Gunasthana


are the fourteen stages of spiritual development and growth through which a soul gradually passes before it attains moksha. According to Jainism, it is a state of soul from a complete dependence on karma to the state of complete dissociation from it. Here the word virtue does not mean an ordinary moral quality, but it stands for the nature of soul—knowledge, belief and conduct.

Overview

According to the Sarvārthasiddhi, a commentary by Pūjyapāda Devanandi which provides an exegesis of the Tattvartha Sutra, the 14 Guṇasthānas are:
  1. mithyā-dṛṣṭi "deluded world-view"
  2. sāsvādana "lingering enlightened world-view" or "passing taste"
  3. samyak-mithyātva "combination of enlightened and deluded world-view"
  4. samyag-dṛṣṭi "enlightened world-view without self-restraint"
  5. deśa-virata "enlightened world-view with partial self-restraint but with partial laxity"
  6. sarva-virata "enlightened world-view with complete self-restraint free of laxity"
  7. apramatta-virata "complete self-restraint free of laxity"
  8. apūrva-karaṇa "complete self-restraint with gross passions with novel experiences"
  9. anivṛtti-karaṇa "complete self-restraint with gross passions and similar but progressively purer experiences"
  10. sūkṣma-sāmparāya "complete self-restraint with subtle flickering greed"
  11. upaśānta-kaṣāya "complete self-restraint with suppressed passions"
  12. kṣīṇa-moha "complete self-restraint with eliminated passions"
  13. sayoga-kevalī "omniscience accompanied by mental, verbal and physical activity"
  14. ayoga-kevalī "omniscience with no activity"

    Classification

The fourteen Gunasthāna represents the soul's gradual manifestation of the innate qualities of knowledge, belief and conduct in a more and more perfect form.
Following are the stages of spiritual development:
The first four are concerned with Right Belief
  • 1. Mithyātva
  • 2. Sasādana
  • 3. Misradrsti
  • 4. Avirata samyagdrsti
The next one is about Minor Vows i.e. Commencement of Right conduct
  • 5. Deśavirata
The rest are about Right conduct: Mahavratas
  • 6. Pramattasamyata
  • 7. Apramatta samyata
  • 8. Apūrvakaraņa
  • 9. Anivāttibādara-sāmparāya
  • 10. Sukshma samparaya
  • 11. Upaśānta-kasāya
  • 12. Ksīna kasāya
  • 13. Sayoga kevali
  • 14. ''Ayoga kevali''

    The Fourteen stages

HeadGunasthānaMeaning
Belief
1. MithyātvaThe stage of wrong believer. If at this stage, a person meditates on his existence, there is a temporary suspension of the following:
  • The first three energies of darsanamohaniya karma
  1. mithyātva
  2. samyaga mithyātva
  3. samyak prakriti
  • The anantdnubandhi type of anger, pride, deceit and greed
Belief 2. SasādanaThis gunasthāna represents the mental state of the soul in the process or act of falling from right faith. Here sā means "with" and sādana means "exhausted", hence that which is characterised by exhausted faith.
Belief
3. MisradrstiMisra literally means mixed. At this stage, a person hovers between certainty and doubt on Right belief.
Belief
4. Avirata samyagdrstiVowless Right Belief - When doubts of an individual are removed, he/she reaches this stage and becomes a samyagdrishti
Commencement of Right conduct
5. DeśavirataDeśa means partial and virata means vow i.e. observance of the partial vows in pursuit of Right conduct.
Right conduct
6. PramattasamyataFirst step of life as a Jain muni. The stage of complete self-discipline, although sometimes brought into wavering through negligence.
Right conduct
7. Apramatta samyataPerfect vows
Right conduct
8. ApūrvakaraņaNew thought-activity. The stage of one in whom the passions are still occurring in a gross form.
Right conduct
9. Anivāttibādara-sāmparāya
The stage of one who practices the process called annivrtti karaņa and in whom however the passions are still occurring
Right conduct
10.Sukshma sāmprāyaSlightest delusion.
The stage of one in whom the passions occur in a subtle form.
Right conduct
11.Upaśānta-kasāyaSubsided delusion. The stage of one who has suppressed every passion but still does not possess omniscience.
Right conduct
12.Ksīna kasāyaDestroyed delusion.
The stage of who has annihilated every passion but does not yet possess omniscience.
Right conduct
13.Sayoga kevaliOmniscience with vibration.
Sa means "with" and yoga refers to the three channels of activity, i.e., mind, speech and body. Kevali is a term used to refer the omniscient beings. This stage is characterised by the destruction of all inimical karmas and attainment of omniscience.
Right conduct
14.Ayoga kevaliThe stage of omniscience without any activity. This is the last stage on the Path, and is followed by the soul's destruction of the aghātiā karmas. Those who pass this stage are called siddha and become fully established in Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct.

About the 12th stage it is mentioned in Jain text, Gommatsāra Jīvakanda:

The destruction of causes of bondage

The whole scheme of gunasthana in Jain philosophy is devised in a logical order according to the principle of decreasing sinfulness and increasing purity. At the first stage, all the five causes of bondage—Irrational beliefs, non-restraint, carelessness, passions and activities of mind, speech and body —are in full operation. Irrational beliefs are partially suppressed in the second and third stages, and are eliminated in the fourth stage. In stages five and six, non-restraint is gradually eliminated in stages. From the seventh stage onwards, carelessness is removed and only passions and activity exercise their influence. From the eleventh to the thirteenth all the passions are eliminated and only activity is present. On the last stage, there is no activity, hence no binding of karma.

The destruction of karmas

Out of the four ghatiya karmas, darsana mohiniya karma is destroyed first in the fourth stage of gunasthana. Caritra mohiniya karma is destroyed next in the twelfth gunasthana. The remaining three ghatiya karmas are destroyed in the 13th stage and the rest four aghatiya karmas are destroyed in the 14th or the last stage of gunasthana.