Twelve Introspective Reflections
(Anupreksās, Bhāvanās)

There are twelve reflections for contemplation to awaken the detachmental attitude among the votaries practicing the five partial vows while in householdership. Alternatively, the Tīrthankaras have also reflected upon them even after initiation and detachment. They are, thus, like the mother to nucleate and grow detachmental propensities.

1.Anitya (Reflection on Transitoriness):

The worldly living entities like mother, father, son, wife, Cakravartī, lord of deities, Dharaṇendra and non-living entities like village, place, town, body etc. are just transitory for the living beings. It is only the pure and disembodied soul which has to be reflected upon because it is the only non-transitory entity.

2.Aṡaraṇa (Reflection of Shelterlessness) :

O living soul! the deities, incantations, medicines, chariots, army etc. are no protection or shelter for the living being bom in this four-destinity world while experiencing penury or at the time of death.

It is only the Jina religion propounded by the five Supreme souls and the self-soul in the form of wonderful consciousness which are the real shelter in this suffering world.

3.Sansāra (Reflection on the Cycle of Transmigration):

The living being is experiencing sufferings due to the latency (Vāsanā) of infinite wrong faith in the forest of this five- foldly changing world of substance (Dravya), location (Kṡetra), time (Kāla), birth (Bhava) and current physical or mental states (Bhāva).

He, sometimes, takes birth in the heavens, sometimes in the hells and sometimes in the highly painful birth state in the form of general body beings called ‘Nigodas ’ due to the Karmic machinery. The incessant reflection on the fact that there is nobody happy in this world of wandering – is called the reflection on the world.

4.Ekatva (Reflection on Loneliness):

This is the reflection on the fact that the living being is always alone and, idealistically, there is nobody who is his friend in this world. He has come alone in this world and will take birth alone in another birth place. The relatives like brothers and sisters etc. are never a company to him beyond the crematorium. It is only the religion which will alway accompany him.

5.Anyatava (Reflection on Separateness):

This is the reflection of the type as below : “Though I am combined with my body since beginningless time, however, the body is altogether different and separate from me. The body and my-self are totally different from each other. When even my nearest body does not belong to me, how is it possible that my relatives like wife, son etc. will be mine. These are directly alien to me.”

6.Aṡuci (Reflection on Impurity or Defilement):

The reflection on the defiled nature of body is the reflection on impurity.

It is like this : “This body is always impure. It has been due to the mixing of the foul blood and semen of the mother and father. Many pure and fragrant materials also become defiled and disgusting when they come in contact with it. However, one can acquire the treasury of Ratnatraya through this body. The living soul can be purified with the help of Ratnatraya only.”

7.Asrava (Reflection on Karmic Influx):

The term ‘Influx’ (Asrava) is defined as a process in which the good and bad karmas accrue to the living being through the five doors of wrong faith, non-abstinence, non-vigilance, passions and activity (yoga). This influx leads to the karmic bondage which is the basic cause of worldly cycles of the living beings. One should try to reflect upon the true nature of the soul by turning away from the causes of karmic influx.

8.Samvara (Reflection on Karmic Stoppage):

The term ‘Samvara’ (stoppage) is defined as a process of preventing the karmic influx. The reflection on five total vows (Mahāvrata), five carefulnesses (Samiti), three guards (gupti), ten duties (Dharma), twelve reflections (Anuprekṣās) and twenty-two afflictions (Parīṣaha) – a reflection on (5+5+3+10+12+22 =) 57 factors for preventing the karmic influx is called the reflection on stoppage.

9.Nirjarā (Reflection on Karmic Shedding):

The term ‘karmic shedding’ is defined as the process in which the earlier-earned karmas are dissociated from the living being due to their natural or pre-matural fruition.

It has two varieties :

• (a) Matural shedding (Savipāka nirjarā),
• (b) Non-matural shedding (Aavipāka nirjarā).

The process of dissociation of earlier- earned karmas after their fruition with their full duration is called matural shedding. In contrast, the non-matural or pre-matural shedding is the process of shedding of earlier-earned karmas through austerities and bearing of afflictions etc. without the completion of their full duration.

The first kind of shedding occurs to all the worldly living beings while the second kind of shedding occurs to the right-faithed ones and persons with vows only.

10.Loka (Reflection on the Universe):

There is the human-shaped occupied space in the center of the infinite non-occupied space. This is eternal and self-existent. Where are the heavens and hells etc. in this occupied space ? Where are the Nigodas and Salvation places ? Wherefrom does the living being come and where has it to go ? Reflections on such questions on the nature of universe are made in this reflection.

11.Bodhi-durlabha (Reflection on Rarity of Enlightenment):

The following type of reflections are there in this reflection : “It is a rarity to acquire birth in the mobile (Trasa) class of the living beings from the life of the general body one-sensed beings (Sthāvaras) in this world full of suffering. It is still a high rarity to acquire birth among the five-sensed ones out of the mobile class. It is like the diamond particle dropped in the ocean.

It is still a more rarity to get birth as human beings among the five-sensed beings. It is like the rare quality of obligation out of many qualities. Further, it is gradually rarer to have good family, country, completeness of senses and good health etc. in the human life. In the last, it is still highly rare having

• (a) a religion of non-violence,
• (b) initiation in strivers’ (Ṡramaṇa) religion and
• (c) observance of vow of holy death with trance.

Hence, it is the best to vigilantly realise the nature of pure self after acquiring the above rarities of human life. The acquirement of other objects are dependent on karmic earning. However, the nature of the self in the form of pure knowledge and conation is one’s own.

Why one should take their acquirement as rare ? In other words, it is easy to acquire one’s own nature. There is the need of self-exertion only for it.”

One should repeatedly reflect this way and should have excellent exertions to acquire one’s true nature.

12.Dharma (Reflection on Religion):

The Jaina religion has been propounded by the omniscients. It is characterised by non-violence. The tmth, non-greediness and celibacy etc. are its components. If they are not observed, the living being wanders in the beginningless world. He feels sorrow due to the fruition of sins.

However, when these qualities are observed, the living being enjoys the worldly prosperity and secures happiness through salvation. The reflection of this type is the reflection on religion.

Every votary should contemplate over these reflections and become detached from the world.56 He should take permission of his parents and relatives and join the group of sky-clad saints and live with the Preceptors. Afterwards, he should request for initiation in their group. Alternatively, those votaries also go to the Preceptor and request for their initiation.

The Preceptor judges the capacity of the votary for initiation and afterwards initiates him into Jaina order as per prescribed rites. The initiation-desiring votary has to hand pluck his hairs. He renounces all kinds of clothes, ornaments and possessions etc. The Preceptor, then, offers him

• (a) the peacock- feather picchī as an instrument of observing restraint,
• (b) religious texts as instruments of knowledge and,
• (c) wooden water jar with nozzle (Kamandalu) for excretory or other purposes.

He explains the twenty eight basic attributes (Mūlguṇas) of the saints to him and initiates him with the five Supreme souls (images) as witness. He writes some sacred incantations (Mantras) on his head in the prescribed method and, then, writes the seed letters there. The initiated disciple, also, surrenders before the Preceptor after getting initiated and feeling obliged to him.