Jain Digest 1994 06 Special Issue

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 22

SPIRITUALITY
H.H. Acharya Sushil Kumarji People frequently ask, "What is spirituality?' In ancient times people felt that spirituality was something that worked from the spirit. That is, they felt that the spirit was the soul. Basically, they connected the subtle body with different types of energy. When their inner energy began to move and they felt vibrations, they were able to receive and perceive clarity concerning their questions in life. They called this energy spirit. Eventually, their concept of spirit became known as spirituality. All of us have the capability to call on any spirit, great, small, lower or higher - any kind of spirit. We all have the power to connect with this type of energy. There is a story about a devotee who went to the Himalayas to seek the answer to the question of spirituality and to know about himself. Eventually, he found a Guru, a Master, and asked: "My Guru, I came here with great difficulty. But I cast off all things to find only one answer.” The Guru was in deep meditation but finally said, “My dear child, what is your question?" The devotee asked, "What is the definition of spirituality?" The Guru laughed and replied, “My dear son, you don't understand. Listen. Someone can describe spirituality to you 100,000 times over and over and still you will not completely understand this concept. But then, even the Guru does not completely understand! This is spirituality." In reality though, spirituality means different things to most people. It is as difficult as deciding on how the world began. Even here the scientists cannot agree on one theory. We know that the amoeba was the first form of life on earth. But what is life? Life force is sperm and sperm is life force. By prana we can produce life force. Prana is the base of life force. The chemical composition of our life force is 20% oxygen, 74% nitrogen, 4% carbon and 1% miscellaneous elements. But we still don't know the real root of our life force. We still don't know how it began on earth. According to the Jain system, there are two types of energy or life force. This energy is called Ayu or age. This type of energy is connected with our causal body or our unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is connected with the base of our spine, the Muladhara. At this point, we produce two types of power - one is the life force and the other is the power of speech. Ultimately, scientists have found that life force, speech, thoughts, breath, light, color and electricity are no
different. They are the same form of energy only functioning at different vibrational frequencies. You can convert any of these things into another. You can convert color into light and you can convert thoughts into color. You can convert your life force into electricity. We all possess two types of current, electric and magnetic. Our brain produces the first type, electric. Our brain is capable of creating, producing or manufacturing this chemical type of power. But the second type, or magnetic current, cannot be produced chemically. Our pranic force or magnetic power is a gift. This type of energy is a mystery. It is the healing force, the life force within us. Most devotees are not seeking the knowledge of electrical current, what they are seeking is knowledge of the magnetic or healing current. Our bodies cannot function without electric current. However, when healing takes place, it comes from magnetic current. We must learn to draw upon magnetic current (Pranic force) in order to stimulate the electric current within us so that our bodies can heal themselves. It is like being able to transform OM into MO or MONA into NAMO. It is this creation or transformation of energy which allows healing to take place. Let me explain further. A disease means that one part of our body loses its connection with the brain. For example, the brain orders the knee to work. The knee says "No, forget it. I don't want to listen. You have misused my power, misused my strength. Forget cooperation. I am separate from the rest of the body. I will not join the group." This means that the brain and the knee are fighting - this is a disease. In reality though, it is only an obstacle. An obstacle or energy can produce a disease. It is the lack of electricity along the backbone which prevents the body part from receiving the signal (electricity). But the real lack of energy takes place in the sushumna. The current from this channel affects our subtle or light body. Through meditation we can draw prana or magnetic current into the sushumna. If the magnetic or pranic current is missing, the brain will not be able to send energy to other parts of the body that require extra help. All diseases are due to obstacles or improper movement or energy. If energy moves properly, no disease will result. When the body is healing, it says, "Knee be good". We send a love message or special type of electricity (prana) to the knee. Soon the knee will feel some attractions or love for the spiritual or pranic healing force. When the prana begins to work, it occupies the brain and healing can begin to take
Page 20
June 1994
Jain Digest