Jain Digest 1999 07

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

Page 35

scious level stays beyond our reach, because our attention remains confined to the conscious level. We hardly try to fathom the subconscious level. In order to make out what exists there, it is incumbent to penetrate that level.
Fortunately, it is possible to peep there, because the tendencies lying at the subconscious level transmit signals to the physical level. Those signals take the form of sensations that continuously occur in all parts of the body. Such sensations can be subtle or gross. The subtle sensations usually remain beyond our comprehension, because our mind has not acquired the subtlety required to grasp them. The gross ones arise in the form of pleasing sensations like joy, gladness etc. or painful ones like itching, aching etc. They do come to our notice; but instead of remaining unimpassioned, we react to them instinctively by expressing the delight or the distress. This happens, because we are not accustomed to observe dispassionately. Our task is therefore to learn how to remain dispassionately aware of whatever happens from time to time.
The people generally tend to associate awareness with memory. That is wrong. Memory relates to the past, while awareness relates to the present. No one can remain aware of what has already happened. Awareness therefore pertains to what has been happening at the present moment. So many things continue to happen in our life. Do we remain simply aware of that? If we think a little, it will be clear that we look at every phenomena with preconceived notions; we perceive them with our preferences and prejudices. We hardly perceive dispassionately. Therefore, what is required is to cultivate unimpassioned mind. We need to learn how to observe without indulging in likes or dislikes. When we remain dispassionately aware, we do not get under the influence of craving or aversion. In other words, our mind is not affected by Räg or Dwesh. It remains pure and unpolluted. The absence of Räg or Dwesh is therefore the key to observe without the pre-judgment.
When we observe dispassionately, we can notice that continuous changes have been going on at the physical as well as the mental level. There are more than 50 trillion cells in a mature human body; 50 millions of them are destroyed every second and so many new cells arise to take their place. These changes, however, occur at very subtle level and we do not get even a glimpse of such enormous changes. We notice them only when the outcomes are gross enough to draw our attention. The body, for instance, incessantly undergoes changes. We, however, notice only after a long time, when the changes become evident in the form of growth, wrinkles, aging, disease etc. This is despite the fact that every change generates sensations that arise in the body. Such sensations can be grasped by developing very subtle mind and that can be done by maintaining continuous awareness. We can then learn at the experiential level that all the sensations are temporary and no sensation lasts long. That experience prompts us to remain indifferent to them. We thus learn to be free from attachment or aversion for any sensation and
to retain equanimity in all the circumstances.
That has its impact on mind. The mind is a phenomenon that continuously goes on thinking. Every moment, it jumps from one thought to another, but we hardly remain aware of that. When we try to cultivate awareness, we get the opportunity to observe what has been going at the mental level. Then we can notice how unsteady is the mind. At times, the ideas, that we had never even dreamt of, occur in the mind. That happens, because such ideas were lying at the subconscious level, but we were not aware of that. By remaining indifferently aware of whatever occurs at the mental level, the subconscious mind is exposed to the conscious level. In other words, the darkness of ignorance is exposed to the light of awareness. Since the mind cannot withstand such exposure, it loses its momentum and becomes steady. That causes the deep rooted tendencies and feelings to come upwards. Remaining dispassionately aware is thus the way of coming face to face with what had been lying at the subconscious level. When we become conscious of the wrong or evil tendencies lying within us, we can try to overcome them.
Beginning for that can be made during the Paryushan days. For that purpose one does not need to leave aside what he might be normally doing. It is not even necessary to adopt any particular posture. What is suggested is to sit comfortably in a quiet place. Then, closing the eyes, start observing whatever happens. Simply try to remain attentive to what has been going on in the body and the mind without indulging in likes or dislikes. If you find it hard to do so, observe the incoming and outgoing of breath for a few seconds. But do not try to regulate it, simply observe it as it comes in and goes out. After gaining some control over the mind, revert to the overall observation. That will lead to the peace of mind and you will be in a position to dispassionately observe the feelings and tendencies that arise from time to time. You will then be in the position to atone for the bad feelings and evil tendencies. That will enable you to dwell in the true spirit of forgive and forget.
This practice can also be put in Jain perspective. The tendencies lying at the subconscious level represent the accumulated Karma and the sensations arising from time to time are the consequences of the operative Karma. Pure awareness is the Jnätä-Drishtä Bhäv, that denotes the sense of knowing and perceiving without likes or dislikes. That amounts to staying beyond the physical state. That itself is Samvar, the prevention of Karma..
The pure awareness is the true nature of soul and it naturally arises in the advanced state. Such awareness needs to be effortless. When a person thus remains merely the knower and perceiver, he stays completely aloof and is not affected by any situation. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, he takes it as the consequence of Karma and remains simply aware of it. That amounts to dispassionately bearing the consequences of Karma. That is Nirjarä, the eradication of Karma. The exposure of mind to pure awareness thus leads to Samvar as well as Nirjarä.
JAIN DIGEST FALL 1999/33