Journey to Enlightenment Part 02

Author(s): Chitrabhanu, Nirmala Hanke
Publisher: Create Space

Page 54

others to attend. Why are you building tension in your heart by pressing people to go to a new temple? Why do you have this kind of attachment? You do not want to go to the old temple because you do not believe what they are doing. In order to be efficient, you need to think, feel and know how your mind is functioning. Are you free from pull and push? For instance, in the name of Lord Mahavir so many groups exist. In my opinion we need only to follow Mahavir who experienced Kavalgnan and shared the insight with us. You do not need original scriptures, I find that the teachings of Mahavir have nothing to do with groups, such as, swetamber, digamber, sthanakvasi, terapanthi, et al. Jain religion is completely open and it has no room for sectarianism. In original Jain scriptures I found that Agnan - ignorance – which is aversion and clinging, is the root cause of this sectarianism. With a touch of knowledge, and when Agnan is destroyed, the eyes open and miracles happen. A person is able to experience and realize in this life that the God resides within. In order to destroy Agnan and see God within, four steps to meditation are helpful.
First step in meditation is Padasth Dhyana. Padasth means the word you recite; you concentrate on its qualities. Prior to starting this meditation, you sit in a comfortable place and posture and you relax and make your mind a friend. If you know how to do it, your mind can be very helpful. There are times when, unknowingly, we are making our mind a friend; nevertheless, if we make it knowingly, it will be a miracle. How are we making our mind a friend unknowingly? Let us consider: when you go to a bank and want to collect money in cash, they will do that for you. As you are in the bank, there might be lot of distractions around you; however, when they are giving you money, you will not pay attention to anything else but the money. Your whole attention will be on every bill. You will not be distracted by anything else around you. Your mind becomes so concentrated that it is like meditation. Similarly, when you are driving your car, numerous distractions are around you, but your whole attention remains on the road. Driving is meditation but you do not know you are meditating. Your mind knows that if you make a mistake, you risk your life. The same way if you make your mind a friend, it will help you. In order to have help from your mind, you need to convince the mind to help you. The mind will not obey if you suppress or force. Request your mind: ‘For one hour please do not bring any distractions. I want to sit and meditate and experience the presence of Bhagwan's purest energy in me.' It is the mind which is doing a very good job of prioritizing important activities in your life. The inner conviction makes it happen. If you decide with full conviction that
On the Wings of Light and Love - Volume Two - 53