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Meditation in Jain Scriptures
239 who is free from karmic bondage. Spiritual Meditation The concentration achieved by an immaculate mind is spiritual meditation. It consists of four states: Multi aspect (prathakatva savitarka savichar), single aspect (ekatva savitarka avichar), subtle activity (sookshma kriya apratipaati) and absorption is self (vyuparat kriya nivarti).
Multi aspect spiritual mediation is performed by an aspirant who has scriptural knowledge and who is attempting to attain the spiritual stages of subsidence or destruction of the conduct deluding karma. The aspirant concentrates upon the various aspects of reality. This type of meditation involves shifting of attention between the meaning, word and activity of the aspects of reality. Hence, it is called multi aspect meditation with shifting. This meditation suppresses or eliminates conduct deluding karma.
Single aspect spiritual meditation is contemplation on a single aspect of reality on the basis of scriptural knowledge by an aspirant who is in the delusion form or word or activity of the aspect of reality without shifting. Such meditation is the single aspect stage of spiritual meditation. This meditation eliminates the four destructive (ghatiya) karmas namely perception obscuring karma, knowledge obscuring karma, deluding karma and obstructing karma. Thus, it leads to omniscience.
Subtle activity spiritual meditation is performed by an omniscient who eliminates the gross activities of body, speech and mind, and posses only subtle activities. In such case, the association of soul with body causes only subtle movements of the space-points of the soul. Hence, it is called the subtle activity stage of spiritual meditation.
Absorption is self-meditation is performed by an omniscient who eliminates even the slight activity of the soul in spite of its association with body. All activities (of the spacepoints of the soul) cease in this meditation. Thus, the influx of even the pleasant feeling producing (sata vedaniya) karma is stopped. Finally, all karmas are shed and the soul attains salvation. This is meditation according to Jain scriptures.
It is interesting to note that, although Jains have developed such meditative exercises as samyika and the aforementioned types of dharmadhyana, they have traditionally paid scant attention to the more magical paths of awakening so heavily favored by other Indian schools. Thus, we find in their ancient texts no mentions of yogic control over respiration (pranayama), or of the mystical centers of psychic energy (the kundalini or the chakras, for example), Jaina teachers seem to have felt a pronounced repugnance for occult powers and the parities which aimed specifically to generate them; such techniques are considered suitable mainly for destructive purposes, hence, to be avoided.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. P. S. Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification, P. 253. 2. English adaptation of the section on meditation (dhyana) in Dr. Nemichandra Jyotisacharya's Tirthankar Mahavir Aur Unki Acharya Parampara, Vol. I, pp. 533-543, Jain Vidwat Parishad, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India, 1974.
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