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This chapter focuses only on Jaina teachers who developed new practices of meditation that are widely known and have become accessible to all. Many more personalities have contributed to modern Jaina meditation practices, but not all of them are included in this chapter. During my field-work and research, I came across the above mentioned six systems of modern meditations. In the writings of 艢rimada 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补^[1] (1867鈥�1901), a lay-guru, for instance, meditation practices are mentioned, however a systematic presentation is not outlined. Moreover, without lifelong dedication (蝉补尘补谤辫补峁嘺) to their guru, their system is not accessible to anyone. It is claimed by the 厂腻测补濒腻 group, which is the main source of 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补鈥檚 meditation, that out of the 鈥渢hree groups鈥�^[2] under 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补鈥漵 path only the R膩jasobh膩ga Satsa峁単a 惭补峁囜笉补濒补 belonging to 厂腻测补濒腻 group, inherited the tradition of meditation directly from 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补. The present guru of the 厂腻测补濒腻 group, revered as brother 鈥渂h膩墨艣r墨鈥� Nalina Koth膩r墨 (b.1943) a lay guru, stated that Sobh膩gabhai (1823-1897) was instrumental in providing this secret method of meditation known as seed of knowledge (箩帽腻苍补-产墨箩补) to 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补. This form of meditation is not available to other gurus of this path (interview with Nalina Koth膩r墨, in London, 28 May 2015).^[3]

A different opinion about 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补鈥檚 meditation from 厂腻测补濒腻 group is observed in 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补 Mission Dharampur^[4] which is founded by Gurudeva R膩ke艣abh膩墨 Zaveri (b.1966) a lay guru in 2001. According to this group while 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补 did not develop any particular system of meditation, his writings include many references about meditation. 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补s鈥� followers have developed various meditative techniques as per their own interpretation.

On the indication^[5] of R膩ke艣abh膩墨, a telephonic interview was conducted with 腻迟尘腻谤辫颈迟补^[6] Apurvabh膩i of this Mission. The 膧艣谤补尘补 runs a three-day silent residential meditation programme each month, called 鈥�蝉腻诲丑补苍腻 产丑补峁�峁�墨鈥� (spiritual furnace), and teaches a meditation technique known as 鈥�蝉腻办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补鈥� (witness meditation) and has participants from around the world.

This technique takes its basis from a compilation of Gujarati writings of 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补 known as 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 (Vachanamrut). The 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 is a compilation of 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补鈥檚 letters on different occasions to different people and disciples. 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补 mentions three words: the awakened-self (箩腻驳峁泃补-蝉补迟迟腻), the realised-self (箩帽腻测补办补-蝉补迟迟腻) and the self in its own form (腻迟尘补-蝉惫补谤奴辫补) (搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补, 1988: 830). This meditation technique has three stages developed from these three words. Stage one, is relaxation of the body, and is taken from J膩g峁泃a 蝉补迟迟腻. In this stage, the practitioner relaxes each part of the body in sequence and achieves a still awareness of the body. Stage two, is breath awareness, and is taken from J帽膩yaka 蝉补迟迟腻. In this stage, the practitioner observes the natural breath as it flows in and out with a deepened awareness. The third and key stage is the witnessing of thoughts (蝉腻办峁�h墨产丑腻惫补), and is taken from 腻迟尘补-蝉惫补谤奴辫补. In this stage, the practitioner witnesses the thoughts that occur, as a detached observer, and makes no effort to cease, sensor, follow, interpret, or engage in any way with the thoughts.

R膩ke艣abh膩墨 taught the technique on a personal level, to spiritual aspirants for many years before it was formalised into a meditative practice at the 腻艣谤补尘补 in 2004. A guided meditation audio CD was also created by 腻迟尘腻谤辫颈迟 Vidhi Des膩i, with versions in English, Hindi and Gujarati. Yet no text has been developed on 厂腻办峁Ｄ� Meditation. Hence, 厂腻办峁Ｄ� Meditation is not further researched here, due to the lack of any written literature on it. The above-mentioned information is based on interviews and recorded CDs.

There are a number of other writers, who produced some work on Jaina meditation, e.g. Amolaka峁涐梗i (1877鈥�1936) and 膧迟尘腻谤腻尘补^[7] (1882鈥�1962) developed meditative practices that influenced 艢ivamuni鈥檚 腻迟尘补-诲丑测腻苍补. Furthermore, a recent development in the field of modern meditation in 厂迟丑腻苍补办补惫腻蝉墨 tradtion by 笔谤补惫墨峁嘺 峁氠梗i (b.1967), this practice is named as 鈥�笔耻谤耻峁Ｄ乲腻谤补 笔补谤腻办谤补尘补 顿丑测腻苍补鈥�. Fl眉gel notes that 鈥渋t focusses on the alleviation of the personal suffering of the 鈥渃ommon man鈥� through a new form of meditation which is visualisation based method. It was intent on strengthening personal vision (鈥渕ake dreams come true鈥�) to increase happiness and success in the world鈥� (Fl眉gel, 2016: 30). There is no literature available on method of puru峁Ｄ乲膩ra par膩krama 诲丑测腻苍补.

The individuals analysed in this chapter were selected, because they provided a new perspective on the modern history of Jaina meditation as a syncretic and synthetic development. This study is not limited only to systems of modern Jaina meditation, but includes people whose meditative teachings made a huge impact on the global community.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

He was a significant figure in modern Jaina developments. Meditation forms an integral and critical part of an aspirant鈥檚 蝉腻诲丑补苍腻. There are over 85 groups, founded by disciples of 艢谤墨尘补诲补 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补. It would be important to mention 鈥�础驳腻蝉补鈥�, which was the first 腻艣谤补尘补 established by H.H. Lall奴j墨 厂惫腻尘墨 (1854鈥�1936) (Later known as Prabhu艣r墨), the foremost disciple of 艢谤墨尘补诲补 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补. This is a very important 腻艣谤补尘补. The script only describes the approach of one group. This may not be the 鈥渕ain group鈥�. Other groups may have different perspectives. For example, 础驳腻蝉补 has no other 鈥済uru鈥漮ther than 艢谤墨尘补诲补 R膩jcandra Himself. For further details see (Salter, 2006: 242鈥�3).

[2]:

搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补鈥檚 tradition has three main groups namely R膩jasobh膩ga 膧艣谤补尘补 S膩hil膩 established by La岣峚kacanda Vor膩 (1903鈥�1977) in 1976, and 艢谤墨尘补诲补 R膩jcandra 膧诲丑测腻迟尘颈办补 峁Ｄ乨丑补苍腻 Kendra of Dr. 膧tm膩nanda Sonej墨 (b.1931) established in 1975 and 艢r墨mad 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补 Mission Dharmapura of R膩ke艣a Jhaver墨 (b. 1966) was established in 2001.

[3]:

Nalina Koth膩r墨 who is the present head of, 厂腻测补濒腻 腻艣谤补尘补 claimed that due to Sobh膩gabh膩墨 the tradition of meditation of 搁腻箩补肠补苍诲谤补 is still carried on at 厂腻测补濒腻 腻艣谤补尘补 and could be passed on to the person who dedicated himself for life long. The power of transmittance is restricted to the present guru only.

[4]:

https://www.shrimadrajchandramission.org/ashram/administration/atmarpits-82.htm

[5]:

When researcher requested for a telephonic interview to R膩ke艣abh膩i Zveri, he suggested one of his disciple 腻迟尘腻谤辫颈迟补 Ap奴rvabh膩墨鈥檚 name to be interviewd on his meditative practices.

[6]:

The '腻迟尘腻谤辫颈迟补' group is a group of life-long celibate devotees. They have chosen to lead a life of 蝉腻诲丑补苍腻 (spiritual pursuit) and 蝉别惫腻 (selfless service). Under the direction of Gurudev艣r墨 R膩ke艣abh膩墨, they are progressing towards their goal of complete renunciation. They have reached the fourth '辫补耻艣补诲补' 辫谤补迟颈尘腻 (4th level of preparatory monastic practices) out of eleven 辫谤补迟颈尘腻s of lay worshippers (艣谤腻惫补办补蝉) on their journey to becoming monks (蝉腻诲丑耻蝉). At present there are 80 腻迟尘腻谤辫颈迟补.

[7]:

膧肠腻谤测补 膧迟尘腻谤腻尘补 was born in 1882 at R膩hon, Panj膩ba. In 1894, he was initiated by Muni S膩ligar膩ma at Pa峁璱y膩l膩 and died 1962. He was the first 腻肠腻谤测补 of 艢vet膩mber 厂迟丑腻苍补办补惫腻蝉墨 艢谤补尘补峁嘺 厂补峁単丑补, which was formed in 1952. He was a learned monk and worked on Jaina 腻驳补尘补蝉. He authored a small treatise on yoga named 鈥�Jaina 膧gamo me峁� 础峁ａ弓腻峁単补 Yoga鈥� (1943). Later this text was expanded by Amara muni on the occasion of his birth centenary and named 鈥�Jaina Yoga 厂颈诲诲丑腻苍迟补 aura 厂腻诲丑补苍腻鈥�. He was a great meditator and used to meditate from 2 am to 5 am every day, though he never named or wrote about his method of meditation. He was appointed as first 腻肠腻谤测补 of 艢谤补尘补峁嚹� 厂补峁単丑补 (艢颈谤墨峁�a, 2006: 103).