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THEMES OF SOTERIOLOGICAL REFLECTION
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will be terminated'--this thought keeps one conscious of the ultimate insecurity (aśaraṇatā). Death is described as a murder with poised sword; it comes along with birth; reflection on death includes the thoughts of frailty of life and limited span of life.
Meditation on the body forms an essential aspect of the Buddhist theory and practice of four-fold mindfulness. In the course of meditation on the body, a monk reviews its constituent parts and directs his attention to the repulsiveness and impurity (aśuci) of the body. He who meditates on the fundamentally evil and destructible nature of the body is released from egoism, fear and craving.
The ninth theme of meditation is the process of breathing. A monk concentrates on breathing while he breathes in and breathes out. The aim of mindfulness with regard to breathing is to compose and still the mind. It is an essential step in the process of control and purification of the mind. He whose mind is stilled, knows and sees things as they really are.
The tenth theme of meditation is peace or quiescence (upaśama). Nirvāṇa is called the Abode of Excellent Peace (santivarapadam). Peace means extinction of all compounded phenomena, termination of the round of repeated becoming, destruction of craving, and cessation of all misery. To meditate on these special qualities of Peace is the function of upašamānusmrti. It will be seen that many of the themes of meditation (anusmrti) are similar to those of reflection (anuprekşā)
I. v. THE PURPOSE OF ANUPREKSĀS
The purpose of anuprekşās needs to be stressed here. Almost all the texts dealing with them stress their soteriological purpose. The twelve anuprekşās may be translated in the following words in the order they are listed in the Tattvārthasūtra before proceeding to sum up their purpose and function. 1. Reflection on the impermanent character of all phenomenal things (anityānupreksā). 2. Reflection on the utter helplessness of every living being in the face of death
(aśaraṇānuprek şā). 3. Reflection on the miserable course of existence-in-flux (samsārānuprekṣā). 4. Reflection on the utter loneliness of a being in the course of existence-in-flux
(ekatvānuprekşā). 5. Reflection on the fundamental distinction between the body and the self (prtha
katvānuprekşā). Reflection on the impurity of the body aśucitvānuprekşā).
Reflection on the defiling influx of karmas (asravānuprekşā). 8. Reflection on the method of controlling the defiling influx of karma (samvarānu
prekşā).
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