Preksha meditation: History and Methods
by Samani Pratibha Pragya | 2016 | 111,074 words
This page relates 鈥楳editation: A Means of Liberation鈥� of study dealing with Preksha-Dhyana: a meditation technique created by Acharya Shri Mahapragya (Acarya Mahaprajna) in the late twentieth century. It synthesizes ancient Jain ascetic methods, ritualistic practices, and modern scientific insights, appealing to a global audience. The thesis explores its historical context, theoretical foundations, and the rise of contemporary Jain meditation systems.
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4.1. Meditation: A Means of Liberation
Throughout the canonical, classical and medieval literature, Jaina thinkers denote meditation as the ultimate means of omniscient knowledge (办别惫补濒补-箩帽腻苍补) and finally of liberation. This notion of meditation as an eventual means of liberation is found in the 鲍迟迟补谤腻诲丑测补测补苍补-蝉奴迟谤补[1], 碍补濒辫补-蝉奴迟谤补[2], and 顿丑测腻苍补-艣补迟补办补[3] of Jinabhadraga峁噄 (6th c. CE). Some later Digambara texts such as 痴腻谤补蝉蝉补-补峁嘘惫别办办丑腻 of Kundakunda[4], and 闯帽腻苍腻谤峁嘺惫补 (11th c. CE) of 艢耻产丑补肠补苍诲谤补.[5]
There is scattered evidence of meditation in the Jaina literature, but literature though not merely of one single method of meditation. There are many practices which can be described, as meditational techniques, and therefore one should engage with a wide array of different practices as part of one鈥檚 Jaina meditation. These include but are not limited to the 鈥渁bandonment of the body鈥� (办腻测辞迟蝉补谤驳补), the practice of equanimity (蝉腻尘腻测颈办补)[6], the practice of ascetics tolerating extreme heat from the sun (腻迟腻辫补苍腻), an intensive course of austere practice undertaken with determination and performed in conformity with the prescribed procedure[7] and various stages of renunciation (辫谤补迟颈尘腻).[8] Meditation in the Jaina tradition also comprises various recommended reflections (产丑腻惫补苍腻) and contemplations (补苍耻辫谤别办峁Ｄ�) on prescribed themes of Jaina principles.
In the case of the Jainas, non-violence (补丑颈峁僺腻) is acknowledged as the highest religious practice such as in 顿补艣补惫补颈办腻濒颈办补-蝉奴迟谤补1 6.8;[9] but some texts, like the 顿丑测腻苍补-艣补迟补办补 of Jinabhadraga峁噄, propose that in fact 鈥渕editation is the highest religious practice and also the foremost means to liberation鈥�.[10] This is because according to classical Jainism the attainment of liberation (尘辞办峁) is only possible at the highest stage of meditation, known as pure meditation (艣耻办濒补-诲丑测腻苍补). It is worth citing the non-canonical 峁氠梗颈产丑腻峁迟腻苍颈[11] where it is emphatically asserted by 骋补谤诲丑补产丑腻濒墨 (Dagabh膩la) 谤峁[12] that meditation is the highest among all monastic practices. 鈥淎s the head is to the body, as the roots are to the tree, in the same way, among all types of ascetic practices meditation is the highest鈥�.[13]
Although this is not widely recognised in the academic literature, Jaina doctrine places particular emphasis on meditational practices, arguing that all other spiritual practices are inferior to meditation. In part, this study will be an inquiry into the meaning and relevance of this statement. In order to understand the spiritual significance of meditation in the contemporary Jaina tradition, a further investigation of meditation and its relationship to daily monastic and lay practices must be undertaken in future. This requires an examination of both the practice of meditation during 辫谤补迟颈办谤补尘补峁嘺, that is the daily obligatory rituals (腻惫补艣测补办补) of Jaina monks and nuns,[14] and of 辫谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补,[15] or penance, as well as an examination of the non-ritualistic modern practice of 辫谤别办峁Ｄ乨丑测腻苍补.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
鲍迟迟补谤腻诲丑测补测补苍补-蝉奴迟谤补1, 29.73鈥�74鈥�
ah腻耻测补峁� p膩laitt膩 antomuhuttadhd膩vases膩ue joganiroha峁� karem膩峁噀 suhumakiriya峁� 补辫辫补岣峣惫腻颈 sukkaj箩丑腻峁嘺峁� jh膩yam膩峁噀 tappa岣峢amay膩ye ma峁嘺箩辞驳补峁� niru峁僢hai, niru峁僢hitt膩 vaijoga niru峁僢hai, niru峁僢hitt膩 膩峁嚹乸膩峁噓niroha峁� karei, karett膩 墨si pa帽carahassakkharucc膩raddh膩e ya 峁嘺峁� a峁嘺g膩re samucchinnakiriya峁� aniya峁弓isukkajjh膩峁囜箖 jhiy膩yam膩峁噀 惫别测补峁噄箩箩补峁� 腻耻测补峁� 苍腻尘补峁� 驳辞迟迟补峁� ca ee catt膩ri vi kamma峁僺e 箩耻驳补惫补峁� khavei (29.73). tao or膩liyakamm膩i峁� ca savv膩hi峁� vippajaha峁嚹乭i峁� vippajahitt膩 ujjuse岣峢ipatte aphusam膩峁嘺ga墨 耻岣嶀笉丑补峁� egasamae峁嘺峁� aviggahe峁嘺峁� tattha gant膩 s膩g膩rovautte sijjhai bujjai muccai parinivv膩ei savvadukkh膩峁嘺manta峁� karei (29.74).
[2]:
[3]:
D艢, 96. Jh膩峁嘺峁� ca pah膩峁嘺峁僩a峁� tavassa to mokkhahe奴ya峁�.
[4]:
痴腻谤补蝉蝉补-补峁嘘惫别办办丑腻, 1. 峁嘺mi奴峁嘺 savvasiddhe, jh膩峁噓ttamakhavidad墨hasa峁僺膩re.
[5]:
闯帽腻苍腻谤峁嘺惫补, 5.7: dhy膩na mev膩pavargasya, mukhyameka峁� nibhandhana峁�.
[6]:
厂腻尘腻测颈办补, forty-eight minutes鈥� spiritual study or meditative practice.
[7]:
[9]:
顿补艣补惫补颈办腻濒颈办补-蝉奴迟谤补1 6.8: 迟补迟迟丑颈尘补峁� 辫补岣峢补尘补峁� 峁环腻峁嘺峁�, mah膩v墨re峁嘺 desiya峁�. 补丑颈峁僺腻 niu峁嚹� 诲颈峁弓丑腻, savvabh奴esu sa峁僯amo.
[10]:
顿丑测腻苍补-艣补迟补办补 96: 箩丑腻峁嘺峁� ca pah膩峁嘺ga峁� tavassa to mokkha he奴峁�.
[11]:
The 峁氠梗颈产丑腻峁迟腻苍颈 is a very old text. It is a collection of early doctrines attributed to the enlightened ones (峁涐梗颈). This anthology is considered to reflect the doctrinal views of the ascetics, who become enlightened without formal initiation into a religious tradition (pratyekabuddha). The texts Sa峁僩aha峁嚹� and Isima峁囜笉ala say there were twenty such enlightened ones in 狈别尘颈苍腻迟丑补鈥檚 era, fifteen in the 笔腻谤艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 era and ten in 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补鈥檚 era, that is in total forty-five (Schubring, 1942: 492).
[12]:
骋补谤诲丑补产丑腻濒墨 谤峁 is number 22 in 峁氠梗ibh膩峁ta-蝉奴迟谤补m. S膩garamala Jain (1988: 46-48) accepts 骋补谤诲丑补产丑腻濒墨 as a Jaina 谤峁 on the base of 鲍迟迟补谤腻诲丑测补测补苍补-蝉奴迟谤补.
[13]:
[14]:
笔谤补迟颈办谤补尘补峁嘺 is a daily rite for ascetics as performed evening and morning. Mainly it is a kind of selfintrospection and meditation for the sake of purification.
[15]:
笔谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补蝉 are monastic penalties, paid off as tapas, meditation or 蝉惫腻诲丑测腻测补, performed for purification. It purifies the the stains which occur in the daily life of ascetics (Caillat, 1975: 89).