Preksha meditation: History and Methods
by Samani Pratibha Pragya | 2016 | 111,074 words
This page relates 鈥楽hukla-Dhyana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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11.2. 艢耻办濒补-顿丑测腻苍补
[Full title: The Two Meditations: Liberating Psychological States (2) 艢耻办濒补-顿丑测腻苍补]
Pure or white meditation is the means for the attainment of liberation. The four varieties of white meditation are:[1]
(1) Multiple contemplation, (辫峁泃丑补办迟惫补-vitarka-蝉补惫颈肠腻谤补);
(2) Unitary contemplation, (补颈办补迟惫补-惫颈迟补谤办补-苍颈谤惫颈肠腻谤补);
(3) Subtle infallible physical activity (蝉奴办峁补-办谤颈测腻-辫谤补迟颈辫腻迟颈); and
(4) Irreversible stillness of the soul (vyuparata-办谤颈测腻-anivarti).
The first two varieties of pure meditation are said to be attainable only through a knowledge of purvas.[2] However, this early scriptural literature is no longer extant. It is stated in the 罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补-蝉奴迟谤补 that these two are a pre-condition of 艣耻办濒补-诲丑测腻苍补 (罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补-蝉奴迟谤补1, 9.40).[3] Thus, with the purvas lost, nobody is able to attain this state. For this reason, from between 150 and 350 CE, pure meditation was considered no longer achievable in this world, a point raised by Bronkhorst (1993: 153). According to the Jaina tradition, Jambusv腻m墨 was the last person who attained liberation (Dharmas腻garaga峁噄, 1933: 42) and 叠丑补诲谤补产腻丑耻 was the last knower of all the 14 辫奴谤惫补 scriptures (艣谤耻迟补-办别惫补濒颈苍) (Sa峁単hamitr腻, 2001: 81).
According to the Jaina time cycle there came about a gradual deterioration in the knowledge of the 辫耻谤惫腻蝉, attainment of liberation, and pure meditation so that ultimately pure meditation was no longer attainable in this world. Although, this problem was considered an unavoidable consequence of the time-cycle, it was solved through Jaina cosmography. Places like 惭补丑腻惫颈诲别丑补 are considered unaffected by the cycle of time (办腻濒补肠补办谤补). 惭补丑腻惫颈诲别丑补 is divided into thirty-two regions, which are realms of action (办补谤尘补-产丑奴尘颈). In these thirty-two karma-产丑奴尘颈 regions, conditions are always suitable for 迟墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补蝉 to be born, and liberation is always possible for a human born there. Therefore, pure meditation is said to be prevalent in these realms (Bhagavat墨-蝉奴迟谤补, 20.8). Those who are born in these regions can purify themselves through the performance of dharma诲丑测腻苍补 which is attainable there. Purification in our realm of birth plausibly leads towards 惭补丑腻惫颈诲别丑补 in one鈥檚 next birth where liberation is available. Throughout the canonical period, meditation appeared to be a part of ascetic practice or the practice of austerities (tapas). However, during the classical period, for the first time, Um腻sv腻ti described meditation in a new way: 鈥淐oncentration of thought on a single object by a person with good bone-joints is meditation which lasts an intra-hour (腻-尘耻丑奴谤迟补)鈥�.[4] The duration of practice here is less than forty-eight minutes (腻-尘耻丑奴谤迟补) with one-pointed concentration on a single object. Ohira remarks that during the canonical period one can see a 鈥渄ependent position of 诲丑测腻苍补 to tapas鈥� but 鈥淯m腻sv腻ti presented it independently and added new features which were previously unknown, i.e. the definition of 诲丑测腻苍补 and the dhy腻t腻鈥檚 (meditator鈥檚) gradation in the scheme of the gu峁嘺sth腻na. He did it in order to discriminate the Jaina concept of 诲丑测腻苍补 from that maintained by the other systems, and in so doing he introduced these above mentioned new features into the Jaina system鈥� (Ohira 1982: 89). This will be discussed below.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补-蝉奴迟谤补1, 9.42 辫峁泃丑补办迟惫补颈-办补迟惫补惫颈迟补谤办补-蝉奴办峁补办谤颈测腻pratip腻ti-vyuparata办谤颈测腻nivart墨ni.
[2]:
笔奴谤补惫补蝉 are the collection of fourteen ancient texts in Jaina canonical literature (腻gama). There are numerous ways to define the term 鈥�辫奴谤惫补鈥�. Traditionally it means that the chief disciples (驳补峁嘺诲丑补谤补) of each 迟墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 compose these texts on the basis of knowledge which they gained from 迟墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补蝉. Historically, scholars considered that these texts are teachings of the 23rd 迟墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补, P腻r艣van腻tha. 膧c腻rya 叠丑补诲谤补产腻丑耻 (I) was the last person who knew all fourteen 辫奴谤惫补s; this notion is accepted in both the 艢vet腻mbara and 顿颈驳补峁僢补谤补 traditions and Vajrasv腻m墨 was the last 辫奴谤惫补dhara who had the knowledge of one 辫奴谤惫补 (Wiley, 2004: 176).
[3]:
罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补-蝉奴迟谤补1, 9.40 辫奴谤惫补vida岣�.
[4]:
罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补-蝉奴迟谤补, 9.27. uttamsa峁僪ananasyaik腻gra-cint腻nirodho 诲丑测腻苍补m. 罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补-蝉奴迟谤补, 9.28. 腻 muh奴rt腻t.