Meditation and Jainism

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

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CUSSION ON SUBJECTS THAT COULD NOT, BY THEIR VERY NATURE, EVER LEND THEMSELVES TO SOLUTION IN WORDS. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT LIFE'S "MEANING", ABOUT THE REALITY OF THE SELF", ABOUT THE "ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE" OR "THE NATURE OF NIRVANA" (RELEASE), THE BUDDHA MAINTAINED A "NOBLE SILENCE". THIS IS ALSO ZEN'S WAY. SUCH QUESTIONS ARE CONSIDERED ESSENTIALLY IRRELEVANT TO THE PROBLEM OF ATTAINING SPIRITUAL FREEDOM. SOMETHING MORE IS INVOLVED IN REACHING THE STATE OF LIBERATION THAN AN EXERCISE OF THE FOREBRAIN OR ONE'S WITS. INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, SO ZEN WOULD SAY, IS ALL VERY WELL IN ITSELF BUT IT BEARS NO PROMISE OF FINAL RELEASE FROM THE PRESSURES AND PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE RESTLESS, EVER UNSATISFIED HUMAN EGO. THE MOST BRILLIANT VERBALISM, NO MATTER HOW SEEMINGLY IRREFUTABLE, CANNOT ANSWER THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN QUESTIONS WHO ? WHAT ? WHY ? ANY MORE THAN IDEAS ABOUT WATER CAN QUENCH A THIRST OR WORDS ABOUT FOOD SATISFY THE PANGS OF HUNGER. REASON, IT IS ALL TOO PLAIN, CAN BE USED TO REFUTE ITSELF, AND ONE THEORY SIMPLY LEADS TO ANOTHER, ON AND ON WITHOUT END. A FINAL "ANSWER" REAL "PEACE OF MIND" CANNOT BE REACHED BY WAY OF ARGUMENT OR ANY SO-CALLED FACTS.
THE ZEN ACOLYTE IS NOT BEING TRAINED IN ANALYSIS, REBUTTAL OR ANY OTHER FORM INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGE. INSTEAD HE IS BEING PUSHED RELENTLESSLY TOWARD A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, TOWARD AN ILLUMINATING REALIZATION OF THE UNITY OF ALL LIFE, THE IS-NESS, or SUCH-NESS, OF EXISTENCE ITSELF."
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