Preksha meditation: History and Methods
by Samani Pratibha Pragya | 2016 | 111,074 words
This page relates 鈥楥onclusion to chapter 4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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
6. Conclusion to chapter 4
The motivation behind the revival of 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补 lies not simply in the restoration of old practices, but rather in envisioning innovative new methods and practices, which serve as the main markers of the contemporary 鈥渞enaissance of Jaina Yoga鈥� (辫耻苍补谤耻诲诲丑腻谤补).[1] Taking into account the degree of continuity between ancient Jaina meditation and modern scientific 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补 practices, each method contains not only the influence and imprint of innovation, but also the evolving ideology of the Ter膩panth sect. Historically, 办腻测辞迟蝉补谤驳补, anu辫谤别办峁Ｄ� and 产丑腻惫补苍腻 are ancient and medieval techniques of Jaina meditation. However, these existing techniques are formulated, and packaged in a different manner, in 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补.
McMahan (2008) presents modernism as a 鈥減rofound destabilization of traditional forms鈥� which is responsible in the creation of a new shape of existing versions of various practices. The traditional form of Jaina meditation, which includes the ancient four-fold meditation, Haribhadra鈥檚 eight-fold views (诲峁涐梗峁璱), 艢耻产丑补肠补苍诲谤补鈥檚 tantra-influenced further four-fold meditation and five-fold 诲丑腻谤峁嚹乻 are not included in 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补. However, Mah膩praj帽a takes support from these previously existing meditative practices, but he also develops a modern model with the support of science. He tries to appeal to people from all walks of life, without making it a religious dogma, which could be seen as adaptation to modern challenges.
During the formulation of 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补, Mah膩praj帽a coined new phrases and introduced a novel taxonomy for methods such as 补苍迟补谤补测腻迟谤腻, 艣惫腻蝉补-辫谤别办峁Ｄ�, 艣ar墨ra辫谤别办峁Ｄ�, le艣y膩诲丑测腻苍补, caitanya-kendra-辫谤别办峁Ｄ�, 惫补谤迟补尘腻苍补-办峁峁嘺-辫谤别办峁Ｄ�, 惫颈肠腻谤补-辫谤别办峁Ｄ� and 补苍颈尘别峁-辫谤别办峁Ｄ� (Mah膩praj帽a, 1980a:16). The terms Mah膩praj帽a uses are not available or seen in the meditative practices of the ancient, medieval or the pre-modern texts, as I have endeavoured to demonstrate. Mah膩praj帽a's work here, therefore, is undoubtedly innovative and can be seen as an outstanding example of modernisation in Jaina Yoga, combining science and meditation in a highly sophisticated way.