Self Awareness Through Meditation

Author(s): Ranjitsingh Kumat
Publisher: Ranjitsingh Kumat

Page 56

MEDITATION (DHYANA) IN JAIN SCRIPTURES (AAGAM)
Meditation starts with concentration. You need concentration to do any work. Even a thief or a robber needs concentration to accomplish his task. Doctor or a Scientist needs concentration to do his job. Does every concentration mean meditation? Jain scriptures give an apt answer to this. There are four types of meditation as given in Tatvaartha Sutra and Thaanang Sutra, out of which two are prohibited and two are advocated. The four types of meditation are:
1. Aarta Dhyana—Meditation for craving 2. Roudra Dhyana—Meditation for evil doing 3. Dhamma Dhyana—Meditation for Dhamma or the Nature 4. Shukla Dhyana—Meditation par excellence
Of these four types of Dhyana, first two are prohibited as these cause suffering to self and to others who get afflicted due to evil designs of such people. The latter two are recommended meditations as they help a person to get emancipated from the chain of birth and death leading to Moksha or Nirvana. A saint should give up Aarta and Roudra Dhyana and practise Dhamma and Shukla Dhyana as the latter alone can be called meditation.
Aarta Dhyana
Aarta means suffering which comes due to craving. There are four types of craving:
1. Craving to get rid of unwanted things and persons. 2. Craving to get rid of unpleasant situations.