Transmutation of Personality through Preksha Meditation

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

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eating. Fasting prepares the necessary background for meditation. The sadhak who cannot keep a fast or observe control over his diet, is not fit for the practice of meditation. To be able to practice meditation it is necessary for a sadhak to purify his mental and physical background.
The discussion of twelve kinds of purification in the Jain tradition is very important in the context of meditation. Fasting, control over diet, undertaking of various pledges, and complete abstention from rich heavy foods -all these four elements are extremely important from the point of view of body-purification. If a sadhak is not alive to their importance, he cannot make much progress in his meditation. Then, the body is trained through the practice of asanas. Until the asanas are perfected, one cannot practise long sittings. After the asanas have been perfected, it is necessary to control the licentiousness of the mind and the senses. After achieving control over the senses and the passions, a method of purification of the mental flaws has been laid down. At this level, it is necessary to effect the dissolution of the 'I' and total surrender. Until the sense of the 'I' is dissolved, a sadhak cannot give himself completely even to his sadhana. In order to develop his knowledge-consciousness, the dedicated sadhak takes to studies. Then only is the groundwork laid for the practice of meditation. The sadhak who takes to meditation without first passing through the requisite stages, cannot continue for long. The consummation of meditation is renunciation, complete detachment. Thus, the sadhak adopting a systematic method of meditation naturally advances towards his goal.
The answer to the rest of the question relating to the technique of meditation is Ayaro. So many seeds of dhyana sadhana lie scattered in Ayaro by organising and elaborating which a complete system of meditation can be perfected. This would require a serious and extensive study of Acharang Sutra.
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