Meditation- Dhyan In Jainism

Jain Dharma has clearly defined what is dhyaan , which is only source to free one from the cycle of birth and death and bring out the lasting bliss in every one’s soul  to quote from the sacred works of Jain Dharma : Shri Thavaartha Sutra .

“uttama sangananasya ekaagra chinthan nirotdho dhyaanam aantharmuhoorth” -Shri Umaaswamy’s Shri Moksha sastra-ch9-sutra27.

“ekaagra chintha nirotdho dhyaanam” is only taken up for detailing here.

Dhyaan in short is “ekaagrathaka naam dhyaan”-canalizing the flow of thoughts continuously on one subject is dhyaan.

Dhyaan is classified into four types

Dhyaan is classified into four types viz.

Aartha and roudhra dhyaans are baneful and meritorious in the senses the later are towards securing relief from the cycle of birth and death.

Soul alone has gyaanan – knowledge quality and its capability is knowing and seeing .

This function of knowning and seeing is called paryaay- modification/expression of the the knowledge quality , the prime quality of all the soul .This function of knowing and seeing is ceaselessly ever flowing and never ending under any circumstances , as it is independent and self-subsisting.

For example the waves of sea are ceaselessly flowing and it comes from the sea and it goes back to sea only, is that right? But the sea has no control on the shape or timing of flow of the waves , any doubt ? nonetheless , waves are part and parcel of the sea and there cannot be a sea without waves and waves without sea .

since its function is ceaseless, no one , including soul -atman or knowledge quality-gynaan guna from where it emanates , can stop its flow and soul is turn knowledge quality can only be a silent spectator of what is seen and know in paraay – expressions.

its life only one samaya -the smallest unit of time according to Jain Dharma and for purpose of understanding here , it is enough to know that it is momentry . soul and its infinite qualities are permanent and unchanging from the beginning less time to endless time .

Every mundane soul is universe , we all know , is an expert in dermeritorious meditation -aartha and roudhrt dhyaanas , any hesitation to accept ?

we are either new ir disinterested in dharma or shukla dhyaanas for best – known reasons .So body ,place, time posture etc are not being discussed here .

Those apart , having placed some of the basics on the discussion table , let us attempt to understand the dhyaan process.

The basic process carries in it four tools and they are as follows :

Meditation Concentrating at heart : Meditation With Namaskar Mantra

Now what one has to perform in meditation ?

Soul is the meditating entity Soul is the meditatable subject Soule is meditating function and Soul realizes and manifests soul’s infinite qualities and this is the fruit of meditation .

Besides the above mentioned some more information on soul may be necessary and this point and helpful to have a fully perceive dhyaan – meditation.

soul has three parts viz:

• 1)soul as one unit of infinite soul substances – atma dravya
  
  
• 2)its infinite qualities –ananth gunnas
  
  
• 3)the modifications/sxpressions – ananth paryaas of soul and its infinite qualities .

The first two types are permanent – saswath ,

from the beginning less tome and shall be so forendless time.

The last one part -paryaayas – are impermanent , ever changing ,ever ending and ever dying ;in other words it is just opposite of the first two and which part is also from the beginning less time and shall be so for endless time .

This is Anekant – the structural nature of all 6 kinds of substances , which constitutes this universe and soul too i.e.,two diametrically opposing dharmas -realizes coexisting from the beginning less time and shall so for endless time . This is symbol of jain dharma

.So now the aspirant meditating soul has to associate itself and starts meditating by identifying itself with the unchanging permanent soul and its infinite qualities In other words while in dhyaan . It dissociates itself from all that is changing and perishable seen or known in the knowledge quality of the soul.

To elaborate , soul is not man , woman , rich , poor ,ugly , teacher ,worker , husband, wife, son, daughter, heavenly being , hellish being, but merely and only an unchanging knower – gyaayak.

it is , in short, an unchanging and imperishable knower and knower alone and nothing but knower – gnakyak .Gynnyak is nothing but unchanging simple ordinary knowledge- gyaana samaanya.

For example take T.V. when T.V. is on so many varying and serious and gay images appear, namely, floods, collapse of tall buildings, explosion of bombs, earth quakes, construction and consecration of temples , magnificent idols being installed with all pomps and show, marriages, divorces, child birth what all and what not .But when the T.V. is put off, it remains as it was before the start with out iota of change , is that right?

Unit of soul is the substance -dhravya, all its parts such as screen , light tubes , speakers , and electronic gadgets and all these parts are its qualities – gunnas and what is seen in the screen are its paryaayas.

What is the connection between the TV as unchanging substance – dhravya, its qualities -gunnas andwhat is seen in the screen are its paryaayas. What is the connection between the TV as unchanging substance – dhravya , its qualities – gunnas and modifications – pryaays.

Absolutely nothing excepting the images/ pictures are seen only in the screen of the TV . if the TV is defined with any one of the images say , explosion of bomb TV also must have been destroyed , is it not ? But that is not so.

Similar is the position of the soul . So aspirant should practice immersing himself in his nature – gynaayak be a knower alone and nothing but knower .

This is the very simplest form an explanation of Dhyaan -medition.