Gunasthanas Stages of Spiritual Development Pravin K. Shah JAINA Education Committee Jain Study Center of North Carolina 509 Carriage Woods Circle Cary NC 27513 E-mail: jainaedu@gmail.com Website: www.jainelibrary.org 919-859-4994 and Fax

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas There are 14 stages of spiritual development Soul travels from complete Ignorance (Mithyätva) state to the complete blissful and liberated state The order of Gunasthänas is logical and not chronological They are arranged according to the principle of decreasing sinfulness and the increasing purity

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas Soul removes its Ignorance (Mithyätva) on 4th stage Vowlessness (Avirati) on 6th stage Passions (Kashäya) on 12th stage Ghäti karma on 13th stage Yoga (activities of body, mind and speech) on 14th stage and attains liberation

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 01 Mithyätva (False conviction or faith) Delusion or Gross ignorance state of Right faith or conviction This state is possessed by all souls from the beginning of time Soul does not have a true knowledge and faith in reality but believes in non-reality

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 01 Mithyätva (False conviction or faith) Three progressive stages Mithyätva Mohaniya Mithyätva Mohaniya (Wrong belief) Mishra Mohaniya (Right/wrong belief) Samyaktva Mohaniya (Clouded right belief) Soul migrates to 4th stage after acquiring right knowledge and having right conviction of that knowledge

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 02 Säsvädana (Stage of having tasted true belief) One has a taste of true belief This states exists only while actually falling down from the fourth to the first stage Duration less than 48 minutes

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 03 Mishra (Mixed Stage) Mixed or partially rational belief. Also the condition of mind while actually falling down from the fourth to the first stage After the first fall, condition of mind going up from first to third and then to the fourth stage Duration less than 48 minutes

Stages of Spiritual Development (Gunasthanas) 04 Samyag-drashti or Samyaktva (Right Faith or Conviction) Soul migrates directly to 4th stage from the 1st stage (first time) Soul possesses Right Faith (Samyaktva) and Right Knowledge but lack of self control or conduct and hence it is known as Avirata- samyagadrasthi (Vowless Right Faith) Gateway to Liberation

Stages of Spiritual Development (Gunasthanas) 04 Samyag-drashti or Samyaktva (Right Faith or Conviction) Three ways to achieve Samyaktva Upasham (suppression) Kshäyik (eradication) Kshayopasham (partial suppression and partial eradication) Three types of Faith Deluding (Darshan Mohaniya) Karma and four Anantänu-bandhi Kashäya (very intense passions) has been suppressed or eradicated. These seven Karma are called Darshan-saptak. Downfall occurs if Mithyätva was suppressed only

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 05 Desavirata-samyagadristi (Partial Renunciation) Practicing partial vows of Right Conduct Conquered over Apratyakhan-kashay (intense passions) Highest spiritual stage for laypeople

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 06 Pramatta-virata (Full Renunciation with some lack of Awareness) Total renunciations of Material belongings and Family life (follows ascetic life) Observes five great vows though possesses some Non-awareness (Pramäda) Conquered over Pratyakhan-kashay (high passions)

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 07 Apramatta-virata (Full Renunciation with total awareness) Observes vows at every moment without negligence (pramada) Passions are reduced to minimum in intensity, quality, number and form (Sanjvalan) Partial realization of natural joy or bliss (svabhavik ananda)

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 08 Apurva-karana or Nivratti-badara- samparaya (Meditative state) Pureness of soul increasing Remains in meditative state Traces of Passions are still present

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 09 Anivritti-karana or Anivratti-badara samparaya (Advance meditative state) More advanced thought-activity or meditation 10 Sukshma-samparaya (Almost passionless state) Only very slight pious greed left to be controlled

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 11 Upasanta-moha (Quiescence passionless state) Quiescence of the remaining traces of pious greed Fallback occurs due to suppression of passions

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 12 Kshina-moha (Complete passionless state) Desirelessness (Vitaräga) State Complete eradication of even pious greed Duration is less than 48 min No fallback can occur (all passions are eradicated)

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 13 Sayogy-kevalin (Active Omniscience State) Omniscience state (elimination of four Ghati karma) Perfection of Right Vision, Right Knowledge, Right Conduct, and Infinite Power or Energy It is known as Liberation in the embodied state Activity of Body, Mind and Speech exist (Yoga) Tirthankara establishes religious order

Stages of Spiritual Development Gunasthanas 14 Ayogy-kevalin (Passive Omniscience State) Cessation of all activities of the three yogas Duration is very short (few seconds) Next step is the attainment of Liberation or Nirvana