Arun Zaveri www.ScientificMeditation.com Phone: +91 22 2414-2989 Email: [email protected] Paryushan Parva Lecture Series Jain Center of Greater Boston Norwood, Massachusetts, USA September 2-9, 2013 Day 6 Stages of Spiritual Progress
Arun Zaveriwww.ScientificMeditation.com
Phone: +91 22 2414-2989 Email: [email protected]
Paryushan Parva Lecture SeriesJain Center of Greater Boston
Norwood, Massachusetts, USASeptember 2-9, 2013
Day 6
Stages of Spiritual Progress
Soul vs. Karma
Karma
Karma’s inherent potency is the centripetal force that compels the soul to transmigrate
Soul’s inherent potency is the centrifugal force which ceaselessly tries to pull itself away from the endless transmigration
Soul
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Perverse Beliefs (
Non-abstinence (
5 Causes of Karmic Influx
Remissness (
Passions (
Activities(
MentalVocal
Physical
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Right Faith & Attitude
Abstinence & Self-Restraint
5 Causes for Stoppage of Karmic Influx
Spiritual Alertness
Freedom from Passions
Stillness
MentalVocal
Physical
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The Doctrine of the fourteen stages of spiritual development
Fourteen Gunasthana
Fourteen states of the soul with reference to the consideration of the purification of karma
Nature of purification due to the manifestationof qualities of the soul
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14 - Omniscience with total cessation of activitiesEmancipation -
13 - Omniscience with activities
7 - Self-restraint with freedom from
remissness
3 - Right cum wrong belief
8 - Dissimilar coarse passions
6 - Self-restraint unexempted from remissness
5 - Right belief with partial abstinence
4 - Right belief attended with non-abstinence
2 - Lingering relish of right faith
1 - Perverted belief – deluding world-view
12 - Extirpation of delusion
11 - Subsidence of delusion
10 - Subtle passion
9 - Similar coarse passion
Fourteen Gunasthana
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1. Deluded World-View (Mithyatva Gunsthan)
The soul’s original and beginning less state of always surrounded by wrong beliefs
The soul is in spiritual slumber, unaware of its own bondage with Karmic matter
Perverted beliefs occur due to the strong influence of View Deluding Karma
Soul endlessly transmigrates within 8.4 million species, experiencing pain and pleasure
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Fruition of Karma Karmic Expression Primal Drives
Messages of Attachment Aversion
Subtle Taijjas Body– Link body
LesyaPsychic Colors
Electromagnetic FieldLimbic System
Neuro-Endocrine Mechanism
Activities:Mental Vocal Physical
Soul (Atma)
Karma body
Taijjas body
Physical Body
InstinctsPassions,
Quasi-Passions
Influx ofKarma Matter
Karmic influx and bondage
Vicious Cycle of Karma
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2. Lingering enlightened worldviewSaswadan Samyakadristi Gunsthan
Pit-stop for the Soul on its way down from right belief of 4th to 11th stages of spiritual progress to the lowest (1st)
The Soul loses the right faith, but retains the passing taste or lingering relish of right faith for maximum 4 hours and 48 minutes (= 6 avalikas)
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3. Right and Wrong World ViewsMishra Dhristi Gunasthan
Mixture of enlightened and deluded world views
Subsidence and partial destruction of the View Deluding Karma results in partially enlightened world view but not firm conviction in the truthfulness of the truth
This stage marks the dawn of spiritual progress, but it lasts less than 48 minutes (intra-hour)
To progress further the soul must now suppress the force of karma, otherwise it will fall back to stage 1 via stage 2
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Gordian Knot of View & Conduct Deluding Karma
Conduct deluding: Anger Pride Deceit Greed
View Deluding: The near perfect
enlightened world-view Deluded world-view Mixture of the two
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Purification
Two capacities assist centrifugal force of soul: Generate a series of varied new experiences Generate progressively purer karma
Progressive purification:1. Lowering of duration of karma2. Lowering of intensity of karma3. Premature fruition during intra-hour4. Unprecedented type of bondage of very short
lived karma5. Transformation of one type of karma into
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4. Right Belief with Non-Abstinence
The soul enjoys the dawn of enlightened word view (samyag darshan) which leaves a lasting impression
Such enlightened word view is attained on more than one occasion during spiritual progress until the final liberation is achieved
The soul is prone to fall to the third or second stage when it faces rising of view deluding karma which was postponed for intra-hour
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Belief – Reality of the self – bondage and emancipation of soul Tranquility – calming of passions: Anger, Pride,
Deceit & Greed Keen desire for salvation – saving from sin and
its consequences Detachment from – worldly affairs, body and
pleasure Compassion – Kindliness, friendship towards all,
fellow feeling
Characteristics of right faith
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4. Right Belief with Non-AbstinenceKarmic clusters are divided into three heaps in the
last time unit of the third stage
Pure Semi Pure Impure
Any one heap comes into effect at the end of 3rd stage
Will not obscureenlightened world view
Soul sticks to 4th
stage - retainsenlightened world view
Will partly obscureenlightened world view
Soul rebuffs and slips to 3rd stage. It may either go to 4th
stage again or to the 1st stage via the 2nd
Will completely obscure world view
Tenacious passion arises and the soul slides back to 2nd
and then 1st stage
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Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Stages
Soul actively cultivates morality to reach higher stages
Capacity to self-restrain begins at 5th stage of Enlightened World-View with Partial Self Restraint. The layperson takes twelve small vows
The 6th stage is Complete Self-Restraint with Unexempted Remissness. The person takes the great vows of an ascetic
The 7th stage is Complete Self-Restraint with Freedom from Remissness. This is achieved through deep meditation
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Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Stages
During these stages soul is on one of two ladders:
1. Ladder of Suppression -
2. Ladder of Elimination -
The Soul that climbs the first ladder suppresses the deluding karma, reaches 11th stage and falls down to 6th, 5th, 4th or 2nd stage.
The Soul that climbs the second ladder eliminates the deluding karma and climbs up to the 12th stage
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Twelfth, Thirteenth, & Fourteenth Stages
In the 12th stage there is complete self-restraint with no deluding karma
In the last time unit of the 12th stage, the soul eliminates knowledge covering, intuition covering and energy obstructive karmas and reaches 13th stage
13th stage is omniscience with physical activity
In the 14th stage the remaining karmas are eliminated and the Soul attains disembodied liberation
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14 - Omniscience with total cessation of activities
13 - Omniscience with activities
7 - Self-restraint with freedom from remiss
3 - Right and wrong beliefs
8 - Dissimilar coarse passions
6 - Self-restraint unexempted from remissness
5 - Right belief with partial abstinence
4 - Right belief attended with non-abstinence
2 - Lingering relish of right faith
1 - Perverted belief – deluding world-view
12 - Extirpation of delusion
11 - Subsidence of delusion
10 - Subtle passion
9 - Similar coarse passion
E M A N C I P A T I O N
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1. Deluded world-view2. Lingering relish of right faith3. Right cum wrong belief4. Right belief attended with non-abstinence5. Right belief with partial abstinence 6. Self-restraint un-exempted from remissness 7. Self-restraint with freedom from remissness8. Dissimilar coarse passions9. Similar coarse passion 10. Subtle passion 11. Subsidence of delusion 12. Extirpation of delusion13. Omniscience with activities14. Omniscience with total cessation of activities
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