Transmutation of Personality through Preksha Meditation

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

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Although consciousness generally flows outwards, this is true only of heavily-veiled consciousness. As the veils are taken off, there is a change in the direction of the flow. At that time, extraversion is no longer natural, rather unnatural; it is then replaced by introversion. In view of this, it is very necessary for introversion to keep itself secure from the onslaught of outer environment.
In the Jain meditation-system introversion is called pratisamleenta, i.e. 'embracing solitude (for God-realization)'. It has been defined in the Jain-Sidhanta Deepika as follows :
To withdraw the senses from external objects-- to turn their outgoing nature inwards, is pratisamleenta. It is of four kinds-restraint of the senses; restraint of the tendency to indulge in sorcery; restraint of the passions; and secluded bedstead.
Restraint means freedom from unprofitable pursuits and indulgence in profitable ones. Secluded bedstead means abiding in solitude. In the words of the great sage Patanjali, introversion has been called renunciation. To isolate the senses—the eye, the ear, etc. from their objects, form, sound, etc., is renunciation. The more removed a man is from renunciation, solitude and introversion, the greater is his unrest. The practice of the three above-mentioned conditions-renunciation, aloneness and introversion-is the royal highway to peace. An extrovert has no means of achieving mental peace, whereas there is no cause for disorder in an introvert's life. From this point of view, to turn inwards the outgoing flow of the rays of consciousness is to conquer unrest.
Q. You have suggested that for achieving mental peace,
one should advance along the royal highway of introversion. But the problem is, How to be introvertive? How to embrace solitude? How to practise renunciation? What method do you recommend?
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