Transmutation of Personality through Preksha Meditation

Author(s): Tulsi Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 17

were limited. The frontiers were, however, extended; the objectives became more clear and comprehensive, and my foot-pilgrimage took a new turn. This turn occurred 30 years ago when I began my anuvrat journey. The journey extended much farther. Pilgrimages were made from the north to the south, i.e. from Punjab to Kanya-Kumari. During these tours, foundations were laid of a religion, which was finding recognition as simple religion without any epithet before it. Through it communal prejudices began to be demolished, and a pure non-sectarian religion emerged.
Anuvrat started a new experiment of bringing about a revolution in thought in the field of religion. Treating the external structure of religion as secondary, it has given primary importance to its essential spirit. Earlier, formal worship which is a secondary aspect of religion, was mistakenly given precedence over spirituality which is the soul of religion. Anuvrat halted this reversal of values caused by relegating the primary to the secondary and accepting the secondary as primary. It gave precedence to spirituality. A widespread, illusory conception was abandoned resulting in greater clarity and the re-establishment of spiritual values. It once again awakened people's faith in spirituality. They displayed greater interest and the urge to practise religion in the laboratory of life became stronger.
The discussion on spirituality unwittingly created the background for preksha dhyana. The seed of preksha was sown the day anuvrat started its campaign for a revolution in thought. For years, this seed was nurtured within. After maturing inside, it sprouted forth and flowered at the appropriate time. From this viewpoint, preksha is no unexpected happening. It is not a sudden jump out of the void. Its origin is the culmination of a process; it has a whole history behind it. It emerged into existence after creating for itself a solid base.