Understanding the Subtle Descent into Spiritual Violence
“Words may be few, but their meanings are infinite. From this small vessel flows the ocean of boundless insight.”
Welcome to Episode 51 of our ongoing spiritual series. Today, we explore four significant spiritual terms: Avinay (Disrespect), Ashatna (Opposition), Abhakti (Disloyalty), and Aparadh (Violation). These aren’t just abstract concepts, but critical signposts on the path of ethical and spiritual decay if not understood and corrected.
🌊 The Science Behind Spiritual Decline
Every day, knowingly or unknowingly, we engage in behaviors that hurt other living beings. This creates karma bonds and leads to spiritual downfall. Jain philosophy beautifully lays out the descending order of spiritual failure, and today we explore that science.
Though the terms Avinay, Ashatna, Abhakti, and Aparadh may sound similar, they differ in intensity:
- Avinay: Mild disrespect
- Ashatna: Stronger opposition
- Abhakti: Rebellion and rejection
- Aparadh: Complete wrongdoing or violation
When the intensity of Avinay increases, it leads to Ashatna.
When Ashatna intensifies, it becomes Abhakti.
And finally, it culminates into Aparadh — the gravest form of spiritual harm.
Before Avinay, there is something even more subtle: Anadar (Disrespect at the heart level). When we internally reject someone or something, the seed of sin is planted.
🧠 The Psychological Process of Spiritual Fall
The sequence looks like this:
- Anadar (Disrespect) – Inner rejection
- Avinay – Outward disregard
- Ashatna – Contradiction and rebellion
- Abhakti – Public defamation or rejection of teacher/truth
- Aparadh – Active harm and offense
This gradual increase in intensity starts from mental non-acceptance and leads to external aggression.
🪷 Real-Life Example: The Disciple’s Fall
Let’s understand this through a story of a silent monk (Mahātma) and his disciple:
A great sage lived in silence and performed intense austerities like chhattha, aththam, masakshaman, etc. His spiritual energy was so high that whenever he spoke, gold coins rained down from the sky.
A man was drawn to his aura and requested initiation. The monk remained silent. Still, the man followed him everywhere, adopted monkhood himself, and eventually received initiation.
But later, the disciple’s mind turned. He tested the guru by asking whether a nearby sapling would live or die. The guru replied: It will live. Secretly, the disciple uprooted the plant and threw it away.
Later, he was shocked to see it growing. The wind and rain had re-rooted it. From this, the disciple concluded: Everything happens by fate; nothing is in our hands.
He abandoned the guru and began preaching fatalism — that no one needs to act. Lazier people gathered around him, impressed by his passive doctrine.
Eventually, this former disciple began bad-mouthing his guru, accusing him of jealousy and hypocrisy. He plotted to publicly humiliate the monk and even incited violence. But due to the monk’s spiritual power and divine favor, the disciple suffered divine punishment and died from sudden illness.
🧭 Breakdown of the Fall
Let’s decode this using the four stages:
- Anadar (Disrespect) – Testing the guru’s knowledge
- Avinay (Disregard) – Leaving the guru, considering him unworthy
- Ashatna (Opposition) – Speaking ill of the guru, opposing him
- Abhakti (Rebellion) – Publicly preaching against the guru
- Aparadh (Violation) – Plotting harm and defamation
🚫 Why These Four Are Spiritually Fatal
- Avinay: Disobedience, leaving the teacher, harboring internal dislike
- Ashatna: Contradicting their teachings, questioning their wisdom
- Abhakti: Telling others not to follow them, spreading doubt
- Aparadh: Actively harming them, dishonoring or physically attacking
🔚 Conclusion: From Inner Disrespect to Outright Sin
A single act of inner rejection — like Anadar or Avinay — can gradually lead to grave sins like Aparadh. The more we repeat this cycle, the deeper we go.
Thus, we must always maintain:
- Vinay (Reverence) towards Deva (God), Guru (Teacher), Dharma (Religion), and fellow spiritual seekers
- Acceptance and respect, even when we don’t fully understand
- Repentance when we slip, so that we don’t progress down the spiral
Let us remember: From one Avinay, a flood of spiritual damage can begin.
Only constant awareness, humility, and reverence can protect our soul’s journey to liberation.