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Bhāvanā ( Anuprekṣā ) Sūtra
153
Twenty Five Reflections
1. An ascetic desirous of emancipation should first practise
righteous meditation ( Dharma Dhyāna) and thereafter for ever reflect upon the twelve-fold reflections, viz., fleeting nature of things, helplessness of all relations and material establishments and others as laid down.
-- Dhyāna. 65
2. The twelve-fold reflections to be contemplated are:(i) The
ephemeral nature of all things, (ii) The utter helplessness of being in face of death, (iii) The loneliness of each individual in the transmigratory cycle, (iv) The nature of self as distinct from body, (v) The cycle of birth and death, (vi) The nature of the constituents of the universe, (vii) Impurity of the body, ( viii ) Inflow of karma, ( ix ) Stoppage of karma, ( x ) Dissociation of karma, (xi) The exposition of Dharma and (xii) Rarity of enlightenment.
- Bha. Āra. 1715 3. An aspirant who has purified his soul by meditating on
these reflections is compared to a sailing ship. Just as a ship crosses an ocean, so also the aspirant crosses the ocean of birth and death and is released from all miseries.
- Sū. Kr. Sū. 1.15.5 4. A person who is devoid of sublime thoughts can never accomplish perfection.
- Bhā. Pā. 4
5. The Jaina faith stipulates that bondage and liberation depend on the thought process of the soul.
- Bhā. Pā. 116
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