________________
rules of sadhana. The initiation into preksha dhyana is accompanied by the acceptance of five rules—temperance in food; temperance in speech; friendship for all; freedom from reaction; and mindfulness.
The first rule is temperance in food-food is related to the body, and the body to the mind. To discipline the mind, it is very necessary to discipline the body. Control over food is even more important than the necessity of food for the body. Often fasting or hunger does not hurt a man so much as over-eating. Over-eating is the greatest hindrance to meditation. A sadhak, if he exercises restraint in food, can go into deep meditation at any time. On the contrary, after excessive eating, one's state of mind is not at all conducive to meditation. Over-eating, invariably, induces sloth and sleep. Meditation symbolises a higher level of consciousness. From this point of view, the simpler, the more wholesome and the more frugal a man's diet, the greater facility he enjoys in meditation.
The second rule of initiation is temperance in speech. Speech is a necessity of group life, because it is the means of expressing one's feelings. A man who keeps alone, has little opportunity for speaking; he naturally falls silent. A newborn child, if kept in total isolation, would never learn how to speak. Speech has value only when there is with you someone who listens to you. But even in community living, silence is more important than speech. In order to delve into the depths of sadhana, not only outer silence, but inner silence is necessary. It is a great weakness in man that he speaks too much. To use ten words or sentences where one would do, is a waste of time and energy.
It is desirable for the sadhak of preksha meditation to observe complete silence, even outside of meditation
117
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
