________________
But when he had cleared his mental slate, an insight, an inspiring message, or foresight would come. This, he realized, is what was meant by premonition or intuition. It reflected the power of soul to assert itself and transcend all limitations of mind, time, and space.
ness,
When he experienced this state of receptivity and openat times he would catch a vivid glimpse in living color of a face or an event from his distant past or from his coming future. He began to discover that the sequential continuum we call events in time was accessible to his memory, for the soul is consciousness itself, the eternal witness capable of storing all the imprints of the past and of holding in a kind of blueprint or codified form all the future imprints. He found also that if his stomach was heavy from undigested food at night, his sleep would be punctuated by many many dreams. The vibrations of the food itself were the cause of the creation of mental formations.
He began to realize that he could observe and watch his dreams, thoughts, and emotions like a spectator in a theater. He experienced little by little what is called double awareness - to feel a feeling fully and to watch oneself feeling it at the same time. In this way, one could know simultaneously the condition one was in temporarily and the ultimate freedom one was in permanently. By identifying with his free soul, Munishree came to assert his power and discard anything which disturbed, invaded, or covered him.
This awareness brought him closer and closer to his life force. That is why upayoga means the awareness of life, of that transcendent pulsating force which animates our form and makes us grow. From time to time, Munishree tasted the joy of immortality.
Before the moon and stars were thrown into the sky, I was there! Before the sun and all the planets appeared, I was there! Sat, Chit, Ananda --- I am Indestructible Essence, I am Infinite Knowledge, I am Infinite Bliss! I was, I am, and I will be!
Each glimpse was momentary, but had its cumulative effect. Each helped him sluff off the old and give space to the new. Each deepened his understanding of life's meaning and his purpose in pursuing his quest. He still had a long way to go,
130
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org