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UNDERSTANDING SAMAYIK
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Pratikraman
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able to do samayik. The laborers are able to do gross (sthool) samayik, but it is of no use to them. It is only helpful if it makes the restless mind still
The Essence of Jain Religion The cessation of artadhyan (adverse internal meditation that hurts the self) and raudradhyan (adverse internal meditation that hurts the self and others) is the essence of the Jain religion.
Seeker: In pratikraman, we say, 'May artadhyan and raudradhyan go away, and may dharmadhyan (absence of adverse internal meditation) and shukladhyan (meditation as the Self) occur.' Then we ask for forgiveness (michhami dukkadam) for that.
Dadashri: Yes, but you gain nothing from that. Is that all possible by just saying so? The consequences of artadhyan are a life in an animal form, and of raudradhyan are a life in hell. So what can one do? One may go into an animal life despite being born a Jain! What a waste of this life!
Rituals of Other Religions Seeker: Do other religions also have the rituals like those in the Jain religion?
Dadashri: It is there everywhere. They too have rituals to bring about a state of stillness. There they do bhakti (devotional singing) and here they do samayik. All this stills the mind for a while
To Block Or Obstruct the Mind in Samayik
pushing away all external thoughts. That kind of worldly samayik is done in the worldly life.
Seeker: Is it what the ascetics and the monks do in a Jain meditation hall (apasara, upashraya)?
Dadashri: All that involves the mind. It is all worldly in nature. It is all aimed at making the mind still. The mind will not remain still, will it? It is great if they can still the mind for an hour. Then the energy of the mind will increase. And one gains that much space. So for that duration of time, he stops binding karma and that will improve his coming life. They obstruct the mind; they make it still. This binds merit karma (punya).
Seeker: There may be a rare person whose mind can remain confined within the circle. When they go to the Jain monastery (the upashraya) where discourses are going on, people will sit in samayik, but their minds are always wandering outside; they never remain still.
Dadashri: The mind is not in the discourse; it is the chit that remains in the discourse and that, too, if he likes the discourse. If one likes the discourse of the guru, then his chit will remain there for a little while; it will not wander off outside. And the mind simply does the thinking on one side. Only when the mind can be brought under control can one make any progress. That is when samayik occurs properly.
Seeker: If someone has been told to recite the Navkar Mantra a hundred times in the samayik, his attention will be on when he will finish the hundredth mantra.
Dadashri: Yes, there they are always in a rush. Even during the samayik, they will keep looking at the hourglass. Then he says paushadha, but what good does that do sitting in the monastery? People of other castes say, 'When we take a bull to drink water, we say posho... posho...- that is how the bull is prompted to drink water.' Paushadha-vrat means to
What samayik are you talking about?
Seeker: When we do samayik for an hour, what are we to do in it?
Dadashri: In order to still the mind, you have to keep
