Transmutation of Personality through Preksha Meditation

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

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with the external environment. And even this knowledge of the outside world cannot be said to be complete. Man's contact with the outer world is limited, but with the inner world, he is not acquainted at all. How can a living being existing only at the level of the senses and the mind come to know of it? The first step for being acquainted with the inner world is the introversive consciousness. As long as a man continues with the old, a new beginning cannot be made. Without the opening of a new chapter, no acquaintance with the inner world is possible. And without this acquaintance, there can be no understanding of the nature of peace, nor its attainment. In order to attain peace, it is absolutely essential for consciousness to turn inwards. Only he who lives at the level of introversion can achieve tranquillity.
Q. Since the natural flow of consciousness is outwards, - what is the process of turning it inwards? No material thing can give up its intrinsic nature. How then can we expect the flow of consciousness to take a different turn?
Ans. The moment the sense organs lose contact with
- the outside world, the mind, freed from the web of uncertainties, becomes concentrated. The rays of consciousness then begin to penetrate inside. Inaction outside gives birth to inward action. The awakening of consciousness inside is introversion. A question may here arise as to how consciousness turns inside from outside. Not an unnatural question. But the fact is that consciousness never so turns; it is always inside. Only in the state of introversion, its flow changes. A change in direction takes place. The rays of consciousness which, before introversion, spread outwards, now radiate within. When the rays of consciousness flowing outward earlier begin to shine within, introversion takes place. In short, to be fully established in oneself is introversion.
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