Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

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deepest and highest state of consciousness where body and mind have been transcended and the devotee (yogi) is one with the Self.
There are many systems of meditation being used all over the world. Prominent among them are Transcendental Meditation, Vipasyana, Rajayoga, Sudarshan Kriya (Art of Living Foundation) and Preksha Meditation.
Preksa Meditation
Preksa Dhyana is the system of meditation engaging one's mind fully in the perception of subtle internal and innate phenomena of consciousness. This technique is basically not concentration of thought' but concentration of perception'. To know and to perceive are the characteristics of consciousness. In the mundane state, being the faculty is not fully manifested, but it can be developed. The term dhyana (meditation) is usually defined as the concentration of thinking on a particular subject for a length of time. The mind is the instrument of thinking' as well as 'perception'. And, therefore, when linked with Preksa Dhyana becomes 'concentration of perception and not of thought. While it is conceded that both thinking as well as perceiving assists in ascertaining and knowing the truth, the latter is more potent than the former. In the tenets propounded by Lord Mahavira 'perceive and know' is given more prominence than think, contemplate and know'. This is because perception is strictly concerned with the phenomena of the present; it is neither a memory of the past nor an imagination of the future; whatever is happening at the moment of perception must necessarily be a reality. The process of perception, therefore, excludes a mere 'appearance'. One commences the practice of this technique with the perception of the body. Body space contains the soul. Therefore, one must pierce the wall of the container to reach the content (the soul). Again, 'breathing' is a process of the body and essence of life. To breathe is to live; and so breath is naturally qualified to be the first object of our perception, while the body itself would become the next one. The vibrations, sensations and other physiological events are worthy of our attention. Our conscious mind becomes sharpened to perceive these internal realities in due course, and then it will be able to focus itself on the minute and the most subtle occurrences within the body. The direct perception of emotions, urges and other psychological events will then be possible. And ultimately the envelope of karmic matter, contaminating the consciousness could be clearly recognized.
As stated above, our conscious mind is capable of two categories of functions viz. thinking and perceiving, conception and perception. But it is incapable of being engaged in both the categories simultaneously. One either thinks or perceives. Exclusive perception of a single object can thus become an efficient tool for steadying the ever wandering mind. If one concentrates in perceiving any external object, he finds that his mind has steadied and his train of thoughts has almost halted. Similarly when one concentrates on the perception of his internal phenomena such as sensations, vibrations or even thoughts, he will realize that the mind has stopped its usual meandering and is fully engaged in perception. Continued concentrated perception of intrinsic processes will ultimately enable one to perceive the subtle bodies. In
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