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V. ÁCARA OF THE MUNI
157
are generally deficient in energy, Paryanka or Padma and Kāyotsarga postures are especially recommended. For him, whose mind is immaculate, stable, enduring, controlled and detached, every posture, every place and every time is fit for meditation.? A place may be secluded or crowded, the saint may be properly or improperly seated, the stability of saint's mind is the proper time for meditation. Subhacandra very beautifully portrays the mental and the physical picture of a saint preparing for meditation. The mind of the saint should be purified by the waves of the ocean of discriminatory enlightenment, be destitute of passions, be like an unfathomable ocean, be undeviating like a mountain, and should be without all sorts of doubts and delusions. Besides, the posture of the saint should be such as to arouse suspicion in the mind of a wise man regarding his being a stone-statue or a painted figure. The Yogi who attains sturdiness and steadfastness in posture does not get perturbed by being confronted with the extremes of cold and heat and by being harassed by furious animals.5 7) The saint who has controlled his mind and purged it of perversion and passions is said to have attained initial mental equipoise by virtue of which he is not seduced by the sentient and non'sentient, the pleasant and unpleasant objects. The consequence of this is that his desires vanish, ignorance disappears, and his mind is calmed. And above all he can sweep away the filth of Karman within a twinkle of an eye.? The great Ācārya Subhacandra is so much overwhelmed by the importance of this sort of mental poise that he esteems this as the Dhyāna of the best order.8 Thus mental equanimity precedes Dhyāna. ... PROCESS OF DHYANA: After dealing with the pre-requisites of Dhyāna, we now propose to discuss the process of Dhyāna. For the control of the mind, and for the successful performance of Dhyāna the process of breath-control (prānāyāma) may be necessary, but it being painful engenders Ārta-dhyāna which consequently deflects the saint from his desired path. Besides, the process of breath-control develops diverse supernormal powers which cause hindrance to the healthiest developments of the spirit. 10. Hence the better method is to withdraw the senses
1 Jñana. XXVIII. 12. 3 Ibid. XXVIII. 22. 5 Ibid. XXVIII. 32. 7 Ibid. XXIV. 11, 12. Ibid. XXX-9.
2 Ibid. XXVIII. 21. 4 Ibid. XXVIII. 38 to 40. 6 Ibid. XXIV. 2. 8 Ibid. XXIV. 13. 10 Ibid. XXX-6.
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