ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 223

SCHOOL
TIONAL
OF
AN STUDIES
SELF STUDY IS THE
SUPREME AUSTERITY,
राप
lying down (savāsana) depending on the comfort of the practitioner. The next four steps indicate the looking at different parts /nerve centres in the body or the breath. The sixth step relates to color therapy and focuses on observing the though colorations and their change from black to pure white or colorless state. The next five steps involve living in the present (or stop thinking of the past or future), the state of thoughts i.e. controlling them from diverting to inauspicious states to passionless state, Negation of wrong thoughts or positive thinking, concentration of the nature of existence of soul (solitariness, impermanence manifestations, vulnerability and transmigration) and finally concentrating on the pure self.
Jain Vishwa Bharti has developed a scientific method of training people to practice this system with medically established changes and healing of diseases like hypertension, heart ailments, diabetes etc. They have developed MA programs in Life science as well as have close association with leading hospitals and experts to substantiate the benefits of the meditation on the physical ailments.
Social works in specialized areas like HIV/ Aids
By social works, especially concerning HIV/AIDS, I feel they can be categorized as follows. i. Preventive
• Abstinence
Indulgence with caution.
ii. Curative
Preventive works are sub-classified as abstinence and observing precautions while indulging. The abstinence and to some extent the precautionary measures are faith based and hence become the major thrust area for such social organizations. Here we take up briefly the burning social issues connected with sexually transmitted diseases.
Jains give very high importance to being celibate. The fifth anuvrata, called Brahmacarya or svadāra-santoṣa-vrata for the householders, is defined as follows:
To limit one's sexual activities to the married partner of opposite sex only. All other women are called as those who are married to others or are not married /owned by anybody else (e.g. unmarried women and prostitutes etc). The five flaws (or abstinences) of this vow are further given as follows:
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0