Meditation and Jainism

Author(s): Pratapkumar J Toliiya, Parul P Toliya
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharti International Foundation Bangalore

Page 10

Buddhism and Jainism at Cuttack, Orissa, in 1976 and followled by its open public demonstration at the Seminar venue in form of "MUSIC FOR MEDITATION", do have a lot of similarities that one will find in ZAZEN, the Meditation of Zen Buddhism. They are recorded as under by several scholars and authors :
"IF YOU WISH TO ATTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT, BEGIN AT ONCE TO PRACTICE 'ZAZEN'. FOR THIS MEDITATION A QUIET CHAMBER IS NECESSARY, WHILE FOOD AND DRINK MUST BE TAKEN IN MODERATION. FREE YOURSELF FROM ALL ATTACHMENTS, AND BRING TO REST THE TEN THOUSAND THINGS. THINK OF NEITHER GOOD NOR EVIL AND JUDGE NOT RIGHT OR WRONG. MAINTAIN FLOW OF MIND, OF WILL, AND OF CONSCIOUSNESS; BRING TO AN END ALL DESIRES, ALL CONCEPTS AND JUDGEMENTS. DO NOT THINK ABOUT HOW TO BECOME A BUDDHA. ...........
''NOW THAT THE BODILY POSITION IS IN ORDER, REGULATE YOUR BREATHING. IF A WISH ARISES, TAKE NOTE OF IT AND THEN DISMISS IT. IN PRACTICING THUS PERSISTENTLY YOU WILL FORGET ALL ATTACHMENTS AND CONCENTRATION WILL COME OF ITSELF. THAT IS THE ART OF ZAZEN".
---A HISTORY OF ZEN BUDDHISM BY HEINRICH DUMOULIN.
"............. WHATEVER THE REACTION TO ITS METHODS, ZEN GOES ITS ANCIENT BODHIDHARMA WAY, A WAY THAT ESSENTIALLY REFLECTS THE ATTI -TUDE OF THE HISTORIC INDIAN BUDDHA, WHO MAY HAVE HANDLED HIS TEACHING WITH MORE POLITENESS — AS PROPER TO A MAN BORN A PRINCE-BUT WHO WAS EQUALLY UNCOMPROMISING ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED IN A LONG DRAWN - OUT DIS