Meditation and Jainism

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

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compassionate friendliness with all creatures of universe and enmity with none, to clear off the mind from all the SANSKARAS or mental prejudices by becoming open and free. This makes ground for emptying the MIND and to reduce it to Zeroness. To be ''Zero'' here is in a sense only, which is "Full" of inner experience, and "existence" in another sense. This is what Jainism means in its aim of SELF-realisation or SELF-Experience through MEDITATION.
Even in the Contemplations and Jain traditional practices of Nector - like SAMAYIKA & PRATIKRAMANA, etc., there are Meditations and Meditational exercises only included in them. But, as indicated in the beginning, unfortunately, the present generations of Jains have mostly lost the orignal Meditative Charm and Joy from these beautiful, realization - providing practices. They have lately transformed them into hasty, mechanical and meaning - losing "rites" which is a different matter all apart.
But so far as Jain Meditation and its base of Jain Philosophy is concerned, it has its uniqueness and integrated torm, a balanced total view of life and universe.... Where all the religions of this beautiful Universe (and though, paradoxically enough, the followers of mostly all the religions take law into their hands to destroy and kill their God's Universe themselves what a pity indeed!) and where Buddhism believes this concept of the "Creator" beyond man's limited powers of comprehensions and hence prefers to keep Silence in the matter, JAINISM, clearly and uniquely, as per the comprehensive integrated total and all-pervading observations of SARVAJNA TIRTHANKARAS or ARIHANTAS deny the concept of the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE and put forth its unique scientific and just theory of JAIN COSMOLOGY and ASTIKAYAS etc. which is worth