Just as a patient suffering
from fever does not relish sweet things, the person having wrong faith does
not relish the religion of the soul, which assumes three forms, right faith,
right knowledge and right conduct. This means that he does not have correct
faith in spiritual experience as also faith of the God, the scripture and
the monk.
This wrong
faith is of two kinds-(i) Inherited, (ii) Adopted. The current of the
absence of real consciousness in all the creatures of this world, by which
these develop the sense of oneness in inanimate objects like bodies and
their instrumental attachments etc., is called the inherited wrong faith. In
its presence, the perverse imaginary faith of creatures not knowing the
exact nature of things, which is newly acquired is called adopted wrong
faith.
2. Sasadan
The
affliction of right faith is Asadan and the modification associated with
that is Sasadan. When an Aupshamik Samyakdirshti being in the appearance of
Anantanubandhi passion has in that period of Aupshamik right faith for one
Samay or at the most six Avalies, destroys right faith and fails from that
holy mount, but does not touch the ground of wrong faith, the state of that
being is called Sasadan Gunasthan.
The full name
of this Gunasthan is Sasadan Samyaktva. The word Samayaktva has been added
on account of the logic of past association. Its time is Antarmuhurat only.
3. Misra
The Gunasthan
having correct and incorrect faith at the same time in the fruition of
Samyakmitthyatva Prakriti that faith is called the mixed Gunasthan. Just as
we taste curd and sugar and enjoy its mixed taste, in the same way person
having such a faith has both correct and incorrect beliefs. Anantanubandhi
passion is non-existent here. The duration of this Gunasthan is also
Antarmuhurat.
From this
Gunasthan a being does not go to Deshvirat or Apramatta Sanyat Gunasthan and
does not have age bondage of the next phases, death and Marnantik Samudghat.
4. Avirat Samyakdrishti
The state of
the soul with real right faith and devoid of real observance of rules of
conduct (i.e., Anuvirat and Mahavrit) is the fourth stage named Avirat
Samyaktva.
This soul
attains right faith with Kshayopsham and other achievements and with
external conduct suitable for a being in the fourth stage, by being in the
vicinity of the soul with its efforts and with spiritual experience. This is
to say that the being understands the real intrinsic nature of the soul,
that he is the sentient supreme God, he alone being the knower, the rest the
known, and that he does not have any relationship with the non-self
entities. The unnatural manifestations of the soul are not in its nature;
they disappear with the vision of the sentient nature and with oneness with
it, they do not arise at all. This vision with determined decisive state
touches the blissful and the detached state of the being; even when the
intrinsic experience is lost sight of, the purity of the Soul consequent of
the absence of the Anantanubandhi passions persists and is called the fourth
Gunasthan of Avirat Samyaktva.
It is of
three kinds : (i) Aupshamik, (ii) Kshayopshamic and (iii) Kshayik. Out of
these three with anyone kind of right faith, as long as this being holds the
state of non-abstinence on account of fruition of Aprityakhyanavaran
passion, pride, deceit or greed, he is in the stage of the fourth Avirat
Samayakdrishti Gunasthan. The being, in this stage, being rich in the
consciousness of the soul, naturally becomes indifferent to the sensual
pleasures. From the point of view of Charnanuyog, he has not renounced
injury to moving and non-moving creatures and the objects of the five
senses. Non-abstinence of the twelve kinds is, therefore, found in him.
5. Deshvirat
The aspirant
in the fourth stage develops the purity of soul operation and attains the
fifth stage. The soul experience is now more frequent than in the fourth
stage and the Aprityakhyanavaran passion is eliminated. His peace of the
soul having been developed, he becomes indifferent towards non-self entities
and develops merits of Deshvirat. He begins to observe the rules of conduct,
as they should be, but his purity not being very forceful, he cannot accept
monkhood. This stage is the fifth stage. This is also called Vratavirat or
Sanyatasanyat Gunasthan, for internally he follows real abstinence of the
Sanyamasanyam stage, while outwardly he abstains from killing or injuring
moving creatures but does not abstain from killing or injuring non-moving
creatures. The householder of this stage follows Anuvarats as a matter of
course. Sentient Chhullak, Elak and Airika of the eleventh stage come under
this Gunasthan.
6. Pramatta Sanyat
The sentient
aspirant with right faith, who achieves more purity than that of the fifth
Gunasthan, having qualified himself for the complete conduct with some
recklessness, is in the sixth stage of Pramatta Sanyam Gunasthan. This term
is meaningful, for there is elimination of twelve passions in the complete
conduct stage, with the existence of Sanjwalan passion with usual force and
recklessness that generates blemishes.
From the
Mahavrata aspect the monk in the sixth stage thinks with feelings of
attachment. Though teachings are imparted and accepted, food is accepted,
going and coming from one place to the other continues; and yet the internal
purity of the monk is retained and accordingly the twenty-eight primary
rules and their associates are duly observed. The twenty-eight primary rules
are :
Five
Mahavratas, five Samities, six essentials, five sense controls, nakedness,
uprooting of hair, non-bathing, sleeping on the earth, not cleaning one's
teeth, taking meals in a standing posture, and taking meals once only.
The fifteen
recklessnesses are four unhealthy narration of women, food, nation and king,
four passions of anger, pride, deceit and greed, five senses, sleep and
love. These can be multiplied into eighty. Though it attracts impurities,
this recklessness does not destroy the real abstinence of the sixth
Gunasthan.
Process of
thoughts with necessary purity of operation is found in the sixth stage,
while the seventh Gunasthan is without the process of thinking. The duration
of both is Antarmuhurat. As such the monks may remain in that stage for
thousands of years. They alternate between the sixth and the seventh stages
without any exception always, staying in the one for an Antarmuhurat only
and then going to the other. One noteworthy fact is that the monk first has
the experience of the seventh Gunasthan and then he descends to the sixth.
7. Apramatta Sanyat
The real
monks without the fifteen recklessnesses are in the Apramatta Gunasthan. The
twelve passions are totally absent here, while Sanjwalan passions are also
very soft, appropriate to this stage of development. The recklessnesses do
not generate any impurities here and the primary and secondary rules of
conduct lead to faultless operative stage. The designation Apramatta Sanyat
is, therefore, meaningful. Knowingly there is no thought process, having
meditation of the pure soul and its experience. This state continues in all
the Gunasthans ahead. This Gunasthan has two kinds (i) Swasthan Apramatta
Sanyat, (ii) Satishaya Apramatta Sanyat.
Those in this
stage who do not ascend the Kshapak Shreni or the Upsham Shreni and
alternate between the Pramatta and Apramatta states are called Swasthan
Apramatta Sanyat. The above same monks having developed special oneness with
the self facing the ascendance of the Shreni and attaining the purity of
Adhahpravrittakaran are called Satishaya Apramatta Sanyat. When they apply
all their spiritual might and develop oneness with the soul, they reach the
eighth, ninth, tenth and the twelfth Gunasthans in an Antarmuhurat,
destroying the twenty one Prakrities of Charitra Mohiniya, after which they
definitely obtain omniscience (thirteenth Gunasthan). If their effort is not
complete, they reach eighth, ninth, tenth and the eleventh Gunasthans in an
Antarmuhurat and subside the twenty-one prakrities instead of destroying
them.
The duration
of Adhahpravrittikaran is an Antarmuhurat. ('Karan' here means
manifestation). The soul in this state has countless times greater purity
and different souls in backward and forward stages have similar
manifestations as well dissimilar ones. Souls with Adhahpravrittikaran are
called Satishaya Apramatta Sanyat.
8. Apuravakaran
The
modifications of souls in this Gunasthan are unprecedented, their duration
being an Antarmuhurat. Each soul has still greater purity every moment.
Considered from the side of different souls, the modifications of souls in
different times are dissimilar and those staying therein in the same time
have both similar and dissimilar modifications. Such being their
development, the Gunasthan is named as Apurvakaran. Souls ascending on the
Upsham Shreni as well as the Kshapak Shreni have the same modifications of
their beings.
9. Anivrittikaran
Anivritti
means similar and karan means modifications. Each soul has only one
modification which is with infinitely great purity and is dissimilar in
cases of souls in different timings and the modifications of the souls in
one and the same time are always similar. Such being the current of
modifications in this state, this Gunasthan is called the Anivrittikaran
Gunasthan. The duration is Antarmuhurat. The soul at this stage by the fire
of contemplation subsides the twenty Prakrities of Mohiniya or destroys the
twenty Prakrities of the Mohiniya and the thirteen of the Namkarma. People
in this Gunasthan do not attract future life karmic matter.
10. Sukshma
Sampraya
Those who
entertain minor greed passion unintentionally and have similar modifications
of fixed purity, which is eternally multipliable and who have their karmas
always either subsided or destroyed, are said to be in the Sukshama Sampray
Gunasthan.
11. Upshant Kashay
The person in
this Gunasthan has subsidised external and internal passions as the clean
water in the autumn season, having been purified by adding alum to it. The
duration here is also Antarmuhurat. Since it has complete detachment with
imperfect sentience it is also called Upshant Kashay Veetrag Chhadmastha
Gunasthan. The difference in modifications as found in supievor Gunasthans
is not found in this as also in the following Gunasthans. Out of the four
destructive karmas, the Mohiniya is in the Upsham state while the other
three have the Kshayopsham state. On the completion of the duration of this
Gunasthan or on completion of the age, the soul fails down from this
Gunasthan.
12. Kshina Kashay
The souls
that have annihilated all passions and attained perfect detachment with the
complete elimination of all the karmas like the pure water kept in a pure
quartz vessel, occupy this Gunasthan named Kshina Kashay. The duration is
Antarmuhurat. Since there is yet imperfection in sentience, though complete
detachment has been attained this Gunasthan is called Kshina Kashay Veetrag
Chhadmastha. The saints following the perfect conduct in this stage, have
annihilated the Mohiniya Karma altogether and the remaining three
destructive karmas have their Kshayopshama. They will destroy the three
remaining karmas in an Antarmuhurat and reach the thirteenth Gunasthan.
13. Sayog Kevaii Jin
The souls in
the thirteenth stage who have dispelled the darkness of ignorance altogether
with the rise of the sun of omniscience and who have attained Godhood, after
achieving nine accomplishments (Kshayik right faith, conduct, consciousness,
perception, charity, gain, Bhog, Upbhog and vitality) have become Kevalies,
for their sentience does not now need the help of senses or light. Since
they are with the operations of the mind, speech and body, they are Sayog
and since they have conquered both the psychic and material karmas they are
called the Jins and their Gunasthan is called, Sayog Kevati Jin. These same
Kevali Bhagwan enlighten the path of emancipation by their divine discourses
on the path of liberation of the soul.
Influx of
Sata Vedniya on account of mental, bodily and speech movements is for a
moment only, but that does not materialise in bondage due to the absence of
passions.
14. Ayog Kevali Jin
The Arahant
Bhagwans in this Gunasthan are without any activity of mind, speech and body
and have attained omniscience. Therefore, this Gunasthan is called Ayog
Kevali Jin. The duration is the time taken in pronouncing five vowels in
Hindi. In the last two moments the Arahant Bhagwan destroys all the
Prakrities of the Aghati Karmas (non-destructive karmas) and attains
Siddhahood.
SIDDHA PARMESTHI
Those who have now crossed
the fourteen Gunasthans of the worldly existence, are now bereft of all the
eight psychic and the conventional karmas; who enjoy the everlasting bliss,
which is dependent only on their own souls; who are without any blemish
being without psychic, conventional or matter karmas; who are eternal, for
now they would not assume any new modification of life phases; who have got
the eight great attributes due to the destruction of all the eight psychic
and material karmas (Kshayik, Samayktva, Anant Gyan, Anant Darshan, Anant
Virya, Sukshamatva, Awagahanatva, Agurulaghutva, and Avayavadhatva); who
have permanently settled in the uppermost part of the world, for it is not
in their nature now to move about in any of the ten directions; and who are
now complete in themselves, having nothing now to do. These blessed souls
are called the Siddhas.
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