Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

Author(s): Padamchand Shastri, N L Jain
Publisher: Veer Seva Mandir Trust

Page 37

In general, meditation is a general word which means fixation of mind or suspension of other activities except one. Hence, they try to explain it in terms of thought process. However, the people should think, had meditation been the thinking process, the acharyas would not have excluded the thought process in the two upper varieties of pure meditation. They say that the second variety of pure meditation is devoid of mental activity. The third and fourth varieties are already devoid of thinking process.
The scholars know it well that the term 'activity' means transition between meanings and words. The term 'Vicara' and 'Viicara' (thinking) are synonyms. It means that there is transition when the Jiva, while thinking, sometimes moves on to modes and sometimes to meanings. This transition is not there in higher states. Now, one has to think that when mind means the activity of thinking, transition in thinking is inevitable. When there is no transition or change, how it could be called thinking? It will be equivalent to the concept of absolute permanence. However, if the mind is absolutely permanent, how could it be called the mind? Further, if the mind does not undergo transition, what activity does it undertake? Why could it not be called an influxing one when the acharyas have called the activity of mind, speech and body as the influx?
While considering all the above points, we can conclude that mind is not to be engaged in meditation, but it has to be kept away. This keeping away of mind is non-possession. Jain philosophy cherished only this objective. Thus, the meditation and non-possession fall in the same category with respect to keeping away from mental processes. Until we agree to this, the aphorismic meaning that austerities lead to shedding also besides stoppage, will not be meaningful and the living being can neither attain Jinistic state nor salvation. 5. POSSESSION : VOLITIONAL ATTACHMENT
It is stated that truth is a bitter nectar. Whosoever drinks it